Solar Permit in Town of Hempstead, New York

Frequently asked questions

Do you need a solar permit in Town of Hempstead?

Solar photovoltaic installations are filed as building permits with the Department of Buildings, which publishes a solar filing instruction sheet. The application takes the Long Island Unified Solar Energy System Fast Track Permit Application, a notarized Affidavit of Property Owner, a recent unaltered survey, a plot plan showing panel locations, a Design Professional's Certificate of Compliance, a Consent for Inspection form, a Solar Acknowledgment form and a Solar Without Examination form. A letter from a professional engineer certifying the installation will withstand sustained wind speeds of up to 125 mph is required, and a contractor installing on a residential dwelling needs a home improvement license plus proof of workers compensation and liability insurance. An electrical inspection is required, and ground mounted systems must also meet Building Zone Ordinance requirements. Always confirm with the Town of Hempstead Department of Buildings before starting.

How much does a solar permit cost in Town of Hempstead?

The flat solar fee is gone. Local Law No. 20-2024 (adopted 3-12-2024, effective 4-2-2024) amended Town Code 86-11EE to read: "The fee for an application to install a residential solar photovoltaic system or power wall shall be determined by the estimated cost of construction and no longer subject to a fee cap." Solar applications are therefore charged the ordinary building permit fee under 86-11C(1): $200 residential for an estimated cost up to $1,000, then $200 plus $18 for each additional $1,000 or fraction thereof. The $300 solar panel and $200 power wall caps set by Local Law No. 93-2022 no longer apply, and the older $100 cap from Local Law No. 90-2016 is two amendments out of date. See the official fee schedule for current amounts.

Where do you apply for a solar permit in Town of Hempstead?

You can apply through the Town of Hempstead permit portal or contact the Town of Hempstead Department of Buildings directly. The links are listed on this page.

Can a homeowner pull a solar permit themselves in Town of Hempstead?

Under New York law (Inside New York City: NYC Admin. Code 28-104.1, 28-105.1, 28-105.4, 28-105.5.1, 28-401.3 (definition of "general contractor"). Outside New York City: N.Y. Exec. Law 381(2); 19 NYCRR 1203.3(a)(1).): New York State sets no owner-builder rule at all outside New York City. Executive Law 381(2) puts administration and enforcement in the hands of each local government, and 19 NYCRR 1203.3(a)(1) only requires each authority having jurisdiction to make building permits mandatory for work that must conform to the codes, leaving who may apply to local law. The state licenses no general contractors and imposes no owner-builder affidavit, disclosure form or post-permit sale restriction of the kind Florida uses, so whether a homeowner may pull the permit is a question for the specific city, town, village or county. New York City is the genuine outlier. Administrative Code 28-105.1 makes the work itself unlawful without a written permit, and Administrative Code 28-104.1 bars the department from issuing that permit until it approves the required construction documents, which must be prepared by or under the supervision of a registered design professional, meaning a licensed architect or engineer, as required by the code. A homeowner therefore cannot self-prepare and file the plans for permit-requiring work in New York City even though Administrative Code 28-105.5.1 defines the permit applicant as the person who performs the work or retains a subcontractor, and even though the general contractor registration definition in Administrative Code 28-401.3 expressly excludes an individual who constructs a residential structure of no more than three dwelling units for his or her own occupancy. Note that Administrative Code 28-105.4 exempts minor alterations and ordinary repairs from the permit requirement entirely, so the design professional bottleneck applies only to work that needs a permit in the first place. Confirm how Town of Hempstead applies this before you apply.