Owner-builder permitsOften allowedHillsborough, Lee and Charlotte accept them for solar
Electrical workVaries by countySome want a licensed electrician on it
EngineeringUsually requiredSigned and sealed plans, or a certified design
Sell within 1 yearPresumed for saleCan put you outside the exemption

The short answer

Often, yes. Florida's owner-builder exemption lets a property owner act as their own contractor when improving a one- or two-family home they'll occupy or use themselves, and county building departments including Hillsborough, Lee and Charlotte publish owner-builder paths for residential solar permits. But going DIY changes who pulls the permit, not what the permit requires. You'll still need engineered plans in most cases, the same inspections a contractor's job gets, and your utility's approval before the system can turn on.

The details that trip people up are the electrical work, which state law treats inconsistently for solar, and the owner-builder conditions themselves, including a rule that selling the home within a year of finishing the work creates a presumption the work was done for sale.

What Florida law allows

Two parts of Florida law matter for a homeowner installing their own system:

  • The general owner-builder exemption, Florida Statute 489.103(7). Property owners can act as their own contractor, providing direct, onsite supervision of all work not done by licensed contractors, when improving a one- or two-family residence for their own occupancy or use, not for sale or lease. The statute generally requires the owner to personally appear and sign the building permit application, and to sign an owner-builder disclosure statement.
  • The electrical owner-builder exemption, Florida Statute 489.503. It separately lets an owner act as their own electrical contractor on a single-family home or duplex they'll occupy or use, again not for sale or lease. It doesn't mention solar, which is part of why building departments don't all treat solar wiring the same way.

Neither exemption lets you hire an unlicensed person to act as your contractor. You can do the work yourself, or hire licensed contractors for parts of it, while you supervise.

The solar-only clause and its grant

Florida Statute 489.103(7)(a)3 adds a separate, narrower clause just for solar. It lets an owner install, remove or replace solar panels on a one-, two- or three-family home, but only where the local permitting agency's county or city government is participating in the U.S. Department of Energy's SunShot Initiative Rooftop Solar Challenge grant. Under that clause, the owner must use a licensed electrical contractor for the wiring, including the connection to the home's electrical system.

In Florida, that grant ran mainly through Broward County's Go SOLAR program, launched in 2012 with a streamlined online permit for rooftop solar, and a later statewide phase, Go SOLAR Florida, with Broward, Miami-Dade, Orange and Alachua counties and the Florida Solar Energy Center. Broward County describes Go SOLAR Florida as running through 2017. We couldn't find a current list of local governments still counted as participating, so treat this clause as a question for your building department rather than something to assume, and remember it isn't the only owner-builder route.

How building departments handle it

In practice, what matters most is how your county or city building department applies these rules. Three published examples:

  • Hillsborough County accepts residential solar PV applications from licensed electrical contractors or from homeowners acting as their own contractor, who must complete an owner-builder disclosure statement. It requires digitally signed and sealed plans from a Florida-licensed design professional either way.
  • Lee County says an owner-builder who isn't a licensed contractor must attach an owner-builder disclosure statement, and it requires signed and sealed wind-load documentation from a Florida-registered design professional.
  • Charlotte County lists owner-builders as eligible for residential solar PV permits, requires signed and sealed engineering (electrical and structural) or an FSEC certification, and notes that an owner-builder must not rent or sell the property within one year of completing the permit.

Because the solar-only clause requires a licensed electrician while the general electrical exemption doesn't mention solar, some departments may want a licensed electrician on the permit for the electrical portion even if you handle the rest. Before you buy equipment, ask your building department three things: can an owner-builder pull a solar permit, can I do the electrical work myself, and what engineering do you require?

An electrician's gloved hands connecting wiring inside an open residential breaker panel
The wiring and the connection to your panel are where building departments differ most on owner-builder solar jobs.

What you take on as an owner-builder

The owner-builder disclosure statement Florida law requires spells out the responsibilities in plain terms. The main ones:

  • You supervise the job yourself. You must provide direct, onsite supervision of all work not done by licensed contractors, and you can't hand that responsibility to anyone who isn't licensed.
  • You can't hire an unlicensed person as your contractor. If you hire workers, you're responsible for things like federal tax withholding and workers' compensation.
  • Injuries are your risk. The disclosure warns that you may be held liable for injuries to an unlicensed person working on your property, and that your homeowner's insurance may not cover them.
  • The home has to be for your own use. Selling or leasing it within one year after the work is completed creates a legal presumption that the work was done for sale or lease, which puts you outside the exemption. If a sale is possible, our guide to selling or buying a house with solar covers what buyers look for.

What DIY doesn't save you

Doing it yourself cuts installer labor and markup. It doesn't remove the rest of the process:

  • Engineering and permit fees. All three county examples above call for signed and sealed engineering or a certified design, because the mounting has to meet Florida Building Code wind requirements. Our hurricanes guide covers why the attachment hardware matters so much.
  • Inspections and utility approval. The system goes through the same building inspections, then the same interconnection review and permission to operate from your utility, as any installer's job. Our permit timeline guide covers both clocks. Plug-in kits that skip that process are a different story, covered in our guide to plug-in solar in Florida.
  • Equipment warranties. Terms vary by manufacturer, and some tie coverage to professional installation. Enphase, for example, warns homeowners in its own warranty guide that a DIY installation could disqualify a system from future warranty claims.
  • The federal tax credit. It's gone for everyone, not only DIYers: the 30 percent residential credit ended at the end of 2025 for homeowner-owned systems. Our incentives guide covers what Florida still offers.

If the numbers only work as a DIY project, it's worth getting two or three professional quotes to compare against. Our guide to comparing solar quotes shows how to line them up on price per watt.

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Common questions

Is it legal to install my own solar panels in Florida?

Often, yes, as an owner-builder on a one- or two-family home you'll occupy or use yourself. Florida's owner-builder exemption lets property owners act as their own contractor, and county building departments including Hillsborough, Lee and Charlotte publish owner-builder paths for residential solar permits. You still need a permit, the same inspections and your utility's approval, and some departments want a licensed electrician on the electrical work.

Do I still need a permit if I install solar myself?

Yes. Owner-builder status changes who is allowed to pull the permit, not whether one is needed. Expect to sign an owner-builder disclosure statement, submit engineered plans (all three county checklists we reviewed call for signed and sealed engineering or a certified design), and pass the same inspections a contractor's job would.

Can I do the electrical wiring myself?

It depends on your building department. Florida Statute 489.503 lets an owner act as their own electrical contractor on a single-family home or duplex for their own use, but it doesn't mention solar, while the solar-specific owner-builder clause in 489.103 requires a licensed electrical contractor for the wiring. Because of that split, departments don't all treat solar wiring the same way. Ask yours before you buy equipment.

What's the SunShot requirement I keep reading about?

Florida Statute 489.103(7)(a)3 has a narrower, solar-only clause for one- to three-family homes that applies only where the local government is participating in the U.S. Department of Energy's SunShot Rooftop Solar Challenge grant, and it requires a licensed electrical contractor for the wiring. In Florida that grant ran mainly through Broward County's Go SOLAR program and a later phase with Broward, Miami-Dade, Orange and Alachua counties, which Broward County says ran through 2017. It isn't the only owner-builder route, and whether it still applies anywhere is a question for your building department.

What happens if I sell my house soon after installing solar myself?

Florida's owner-builder exemption covers work for your own use, not for sale or lease. Selling or leasing the property within one year after the work is completed creates a legal presumption that the work was done for sale or lease, which can put you outside the exemption. If you might sell soon, hiring a licensed contractor is the safer route.

Can friends or hired help do some of the work?

Be careful here. Florida's owner-builder disclosure statement warns that you can't hire an unlicensed person to act as your contractor, that you're responsible for things like federal tax withholding and workers' compensation for people you hire, and that you may be held liable for injuries to an unlicensed person working on your property, which your homeowner's insurance may not cover.

Will a DIY installation affect my equipment warranty?

It can. Warranty terms vary by manufacturer, and some tie coverage to professional installation. Enphase, for example, warns homeowners in its own warranty guide that a DIY installation could disqualify a system from future warranty claims, and its labor reimbursement applies to projects with certified installers. Read the warranty for every major component before you buy.

Does a DIY solar system still get the federal tax credit?

No, but not because it's DIY. The 30 percent federal residential solar credit ended at the end of 2025 for homeowner-owned systems, whether professionally installed or self-installed. Our incentives guide covers what Florida still offers, including the property and sales tax exemptions.

Can I install solar myself if I live in a condo?

Usually not on your own. The owner-builder exemption covers one- and two-family homes, and in a condo the association typically controls the roof, so its approval comes first no matter who does the work. Our HOA guide covers how Florida's solar rights law treats condos differently from single-family HOAs.

This page is general information, not legal advice. Building departments interpret owner-builder rules differently, so confirm with yours before starting work. Sources: Florida Statute 489.103 · Florida Statute 489.503 · Hillsborough County solar PV checklist · Lee County solar PV guide · Charlotte County residential solar PV permits · Broward County, Go SOLAR Florida · Enphase homeowner warranty guide, reviewed September 2026.

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