Sunprint
The short answer
On most Florida homes, a south-, east- or west-facing roof in good shape is the cheaper place for solar. A ground mount or carport starts to make sense when the roof is shaded, faces north, needs replacing soon, or doesn't have room, and you have open yard or driveway space with sun. Florida's code treats a ground-mounted array as a structure that must be designed for your site's wind, your city or county decides where it can go on the lot, and the state's HOA protection is written for panels on buildings, so check your covenants first.
When a ground mount or carport beats the roof
Shade on the roof, a roof facing the wrong way, a roof near the end of its life, a roof too small or too cut up, or a tile roof you'd rather not drill.
- Shade. Trees that shade the roof may not shade an open corner of the yard, and cutting them down isn't always simple: in Hillsborough County, for example, removing a tree 12 inches or more across needs a permit.
- Direction. A north-facing roof makes about a third less than the best angle, and east and west roofs lose 11% to 17% (figures below).
- Roof age. Panels on the roof have to come off for a reroof. A ground mount avoids that cost; our guide to reroofing before solar covers the timing and Florida's 15-year insurance rule.
- Roof type and space. Hips, valleys, vents and fire-code pathways can leave little usable roof. Tile roofs can be done, but take more work; see solar on tile and metal roofs.
- No holes in the roof. A ground mount takes roof leaks off the table entirely; see do solar panels cause roof leaks.
How much more a ground mount can make
Yearly output of 1 kW of panels in Orlando, by where and how they're mounted (kWh):
Source: PVGIS 5.2 (European Commission Joint Research Centre) using NREL's National Solar Radiation Database weather, 14% system losses. PVGIS puts the best fixed angle for Orlando at a 29-degree tilt, facing slightly east of south. NREL's PVWatts model gives nearly the same figures for these roofs, within about 1%.
So a ground mount at the best angle makes 13% more than an east-facing roof, 20% more than a west-facing roof and 49% more than a north-facing one. Against a south-facing 6/12 roof it gains less than 1%, which is why a good south roof is hard to beat on cost. For every direction and pitch in five cities, see the best angle and direction for solar panels in Florida.
Solar carports
A solar carport puts the panels on a freestanding frame over a driveway or parking pad, so the same space shades the cars and makes power. It's a structure in its own right, with its own foundations and wind design. Two things to watch:
- Low tilt. If a carport's panels sit nearly flat, output drops: in Orlando, flat panels make about 9% less than panels at the best angle. Low tilt also lets dirt collect along the bottom edge; our guide to cleaning solar panels in Florida explains.
- Where it sits. A carport near the street may run into front-yard limits in the zoning code, covered below.
HOAs and Florida's solar-rights law
Florida Statutes 163.04 does two things. First, a city or county ordinance may not prohibit, or have the effect of prohibiting, the installation of solar collectors, which isn't limited to roofs. Second, deed restrictions and covenants may not prohibit solar collectors "from being installed on buildings erected on the lots," and an association may choose the location "on the roof" facing south or within 45 degrees of south, as long as that doesn't impair how the system works.
The law doesn't mention ground mounts or carports. The Florida Solar Energy Center at UCF says an association can't force you to ground-mount instead of using your roof, or to screen the system from view, if that would impair its efficiency. But whether an HOA can refuse a ground mount you'd prefer isn't spelled out, so the covenants and the architectural review process may decide it. FSEC advises getting association approval before any installation. Our HOA solar rules guide covers the process.
Setbacks, zoning and where it can go
Your city or county zoning code decides how close a ground mount can be to the lot lines, how tall it can be, and whether it can sit in a front yard. Florida's building code also leaves fire separation distances for ground-mounted arrays to the local jurisdiction. As one example, Hillsborough County's residential solar permit checklist says:
- No front yards. Ground-mounted panels may not project into a required front yard, except on a lot with two front yards, where they may project 5 feet into the one that works as a side or rear yard.
- A 14-foot height limit in residential zoning districts.
- Side and rear setbacks at least as large as the house's, except that where those exceed 15 feet, 15 feet is enough.
- A site plan to scale showing setbacks, easements, wetlands and any trees being removed.
Other counties and cities write their own rules, so check with your local zoning office before choosing a spot. If your property is in a flood zone, ask the building department how high the electrical equipment has to sit; Florida's code requires electrical equipment serving buildings in flood hazard areas to be at or above the required flood elevation.
Permits and wind design
The Florida Building Code sends ground-mounted solar to the same structural rules as buildings. The residential code says ground-mounted systems must be designed and installed under its structural design section, R301, and the building code says they must meet its structural chapter (Chapter 16) and the Florida Fire Prevention Code. Panels, inverters and racking must carry the listed safety certifications either way.
In practice that means engineered drawings. Hillsborough County, for instance, files ground mounts under a residential miscellaneous permit and requires digitally signed and sealed engineering for plan review, where a roof mount goes in as an electrical permit. In Miami-Dade and Broward, the code's High-Velocity Hurricane Zone applies, with design wind speeds of 165 to 195 mph in Miami-Dade and 156 to 185 mph in Broward depending on a structure's risk category. Utility interconnection rules don't depend on where the panels are mounted. For how long the whole process takes, see our permit and timeline guide.
What a ground mount or carport costs
There's no official Florida price for ground mounts, but Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory tracks what homeowners actually pay nationwide:
Treat those as rough national guides, not Florida quotes. Longer wire runs, digging, the engineering, a tree survey and Florida's wind design all move the number, and we found no reliable published prices for home solar carports. When comparing offers, look for the mounting structure priced as its own line; our guide to comparing solar quotes shows how to line up price per watt. Also check your homeowners policy: a detached array may fall under "other structures" coverage, which often has lower limits (see solar and homeowners insurance).
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Common questions
Is a ground mount better than a roof mount in Florida?
Only in some cases. A ground mount can face due south at the best angle, which in Orlando makes 13% more than an east-facing roof and 20% more than a west-facing one, and it keeps holes out of your roof. But it costs more, takes yard space, and needs an engineered structure and zoning review. A good south-facing roof makes almost as much for less money.
How much does ground mount solar cost per watt?
There's no official Florida figure. Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory found the U.S. median price for home systems bought with cash was $3.50 per watt in 2024, and its price model shows ground-mounting adding about $0.40 per watt, roughly $4,000 on a 10 kW system. Florida quotes vary with the site, wiring distance and wind design.
Can my HOA stop a ground-mounted solar system in Florida?
Possibly. Florida Statutes 163.04 bars covenants from prohibiting solar collectors installed on buildings and lets an association pick the location on the roof, but it doesn't mention ground mounts. The Florida Solar Energy Center says an HOA can't force you to ground-mount instead of using your roof if that would impair the system. Get the association's approval in writing before building.
Do I need a permit for a ground-mounted solar system in Florida?
Yes. The Florida Building Code treats a ground-mounted array as a structure designed for wind under its structural rules, and counties require building and electrical permits. Hillsborough County, for example, requires signed and sealed engineered drawings and a site plan showing setbacks for ground mounts.
How far from the property line does a ground mount have to be?
It depends on your city or county. In Hillsborough County's residential districts, ground mounts may not go in a required front yard, are limited to 14 feet tall, and must meet the house's side and rear setbacks, or 15 feet where those are larger. Check your local zoning code.
Are solar carports worth it in Florida?
They can be when the roof won't work and the driveway gets sun, since the same space shades the cars. The structure adds cost and engineering, and panels laid nearly flat make about 9% less than panels at the best angle in Orlando.
Do ground-mounted solar panels hold up in hurricanes?
They have to be designed for it. Florida's code requires ground-mounted arrays to meet its structural wind design rules, and in Miami-Dade and Broward the High-Velocity Hurricane Zone applies, with design wind speeds up to 195 mph. Our hurricane guide covers what happens in storms.
Related guides
- Can my HOA block solar in Florida?
- Should you replace your roof before going solar?
- How long does going solar take in Florida?
- Solar panels and hurricanes in Florida
- How to compare solar quotes in Florida
- Solar on tile and metal roofs in Florida
Output figures are modeled for Orlando and differ by location and site; prices are national medians and model estimates, not Florida quotes. Zoning examples are from one county; check your own city or county. Sources: Florida Statutes 163.04 (2026) · Florida Solar Energy Center (UCF), Florida Solar Rights Act · Florida Building Code, Residential, 8th edition (2023), Sections R301, R322 and R324 · Florida Building Code, Building, 8th edition (2023), Section 3111 · Florida Building Code, Building, 8th edition (2023), Section 1620 · Hillsborough County, solar photovoltaic system permit checklist · Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, U.S. Distributed Solar and Storage, 2025 data update (PDF) · Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Tracking the Sun, 2024 edition (PDF) · European Commission JRC, PVGIS 5.2 (NSRDB weather data) · NREL PVWatts v8. Reviewed September 2026.
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