Solar panels in Pinellas County, FL

• Unincorporated Pinellas homeowners apply for a solar (photovoltaic) permit through the county's Access Portal, and new fee schedules and permit rules took effect July 1, 2026.
• The day after Hurricane Helene in September 2024, about 217,700 of Duke Energy's 561,600 Pinellas customers (39%) were without power, per the Public Service Commission, after storm surge above 6 feet.
• Two days after Hurricane Milton in October 2024, more than 350,000 Duke customers in Pinellas, over 60%, were still without power.

Permits and zoning rules are set town by town. Highlights from each town's own rules:

• Belleair: Belleair traces its origins to the 1890s and keeps a Historic Registry of more than 30 protected properties. Since Ordinance 547 (July 2022), the Planning and Zoning Board serves as the town's historic preservation office, so check whether your home is on the registry before planning a roof project.
• Belleair Beach: After Hurricane Helene, Belleair Beach gave each home a Substantial Damage Estimate from inspection data, using a FEMA-approved tool, with inspectors in the field the first week. Homes under the 50% line got a Non-Substantial Damage letter and a storm damage permit package.
• Belleair Bluffs: Since August 2025, Belleair Bluffs building permits and inspections have been handled by SAFEbuilt instead of Pinellas County. Permits opened before then stay with the county through final inspection.
• Belleair Shore: Hurricane Helene in 2024 stripped a section of Belleair Shore of its beach entirely, leaving water against a seawall that had been covered by sand, a USF coastal survey found.
• Clearwater: Clearwater is a SolSmart Bronze community, recognized for making it faster and easier to go solar, and it publishes a solar permitting checklist.
• Dunedin: Dunedin permits are submitted, reviewed and approved online through the city's Citizen Self Service portal, and the city says residential plan review averages 5 to 7 business days.
• East Lake: East Lake is unincorporated, so Pinellas County issues permits. The county says replacing a roof that has solar panels on it takes both a solar permit and a roof permit, so plan reroofing before the panels go up.
• Gulfport: Hurricane Helene in September 2024 flooded about 670 structures in Gulfport. The city found 224 substantially damaged under FEMA's 50% rule, which means they must be elevated, relocated or demolished.
• Indian Rocks Beach: Since March 2020, Pinellas County Building Services has been the building department for Indian Rocks Beach, so solar permits go through the county. The city still handles driveways, fences, sheds and signs.
• Indian Shores: Unlike some of its neighbors, Indian Shores runs its own building department at Town Hall, 19305 Gulf Blvd, with a building official, a permit specialist and an online permit portal.
• Kenneth City: Pinellas County issues Kenneth City's building permits and inspections under an interlocal agreement, but the town reviews applications first before they go to the county.
• Largo: In June 2026 Largo's City Commission approved a new 30-year franchise with Duke Energy Florida, continuing a partnership that dates to 1996; Duke pays the city about $7.6 million a year under it.
• Madeira Beach: The Madeira Beach building department issues its own permits and posts a solar permit checklist; permits are valid for six months from issuance or the last approved inspection.
• North Redington Beach: On October 4, 2024, Duke Energy Florida reported North Redington Beach 93% restored after Hurricane Helene, ahead of neighboring Redington Beach (89%) and Redington Shores (82%).
• Oldsmar: Pinellas County's Building and Development Review Services handles building permits and inspections for Oldsmar, so solar permits go through the county.
• Palm Harbor: Palm Harbor is unincorporated, so Pinellas County issues building permits. Every application goes through the county's online Access Portal, where solar photovoltaic is its own permit type.
• Pinellas Park: Pinellas Park has its own building department: permits go through the city's Building Development Division, not Pinellas County.
• Redington Beach: Since June 17, 2024, Redington Beach building permits have been issued through the Redington Shores building department, and since November 2025 those services have been run by SAFEbuilt from 17985 Gulf Blvd.
• Redington Shores: Redington Shores set a stricter cumulative 49% substantial damage threshold after Helene: if repairs exceed 49% of the structure's actual cash value, the home must be brought up to current flood rules.
• Safety Harbor: Safety Harbor permits run under a 2021 agreement with Pinellas County: the city reviews its own codes, while the county reviews the building code, does inspections and takes electrical and roof permits. The city lists solar as work that needs a permit.
• Seminole: Seminole's city manager called the damage from Hurricanes Helene and Milton in 2024 the worst in city history, with hundreds of single-family homes damaged across the two storms.
• St. Pete Beach: On May 26, 2026, the St. Pete Beach commission voted to end its six-year project to bury power lines along Gulf Boulevard from 35th to 75th Avenue, giving up about $3.9 million in county grants. Overhead lines remain along much of the corridor.
• St. Petersburg: St. Petersburg posts its own solar permit checklist. It says solar must be installed by a CV-licensed or electrical contractor, with roof attachment and flashing details sealed by a design professional for the wind zone.
• Tarpon Springs: Hurricane Idalia flooded homes, low-lying streets and businesses in Tarpon Springs on August 30, 2023.
• Treasure Island: After Hurricane Helene in 2024, Duke Energy said saltwater from the storm surge meant it would likely need to rebuild portions of the electrical infrastructure on Pinellas' barrier islands, including Treasure Island.

Each town page has the full details and sources.

No. Under Florida law (s. 193.624), the value a solar system adds to a home isn't counted in its assessed value. If you're unsure whether anything needs to be filed, ask the Pinellas County Property Appraiser.

Solar equipment is also exempt from Florida sales tax, so it's already left out of the installed price.

Duke Energy and TECO credits the solar you send to the grid as a kWh credit at the full retail rate. Unused credits roll forward for up to 12 months, and anything left at year-end is paid out at only a few cents per kWh, so systems are sized to cover a year of use. Solar can't take a bill below the monthly minimum ($30 at Duke Energy, $13.50 at TECO).

See the full Duke Energy solar guide. See the full TECO solar guide.

Choosing a company? Check each installer's Florida license, compare at least two quotes and run them through our solar quote checker.