Solar panels in Sarasota County, FL

• Hurricane Milton made landfall near Siesta Key in October 2024; the next morning about 227,200 of FPL's 299,500 Sarasota County customers (76%) were without power, per the Public Service Commission.
• Sarasota County takes building permit submittals online only.
• For the FEMA 50% rule, Sarasota County compares the cost of work with the building's depreciated market value, not counting the land.
• FPL's 2025 report to the Public Service Commission lists 8,053 customer-owned solar systems on its lines in Sarasota County, 939 of them connected in 2025, by our count. See Florida solar by county.

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

• Englewood: Hurricane Milton in October 2024 brought some of the worst storm-surge damage in Sarasota County and Southwest Florida to Manasota Key, off Englewood, after Helene had already flooded the island.
• Longboat Key: Longboat Key's town code had no rules on solar panels until 2026, when commissioners approved a first draft allowing panels in every zoning district. Check with the town for the final adopted rules.
• North Port: During Hurricane Ian in 2022, the Myakka River flooded homes in several North Port neighborhoods, forcing rescues and closing I-75 where the river crossed the highway.
• Osprey: Hurricane Milton made landfall near Siesta Key, just north of Osprey, on October 9, 2024. By the next morning more than 75% of Sarasota County's power customers, nearly all on FPL, were out.
• Palmer Ranch: Palmer Ranch was created in December 1984 as a Development of Regional Impact under Sarasota County Resolution 84-418, with a master plan covering about 7,000 acres.
• Sarasota: The City of Sarasota's Development Services department issues building permits inside city limits. Siesta Key and other unincorporated areas go through Sarasota County.
• Siesta Key: Hurricane Milton made landfall near Siesta Key on October 9, 2024 as a Category 3 storm with 120 mph winds, about two weeks after Hurricane Helene.
• South Venice: South Venice has its own beach on the barrier island across the Intracoastal Waterway, reached by a community ferry; when the waterway was dug, the Army Corps of Engineers paid $150,000 for a ferry and docks.
• Southgate: The South Gate Community Association's design guidelines say it highly encourages owners to use renewable energy. Rooftop panels on pitched roofs should sit flat, stay below the ridge line, and have brackets painted the roof color, and installations need association approval and a permit; Florida's solar rights law still limits what can be required.
• Venice: During Hurricane Milton in October 2024, Venice reported a 107 mph wind gust. Solar roof attachments must be engineered for Florida Building Code wind loads, so ask your installer what wind speed the design uses.

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 Sarasota County Property Appraiser.

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

FPL 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 FPL).

See the full FPL solar guide.

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