In Fort Myers, the roof decides before the array does.

Fort Myers solar panel questions

Should I replace my roof before installing solar panels?

Often yes, and it is the first thing we check. An array is expected to run for decades on top of a covering with its own separate lifespan. If the roof beneath has only a few years left, replacing it later means removing and reinstalling the array, a cost that is almost never in the original solar quote. We assess the covering and deck before sizing anything and tell you plainly if the answer is to sequence the roof first, even though that delays the job.

My roof was replaced after Hurricane Ian. Does that help?

It is close to the ideal case. A recently replaced roof means a long, known service life underneath the array, a sound deck to attach to, and no reinstall cost looming in the middle of the system's life. The roof-replacement wave across Lee County left a lot of homes in exactly that position, and for those owners the panel conversation is much simpler than it is for a house whose roof is nearing the end.

Panels or a solar roof, if my roof needs replacing anyway?

That is the moment the two are genuinely comparable, because you are already committed to the cost of a covering. Panels mount above a new roof, which means two systems installed at once and aging on separate schedules. Tesla Solar Roof replaces the covering, so the roof and the generation are one assembly. We install both and will price them side by side rather than steering you. If your roof has years left, panels are usually the straightforward answer.

Can I put panels on a house in Dean Park or the Downtown district?

It requires a review. The City operates a Historic Preservation Commission that hears Certificate of Review applications for exterior work in designated districts, and Dean Park has been one since 1997. Panels are the harder case in a district because they are visible equipment above the roofline. Florida Statutes §163.04(1) bars an ordinance from prohibiting solar collectors outright, and §163.04(2) allows an approving entity to determine placement only within an orientation to the south or within 45 degrees east or west of due south, and only where that does not impair effective operation. We design to that constraint from the outset.

Am I on FPL or LCEC?

That has to be checked against your address, and we will not guess it from a zip code. Lee County is served by more than one electric utility and the Fort Myers area is where the answer varies most. It matters because FL Admin Code Rule 25-6.065 governs interconnection for investor-owned utilities, defining Tier 1 as 10 kW or less with no liability insurance permitted to be required at that tier, while cooperatives and municipal utilities sit outside that rule and set their own credit terms. Since what surplus is worth affects how the array should be sized, we confirm the utility before design.

How big a system should I install?

That depends on your consumption and on what your utility does with exported generation, which is why we confirm the serving utility first. Where surplus banks at a favorable rate, sizing to annual usage is straightforward. Where it settles at a lower rate, matching production to what the house actually consumes matters more, and storage enters the conversation earlier. We show you the numbers for your roof and your bill rather than a generic offset percentage.

Do I pull a Fort Myers permit or a Lee County permit?

The City of Fort Myers runs its own Building, Permitting & Inspections department at 1825 Hendry Street, with submittals through its EnerGov Customer Self Service Portal. An address outside city limits goes to Lee County instead. Jurisdiction is confirmed by address before anything is filed. Rooftop solar generally requires both a building permit and an electrical permit.