Rooftop solar is legal in Lee County but needs building and electrical permits and utility approval. Alabama has no net metering, and Alabama Power charges solar customers a monthly capacity reservation fee of about $5.41 per installed kilowatt.
A homeowner in unincorporated Lee County, Auburn, or Opelika can install rooftop solar, but must pull building and electrical permits meeting the Alabama Building Code and National Electrical Code, with inspection of the array, inverter, and disconnect. The bigger hurdle is economic. Lee County is served by Alabama Power, which does not offer retail net metering — excess energy is bought back at a low avoided-cost rate — and levies a capacity reservation charge of roughly $5.41 per kilowatt of installed solar each month (about $39 on an average 7.2-kW system). The Public Service Commission approved that fee in 2013, and a federal court upheld it. Those charges, not permitting, are the real barrier here.
Installing solar with unpermitted or unlicensed electrical work fails inspection and draws code enforcement. Energizing a grid-tied system without an interconnection agreement with Alabama Power forces disconnection.
Other ordinances people look up for this city. Green dot = verified primary-source excerpt.
Lee County, AL
Lee County may require hosts to carry liability insurance for short-term rental properties. Minimum coverage amounts vary by jurisdiction.
Lee County, AL
Lee County limits the number of guests allowed in short-term rental properties. Occupancy caps are typically based on bedroom count or square footage to prot...
Lee County, AL
Auburn, Opelika, and Lee County let residents decorate for the holidays without a permit. Displays just can't block sidewalks or sight lines, and lights must...
Lee County, AL
Garage sale signs must stay on private property in Auburn and Opelika. Both cities prohibit temporary signs in the public right-of-way and on utility or traf...
Lee County, AL
Political signs are allowed on private property across Lee County but banned from the public right-of-way. Auburn caps them at 32 square feet, allows placeme...
Lee County, AL
Alabama has no statewide rental license, and neither Lee County nor Auburn registers long-term rentals. The real local lever on Auburn's student market is zo...
See how Lee County's panel permits rules stack up against other locations.
Help us keep this page accurate. If you notice an error or outdated information, let us know.