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Solar for Townhouses and HOA Homes

Townhouses and homes in HOA communities can often go solar. The questions are who owns the roof, what your association requires, and how much usable roof there is.

Call to see if your home qualifies(877) 565-3409

Home Solar Line connects you with an independent solar provider. We don't sell or install anything ourselves. Calls may be recorded.

  • Free call
  • No forms to fill out
  • Independent local providers
  • No obligation

Who this is for

Check all five before you call:

  • You own the home (not renting)
  • It's a single-family house or townhouse
  • The roof gets full sun or only light shade
  • Your power bill is over $100 a month
  • The home doesn't already have solar panels

Renting, in a condo, apartment or mobile home, under heavy shade, or already have panels? This line can't help with those, so please don't call.

What happens when you call

  1. Answer a few quick questionsDo you own the home, how much is your power bill, how sunny is the roof.
  2. Get connectedIf your home fits, you're put through to an independent solar provider who serves your area.
  3. Talk it through, then decideThey look at your roof and usage and explain options. No obligation to buy.

Townhouse, condo or house

  • Townhouse where you own the roof

    Can qualify. The design has to work around shared walls, and the association may have a say in how it looks.

  • Townhouse where the HOA owns the roof

    Possible, but you need the association's written permission and an agreement on who maintains the roof under the panels.

  • Condo or apartment

    The roof is usually common property, so an individual owner generally can't add panels. This line can't help with condos or apartments.

  • Detached house in an HOA

    Qualifies like any house, with an extra approval step before installation.

Check who owns the roof

Read your deed and the community's declaration. Some townhouse communities own and maintain the roofs as common elements even though you own the unit. If the association owns the roof, get its written permission before you sign a contract.

Getting HOA approval

  1. Read the rulesLook for architectural guidelines or a solar policy in the covenants.
  2. Get a designAsk the provider for a layout showing panel placement, panel color and where the wiring runs.
  3. ApplySubmit it to the architectural review committee. Many providers help with this.
  4. Wait for approvalDon't start work before written approval, or make your contract contingent on it.
  5. Keep the letterYou may need it when you sell the house.

States that limit HOA restrictions

Several states limit how far associations can restrict rooftop solar. Among the states this line serves:

  • California: California's Solar Rights Act limits how far homeowners associations and local rules can restrict rooftop solar. An HOA can set reasonable conditions, but generally can't ban panels outright.
  • Colorado: Colorado law limits homeowners associations from banning rooftop solar, while allowing reasonable aesthetic guidelines.
  • District of Columbia: no single rule to point to here; read your covenants and ask your association.
  • Florida: Florida law bars homeowners associations from prohibiting solar collectors on a home, though an association can have some say in where on the roof they go.
  • Hawaii: Hawaii law keeps most private covenants from prohibiting solar energy devices on single-family homes and townhouses.
  • Illinois: Illinois' Homeowners' Energy Policy Statement Act requires homeowners associations to adopt a written policy on solar energy systems, so ask your association for its policy before you sign.
  • Indiana: no single rule to point to here; read your covenants and ask your association.
  • Kentucky: no single rule to point to here; read your covenants and ask your association.
  • Maryland: Maryland law limits HOA covenants and deed restrictions that would prohibit or unreasonably restrict solar on a home.
  • Massachusetts: Massachusetts zoning law limits a town's ability to prohibit or unreasonably regulate solar installations, except where needed to protect public health, safety or welfare.
  • Missouri: no single rule to point to here; read your covenants and ask your association.
  • New Jersey: no single rule to point to here; read your covenants and ask your association.
  • North Carolina: North Carolina law limits HOA rules and deed restrictions that would ban solar on a home, though associations can still regulate some placements, so check your covenants.
  • Ohio: no single rule to point to here; read your covenants and ask your association.
  • Rhode Island: no single rule to point to here; read your covenants and ask your association.
  • South Carolina: no single rule to point to here; read your covenants and ask your association.
  • Tennessee: no single rule to point to here; read your covenants and ask your association.
  • Virginia: Virginia law keeps community associations from banning solar on the homes they govern, while letting them set reasonable rules on size, placement and appearance.

This is general information, not legal advice. Laws have exceptions and change, so read the rule itself or ask your association.

Smaller roofs, smaller systems

Townhouse roofs are often narrow, and fire codes in many areas require clear paths on the roof for firefighters, which takes away usable space. A smaller system can still be worth it if your roof gets good sun and your bill is high.

Do I qualify?

Ready to find out if your home is a fit?

One free call. Tell a provider about your roof and your bills, and decide from there.

Who this is for

Check all five before you call:

  • You own the home (not renting)
  • It's a single-family house or townhouse
  • The roof gets full sun or only light shade
  • Your power bill is over $100 a month
  • The home doesn't already have solar panels

Renting, in a condo, apartment or mobile home, under heavy shade, or already have panels? This line can't help with those, so please don't call.

Call to see if your home qualifies(877) 565-3409

More solar guides

Questions

Can I put solar on a condo?

Usually not as an individual owner, because the roof is shared property. This line can't help with condos.

Can my HOA say no?

It depends on your state's law and your covenants. Some states limit outright bans but allow reasonable rules on placement and appearance.

Will panels affect my neighbors' roofs?

They shouldn't. A good design keeps the required clearances along shared walls and doesn't touch the neighbor's roof.

Are you a solar company?

No. Home Solar Line is a free phone line that connects homeowners with independent solar providers. We don't sell, design or install systems, and we don't set prices.

Does the call cost anything?

No. The call is free, and there's no obligation to buy anything from the provider you talk to.

Who qualifies?

Homeowners in a single-family house or townhouse with a roof that gets full or mostly full sun, a power bill over $100 a month, and no solar panels already. If that's not you, the provider won't be able to help.

How do I check the provider?

Ask for their contractor license (if your state requires one) and proof of insurance before signing anything. It's on you as the homeowner to check.

Call now: (877) 565-3409