# Washington HOA Solar Panel Rights (2026)

> Under Washington Revised Code 64.90.510(3), part of the Uniform Common Interest Ownership Act, and the older HOA Act provision at 64.38.055, an association cannot prohibit an owner from installing a solar energy panel on or within a unit, as long as the panel meets the applicable health and safety standards and the permitting requirements of state and local authorities. If the system is used to heat water, it has to be certified by a recognized solar rating agency. The association can set reasonable rules on placement and appearance, like asking for flush mounting or avoiding a street-facing facade, but it cannot use those rules to materially impair the system's performance or impose unreasonable costs. It can prohibit solar on common elements.

_Source: https://hoanotes.com/hoa/washington/solar-panels/ | Last reviewed 2026-06-03_

## What the law protects

On property you own, a solar panel is protected as long as it meets the usual health, safety, and permitting standards, and a water-heating system carries the right certification. A board cannot ban it outright.

The association keeps reasonable control over how a system looks and where it sits. It can ask for flush mounting or steer panels away from a street-facing facade, but it cannot use placement rules to gut the system's output or pile on unreasonable cost. Common elements are different: the HOA can prohibit installations there.

## What to check in the disclosure packet

If solar matters to you, read these before you make an offer:

- Any blanket ban on solar or roof-mounted equipment, which cannot stand against the statute.
- Placement or appearance rules, and whether they would materially cut output or cost.
- Whether your install would sit on owner-controlled property or a common element.
- Whether existing panels were approved and documented.

## Why this matters to your offer

If solar is part of why you are buying, Washington law is on your side, and a board cannot use a general architectural rule to block panels on your own roof. The limits are about appearance and common areas, not a veto.

An HOA Notes brief checks the declaration and rules for a solar restriction, weighs any placement rule against the performance limit, and cites the page behind each finding.

## What the statute says

**Washington Revised Code 64.38.055 and 64.90.510(3)** (Solar energy device rights). An association cannot prohibit installation of a solar energy system on property that is individually owned by a lot or unit owner; restrictions that prevent installation, significantly increase cost, or materially reduce energy production are unenforceable; this protection applies under both the older HOA Act (RCW 64.38.055) and WUCIOA (RCW 64.90.510(3)). The association may impose reasonable restrictions on placement and appearance of solar equipment on owner-controlled property -- for example, requiring panels to be flush-mounted or avoiding street-visible facades -- provided such restrictions do not materially impair system performance or impose unreasonable costs; it may prohibit solar installations on common elements.

## Washington HOA solar rules: common questions

### Can a Washington HOA ban solar panels?

No. An association cannot prohibit a solar panel on or within a unit that meets health, safety, and permitting standards, under Revised Code 64.90.510(3) and 64.38.055.

### What placement rules can the HOA set?

Reasonable rules on placement and appearance, like flush mounting or avoiding a street-facing facade, as long as they do not materially impair performance or impose unreasonable cost.

### Does the protection cover common areas?

No. The association can prohibit solar on common elements. The protection covers property the owner individually owns.

## Sources (verified 2026-06-03)

1. Revised Code of Washington 64.90.510 (regulatory authority; solar), Washington State Legislature. Verified 2026-06-03. https://app.leg.wa.gov/RCW/default.aspx?cite=64.90.510
2. Revised Code of Washington Chapter 64.38 (Homeowners' Associations), Justia. Verified 2026-06-03. https://law.justia.com/codes/washington/title-64/chapter-64-38/
3. Washington HOA laws: RCW 64.38, WUCIOA, and the 2028 transition, EffortlessHOA. Verified 2026-06-03. https://effortlesshoa.com/blog/hoa-laws-washington

HOA Notes is not a law firm and this is not legal advice.