Anyone ever self install a grid tie solar system?  

Thinking about doing a 5 kw system.  Have a perfect, non shaded south facing roof for it.

I have plenty of electrical knowledge and skills.

Headed toward retirement (still have 8-10 years to go) but am interested in reducing my monthly costs.  Could install a solar system in a few years while still working and have low/no electric bills in retirement.

I’ve never done one, but they are pretty simple.  I have an acre of backyard that would be an easy rack mount and have looked into it.
Probably won’t do it.  My utility bill is pretty low.

One of my J man electricians quit when he got his masters and went to work for a solar company doing nothing but the panel tie ins.  He said the panels were just pure grunt work, there is some ground bonding to do.  It’s criminal what they charge for the installs.

Nope, no money in that for them. They make money on the equipment markup, not as much on the labor. They want to tie you into long-term payment plans with big interest rates. I'd expect a competent independent electrician might be willing to do that for you on an hourly rate, they are generally used to working at an hourly rate with a small markup on materials. Have all the infrastructure installed by him and sized for the final number of panels you plan on installing.

Worth a shot.

In this state you don't get any of the gov money if a certified SOLAR installer doesn't put it in.
It is how the unions wanted it.
Without the gov money it does not make sense.

I did.  

Two big barriers are code/inspection requirements and utility permission.  I ignored both, not sure if that’s feasible on a house with a giant roof array.  

Only you can calculate if it cost effective.  If you buy used panels and do the work yourself it is often cost effective even if your electricity is very cheap.  
Remember you get 30% federal tax credit on the cost also.  
If you can get net metering then you will get paid and/or credited for the power you pump into the grid which can make the payback time much shorter.  

Used panels are readily available for 10-50 cents/watt depending on age and condition.  
For inverters you can use string inverters or microinverters.  I went with NEP microinverters because they are cheap and simple - no setup required, no monitoring system, just plug-n-play.  
If you cannot feed power back into the grid then you have to use a string inverter that has the ability to sense the grid current to reduce solar power when you’re generating more than you are consuming.  Both growatt and victron can do this, growatt is the cheap option and victron is the expensive option.  Both have good support, victron is the buy once cry once solution.  

Install with either option is as simple as clicking together the DC wires and then wiring the inverter(s) up to a circuit breaker.  
If code/inspections are a concern then there are often requirements like DC cutoff switches, AC isolator switches for the inverters, signage, etc. that vary based on location.  
All of the options above automatically shut off if the grid power is down so there’s no safety concern about live wires getting worked on during a power outage.