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California Solar Cost Index 2026: Permit Fees, Utilities and Rules by City
A solar quote in California carries a few costs that change from one city to the next. This index puts them side by side for 93 cities: what the city charges for a home solar permit, whether it issues that permit through an instant online platform, which utility bills the address, and whether a community choice aggregator supplies the power. Every cell links to the document it came from.
This page is one part of our guide to solar cost and payback.
It does not print a price for a solar system in any city. No reliable public source publishes one, and the number that governs your project is the one in your own contract.
What the data shows
- 50 of 93 cities publish a current dollar figure for a residential solar permit that we could confirm. 37 publish no dollar figure on their permit pages, and 3 cities do not publish a fee schedule in readable form. Anaheim and Grass Valley have only a dated schedule. San Clemente publishes two different figures.
- Among the 50 published fees, the city's own charge for a standard home system runs from $100 (Berkeley) to $1,349.49 (Roseville). The median is $450. Some cities list other charges beside the permit, such as a fire plan review; open a row to see them.
- 43 of those 50 are at or below $450, the limit California Government Code section 66015 sets for a residential PV permit up to 15 kW. 7 are above it: Chula Vista ($453), Irvine ($679.99), Napa ($472), Oakland ($471.49), Pacific Grove ($670), Roseville ($1,349.49) and Temecula ($568). The same section lets a city charge more if it adopts written findings on its costs; this index did not check whether either has.
- 80 of 93 cities name an instant permit platform for home solar: SolarAPP+ in 61 and Symbium in 14, while Anaheim, Long Beach, Pasadena, San Diego and San Jose issue qualifying permits through their own system. 11 name none on their permit pages, and 2 do not say either way.
- 80 of 93 cities are served mainly by PG&E, SCE or SDG&E, and 12 by a publicly owned utility; in Corona it depends on the address. 54 are also served by one of 15 community choice aggregators, which supply the generation while the utility still delivers it.
Counts are computed from the table below each time the page is built. Fee limit: Government Code §66015(a)(1)-(2), checked September 23, 2026.
Published residential solar permit fees in 50 California cities, against the $450 state limit
- At or below $450: 43 cities
- Above $450: 7 cities
The chart as a table
| City | Published fee | Against the $450 limit |
|---|---|---|
| Berkeley | $100 | Below |
| San Marcos | $124 | Below |
| Fremont | $133 | Below |
| Marina | $170 | Below |
| Rancho Cucamonga | $173 | Below |
| Bakersfield | $187 | Below |
| Riverside | $229 | Below |
| Pleasanton | $250 | Below |
| San Diego | $275.80 | Below |
| Walnut Creek | $280 | Below |
| Escondido | $308 | Below |
| Stockton | $314 | Below |
| San Luis Obispo | $332.50 | Below |
| Modesto | $333 | Below |
| Fresno | $333.22 | Below |
| Auburn | $347 | Below |
| Santa Cruz | $360 | Below |
| Salinas | $367 | Below |
| Victorville | $372 | Below |
| Manteca | $378 | Below |
| Long Beach | $386.62 | Below |
| Hollister | $400 | Below |
| Sunnyvale | $431.50 | Below |
| Camarillo | $450 | At the limit |
| Chico | $450 | At the limit |
| Concord | $450 | At the limit |
| Cupertino | $450 | At the limit |
| Gilroy | $450 | At the limit |
| Lincoln | $450 | At the limit |
| Mission Viejo | $450 | At the limit |
| Monterey | $450 | At the limit |
| Murrieta | $450 | At the limit |
| Redding | $450 | At the limit |
| Redwood City | $450 | At the limit |
| Richmond | $450 | At the limit |
| Sacramento | $450 | At the limit |
| San Mateo | $450 | At the limit |
| San Ramon | $450 | At the limit |
| Santa Barbara | $450 | At the limit |
| Santa Clara | $450 | At the limit |
| Santa Clarita | $450 | At the limit |
| Tracy | $450 | At the limit |
| Vallejo | $450 | At the limit |
| Chula Vista | $453 | Above |
| Oakland | $471.49 | Above |
| Napa | $472 | Above |
| Temecula | $568 | Above |
| Pacific Grove | $670 | Above |
| Irvine | $679.99 | Above |
| Roseville | $1,349.49 | Above |
The index
Filter by utility, fee or permit path, or sort any column. Open a row to read the city’s own wording and every source with the date it was checked. The city name goes to that city’s full cost page.
Showing 93 of 93 cities.
Scroll the table sideways to see every column.
How to use it with a quote
- Find the permit line. If your city publishes a fee, you can see whether a quote passes it through as its own line or folds it into the total. Ask who pulls the permit and whether inspections are in the scope.
- Ask which permit path the installer will use. In a city that names SolarAPP+ or Symbium, those platforms charge their own fee on top of the city’s. Ask whether the quote includes it.
- Check the utility name on your bill. The rate column is a utility-wide average, not your rate. In a city with more than one utility, or a community choice aggregator, your bill tells you which one applies. The California utility rate tracker has the history behind each average.
What the index does not cover
The cost of a system depends on your roof, your electrical panel, the equipment and the contract, so the index gives no system price for any city. Under California Business and Professions Code section 7169, the total cost and payments, including financing costs, must be on the front or cover page of a solar contract in boldface 16-point type (B&P Code §7169, checked September 17, 2026). That page is the figure to compare. For a national reference point only:
National benchmark · LBNL
Homeowners who installed residential solar in 2023 paid $3.20–$5.50 per watt (20th to 80th percentile), before any tax credit, according to Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory's Tracking the Sun research. This is a national figure for host-owned residential systems, not a California-only number — LBNL does not publish one. LBNL states that California residential pricing, within this national sample, runs "near the middle of the pack."
This is a national research figure, not a quote. It is not a price for any specific city or home.
Source: Tracking the Sun: Pricing and Design Trends for Distributed Photovoltaic Systems in the United States, 2024 Edition, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Energy Markets & Policy Department, published October 2024 — verified 2026-09-22.
Methodology
Last updated September 23, 2026. Permit fields were checked between September 18, 2026 and September 24, 2026; each row shows its own date.
- Which cities. Every California city with a solar cost page on this site. A city only gets a page once every permit field on it carries a source and a checked date.
- City permit fee. The city’s own charge for a permit for a standard home rooftop system, on the simplest path the city lists, taken from the city’s permit page or adopted fee schedule. Where a schedule lists plan check and permit or inspection as separate lines, the index adds them and shows both. It leaves out the separate charge the SolarAPP+ or Symbium platform collects; where a city states that charge, it appears under the fee. Size limits differ by city, and each row says which one applies.
- No estimates. A city that publishes no figure on the pages we checked is marked that way. The range and median use only the 50 cities with a current published figure; Anaheim, Grass Valley and San Clemente are listed but left out.
- Instant permitting and online filing. As named on the city’s permit page, or for Camarillo on another City page cited in that row. “None named” means the city's permit pages do not name a platform. It does not prove the city has none.
- Electric utility. The utility each city page names. Every city was checked against the California Energy Commission’s service-territory map and Census city boundaries on September 22, 2026. Investor-owned or publicly owned is the Energy Commission’s own label. Where more than one utility serves addresses inside a city, the row says so. Service maps are approximate at the edges, so read the utility name on your bill.
- Utility average rate. The utility-wide average residential rate from the CPUC Public Advocates Office Q2 2026 Electric Rates Report, as carried on our rate tracker. It is not a city figure. That report covers only the investor-owned utilities.
- Community choice aggregator. Checked against each aggregator’s own list of the communities it serves on September 23, 2026. “None recorded” means the city page names no aggregator.
- Corrections. If a city has published a new fee schedule, or a cell is wrong, tell us through the corrections page. The row and its date change when the source does.
Cite this data
If you use these figures, please link to this page and name the city source shown in the row.
Citation
Chad Simpson, "California Solar Cost Index 2026: Permit Fees, Utilities and Rules by City," California Rate Relief, updated September 23, 2026, https://ratereliefca.com/california-solar-cost-index.
Link
<a href="https://ratereliefca.com/california-solar-cost-index">California Solar Cost Index 2026</a> (California Rate Relief)Data file: download the CSV (93 rows, one per city, with every source URL and the city’s own wording).
Sources
126 documents, each with the date it was checked. City permit sources were checked on the date shown in that city’s row.
- Anaheim solar permitting — City of Anaheim Online Permit Center; City of Anaheim Residential PV Self-Certification Program packet (forms B722/B705, dated 2009-2010) — checked September 18, 2026
- California Energy Commission, Electric Load Serving Entities (IOU & POU) service-territory map — checked September 22, 2026
- Anaheim Public Utilities — Residential Rates — checked September 18, 2026
- Aptos solar permitting — County of Santa Cruz SolarAPP+ page — checked September 18, 2026
- CPUC Public Advocates Office, Q2 2026 Electric Rates Report, p.8, 20 — checked November 9, 2026
- Central Coast Community Energy, Implementation Plan Addendum No. 5 (May 15, 2023), member agencies — checked September 23, 2026
- Arcata solar permitting — City of Arcata, Building Permits — checked September 23, 2026
- City of Arcata, Community Choice Energy Program (joined Redwood Coast Energy Authority, May 2017) — checked September 23, 2026
- Auburn solar permitting — City of Auburn, Symbium Permits — checked September 23, 2026
- Pioneer Community Energy, About Us — checked September 23, 2026
- Bakersfield solar permitting — City of Bakersfield PV Toolkit Document #1 — Submittal Requirements Bulletin (content.civicplus.com asset a531a051) — checked September 18, 2026
- Beaumont solar permitting — City of Beaumont Photovoltaic Permit Streamlining page — checked September 18, 2026
- Berkeley solar permitting — City of Berkeley, Solar Permits — checked September 23, 2026
- Ava Community Energy, Who We Serve — checked September 23, 2026
- California City solar permitting — City of California City Solar Permits page and Master Fee Schedule (5-11-26) — checked September 18, 2026
- Camarillo solar permitting — City of Camarillo, Building & Safety — checked September 23, 2026
- Clean Power Alliance, home page (service area) — checked September 23, 2026
- Carlsbad solar permitting — City of Carlsbad, Residential solar permitting with SolarAPP+ — checked September 18, 2026
- Clean Energy Alliance, home page (member cities) — checked September 23, 2026
- Chico solar permitting — City of Chico, Building Division — checked September 23, 2026
- Chula Vista solar permitting — City of Chula Vista, Residential Solar Energy Permits — checked September 23, 2026
- San Diego Community Power, Our Community — checked September 23, 2026
- Clovis solar permitting — City of Clovis, Building Division (Solar Information) — checked September 23, 2026
- Concord solar permitting — City of Concord, Solar PV Projects — checked September 23, 2026
- MCE, Service Area — checked September 23, 2026
- Corona solar permitting — City of Corona, Building Division, Expedited Permits — checked September 23, 2026
- City of Corona Utilities Department, Electric Service — checked September 23, 2026
- Cupertino solar permitting — City of Cupertino, Instant Solar Permit - SolarAPP+ — checked September 24, 2026
- Silicon Valley Clean Energy, About (communities served) — checked September 23, 2026
- Danville solar permitting — Town of Danville SolarApp+ Submittals page — checked September 18, 2026
- El Cajon solar permitting — City of El Cajon, Photovoltaic (SolarAPP+) page — checked September 23, 2026
- El Dorado Hills solar permitting — County of El Dorado, Instantaneous Residential Solar Permits — checked September 23, 2026
- Elk Grove solar permitting — City of Elk Grove, Building Safety, Inspection and Permits — checked September 23, 2026
- SMUD Residential rates — checked September 24, 2026
- Encinitas solar permitting — City of Encinitas, Solar Photovoltaic Permit Application — checked September 23, 2026
- Escondido solar permitting — City of Escondido, Solar App Plus — checked September 23, 2026
- Fremont solar permitting — City of Fremont, Instant Solar Permit (ISP) — checked September 23, 2026
- Fresno solar permitting — City of Fresno, SolarAPP+ instantly approved solar permits page — checked September 23, 2026
- Gilroy solar permitting — City of Gilroy, SolarApp+ for Residential Solar Installers — checked September 23, 2026
- Glendale solar permitting — Glendale Water & Power, Guide for Applying for PV Interconnection and NEM (residential systems under 15 kW CEC-AC) — checked September 23, 2026
- City of Glendale, Glendale Water & Power — Rates (GWP Electric Rates) — checked September 23, 2026
- Grass Valley solar permitting — City of Grass Valley, SolarAPP+ Submittals — checked September 23, 2026
- Hollister solar permitting — City of Hollister, Solar Permits for Photovoltaic (PV) Systems and EV Charging Stations — checked September 24, 2026
- Huntington Beach solar permitting — City of Huntington Beach, SolarAPP+ — checked September 23, 2026
- Irvine solar permitting — City of Irvine, Adding a Rooftop Solar Energy System — checked September 23, 2026
- Orange County Power Authority, home page (member communities) — checked September 23, 2026
- Lakewood solar permitting — City of Lakewood, Solar Permitting for Homes — checked September 23, 2026
- Lincoln solar permitting — City of Lincoln Master Fee Schedule (adopted by City Council 11-12-2024) — checked September 18, 2026
- Livermore solar permitting — City of Livermore, SolarApp+ (Permit Center) — checked September 23, 2026
- Long Beach solar permitting — City of Long Beach, Solar Photovoltaic (PV) Process — checked September 23, 2026
- Los Angeles solar permitting — LADBS Information Bulletin P/GI 2020-003, Express Permits (No Plan Check Required) — checked September 18, 2026
- LADWP Residential Rates (R-1A Standard Residential Rate) — checked September 24, 2026
- Manteca solar permitting — City of Manteca, Instant Residential Solar & Energy Storage System Permits — checked September 23, 2026
- Marina solar permitting — City of Marina Building Division page; City of Marina Fee Schedule, City Reso. No. 2025-99 (effective 10/6/2025) — checked September 18, 2026
- Mission Viejo solar permitting — City of Mission Viejo, Building Services — checked September 23, 2026
- Modesto solar permitting — City of Modesto, Building Safety Fees (effective July 1, 2026 to June 30, 2027) — checked September 23, 2026
- Modesto Irrigation District, Who We Are (electric service area) — checked September 23, 2026
- Modesto Irrigation District — Electric Rates — checked September 18, 2026
- Monterey solar permitting — City of Monterey, Building and Safety Services — checked September 23, 2026
- Mountain View solar permitting — City of Mountain View, Solar Permits — checked September 23, 2026
- Murrieta solar permitting — City of Murrieta, Self-Issuing Permits & SolarAPP+ — checked September 23, 2026
- Napa solar permitting — City of Napa, Solar PV (Building Division) — checked September 23, 2026
- Oakland solar permitting — City of Oakland, Solar Energy Systems & Facilities — checked September 23, 2026
- Oceanside solar permitting — City of Oceanside, SolarAPP+ (Development Services, Building) — checked September 23, 2026
- Ontario solar permitting — City of Ontario, Building Department — checked September 23, 2026
- Pacific Grove solar permitting — City of Pacific Grove SolarAppPlus.php page and Master Fee Schedule (Community Development fees effective 11/4/2024) — checked September 22, 2026
- Palm Springs solar permitting — City of Palm Springs Building Permit and Review Fees page — checked September 18, 2026
- Desert Community Energy, About — checked September 23, 2026
- Pasadena solar permitting — City of Pasadena, Express Permit Portal (Solar Photovoltaic, or Solar Photovoltaic & Energy Storage System) — checked September 23, 2026
- Pasadena Water and Power — Water and Electric Rates (rate card effective July 1, 2026) — checked September 23, 2026
- Petaluma solar permitting — City of Petaluma, SolarApp+ Solar Permit — checked September 23, 2026
- Sonoma Clean Power, Who We Are — checked September 23, 2026
- Pleasanton solar permitting — City of Pleasanton, Permits, Forms & Fees — checked September 23, 2026
- Rancho Cordova solar permitting — City of Rancho Cordova Forms and Downloads / Building Permit Fee Estimates pages — checked September 18, 2026
- Rancho Cucamonga solar permitting — City of Rancho Cucamonga Community Development Fees schedule (Rev 2-5-2024) — checked September 18, 2026
- City of Rancho Cucamonga, Welcome to RCMU — checked September 22, 2026
- Redding solar permitting — Redding Electric Utility, Solar Photovoltaic (PV) Program — checked September 24, 2026
- City of Redding — Rates & Fees (Redding Electric Utility: Residential Service E1, effective January 1, 2025) — checked September 23, 2026
- Redwood City solar permitting — City of Redwood City, SolarAPP+ Automatic Permitting — checked September 24, 2026
- WestLight Energy (formerly Peninsula Clean Energy), home page — checked September 23, 2026
- Richmond solar permitting — City of Richmond, SolarAPP+ For Solar Installers — checked September 23, 2026
- Riverside solar permitting — City of Riverside, SolarAPP+ (Community & Economic Development) — checked September 23, 2026
- Riverside Public Utilities — Electric Rules & Rates — checked September 23, 2026
- Rocklin solar permitting — City of Rocklin, Online Solar Permitting — checked September 23, 2026
- Roseville solar permitting — City of Roseville, SolarAPP+ (Development Services, Building) — checked September 23, 2026
- Roseville Electric Utility — Rates — checked September 18, 2026
- Sacramento solar permitting — City of Sacramento, Residential SolarApp+ in support of SB-379 (Information Technology, completed fiscal year 2023/2024) — checked September 23, 2026
- Salinas solar permitting — City of Salinas Permit Services page; City of Salinas Schedule of Fees and Charges for City Services, effective July 1, 2025 — checked September 18, 2026
- San Clemente solar permitting — City of San Clemente, Permits (Solar/Photovoltaic Permits) — checked September 23, 2026
- San Diego solar permitting — City of San Diego Development Services, Information Bulletin 301 — checked September 22, 2026
- San Jose solar permitting — City of San Jose, Solar & Storage Battery Projects — checked September 23, 2026
- City of San José, Energy Department (San José Clean Energy) — checked September 23, 2026
- San Luis Obispo solar permitting — City of San Luis Obispo, Solar Information (Building & Safety) — checked September 23, 2026
- San Marcos solar permitting — City of San Marcos, Solar Permits (Building Division) — checked September 23, 2026
- San Mateo solar permitting — City of San Mateo, SolarApp+ for Solar Installers — checked September 23, 2026
- San Ramon solar permitting — City of San Ramon, SolarApp+ For Solar Installers — checked September 24, 2026
- Santa Ana solar permitting — City of Santa Ana, Upcoming Changes to the Residential Solar Permit Requirement (June 1, 2026) — checked September 23, 2026
- Santa Barbara solar permitting — City of Santa Barbara, Fee Information (Building & Safety) — checked September 23, 2026
- Santa Barbara Clean Energy, home page (the City-run electricity provider for the City of Santa Barbara) — checked September 23, 2026
- Santa Clara solar permitting — City of Santa Clara, SolarAPP+ (Building Division) — checked September 23, 2026
- Silicon Valley Power — Rates and Fees (Schedule D-1 and Rate Schedule NM) — checked September 23, 2026
- Santa Clarita solar permitting — City of Santa Clarita, Instant Online Permits (Building & Safety) — checked September 23, 2026
- Santa Cruz solar permitting — City of Santa Cruz, SolarApp+ (Building & Safety) — checked September 23, 2026
- Santa Rosa solar permitting — City of Santa Rosa, Solar Panel Installation — checked September 23, 2026
- Saratoga solar permitting — City of Saratoga, Path to Permits (Community Development) — checked September 23, 2026
- Seaside solar permitting — City of Seaside Solar App+ page (Building & Code Enforcement Department) — checked September 18, 2026
- Stockton solar permitting — City of Stockton FY 2025-26 Adopted Fee Schedule (effective 7/1/2025) and City of Stockton Automated Solar Permitting page — checked September 22, 2026
- Sunnyvale solar permitting — City of Sunnyvale, SolarApp+ for Solar Installers — checked September 23, 2026
- Temecula solar permitting — City of Temecula, Photovoltaic Systems (temeculaca.gov/304) — checked September 23, 2026
- Thousand Oaks solar permitting — City of Thousand Oaks, Solar PV Systems — checked September 23, 2026
- Tracy solar permitting — City of Tracy, Permit Process and Fees — checked September 23, 2026
- Tulare solar permitting — City of Tulare, Solar App+ for Solar Installers — checked September 23, 2026
- Vacaville solar permitting — City of Vacaville, Apply for Residential Solar Permits — checked September 23, 2026
- Vallejo solar permitting — City of Vallejo, Central Permit Center — checked September 23, 2026
- Ventura solar permitting — City of Ventura, Contractor Solar Permits (SB 379) — checked September 23, 2026
- Victorville solar permitting — City of Victorville, SolarApp+ Automated Solar Plan Reviews — checked September 23, 2026
- Visalia solar permitting — City of Visalia, SolarApp — checked September 23, 2026
- Walnut Creek solar permitting — City of Walnut Creek, Solar, Electrical, Heating, and Plumbing (Building) — checked September 23, 2026
- Watsonville solar permitting — City of Watsonville SolarAPP+ How-To guide (PDF) — checked September 18, 2026
- Winchester solar permitting — Riverside County TLMA SolarAPP+ page (rctlma.org/solarapp) — checked September 18, 2026
- Windsor solar permitting — Town of Windsor, Residential Solar Applications (Building Division) — checked September 23, 2026
- Yuba City solar permitting — City of Yuba City, Solar APP+ — checked September 23, 2026
- Yucaipa solar permitting — City of Yucaipa, Building & Safety (Permit Center) — checked September 23, 2026
- California Government Code §66015(a)(1)-(2), residential solar permit fees — checked September 23, 2026
- California Business and Professions Code §7169, solar energy system disclosure document — checked September 17, 2026
- Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Energy Markets & Policy Department, Tracking the Sun: Pricing and Design Trends for Distributed Photovoltaic Systems in the United States, 2024 Edition — checked September 22, 2026
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