Solar Panel Cost in Chico, CA (2026): $3.56/W Reported

Chico homeowners who bought their own solar systems reported a median of $3.56 per watt between January 2025 and May 2026, across 498 systems. The middle half paid $2.94 to $4.88 per watt.

A 6.8 kW system, the median size connected in Chico in 2025, comes to about $24,200 at that median, or $20,000 to $33,200 across the middle half.

Those are reported costs, not a quote, and no federal credit comes off a Chico system finished in 2026: 26 U.S.C. §25D does not cover one whose installation is completed after December 31, 2025 (state and federal rules).

Median reported cost: $3.56/W; Chico addresses, 498 systems
Middle half: $2.94 to $4.88/W; 25th to 75th percentile
Typical 6.8 kW system: $24,200; 6.8 kW × $3.56/W, before any incentive
Same system, middle half: $20,000 to $33,200; size: Chico addresses, 2025 median

Source: California Distributed Generation Statistics (CPUC), Interconnected Project Sites data set, data through May 31, 2026, checked September 24, 2026. Homeowner-owned, solar-only systems of 1 to 25 kW; leases, PPAs and battery systems are left out (method). The CPUC notes these costs are not verified by the government.

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What a solar permit costs in Chico

Chico's published permit fee for a home rooftop system is $450 (residential solar on an existing structure, 15 kW or less). Above 15 kW: $500 plus $15 per kW; a ground-mount racking permit is a separate $876.

That is exactly the $450 limit that Government Code §66015 sets for a home system up to 15 kW.

What Chico publishes: Chico's Master Fee Schedule for fiscal year 2026/2027, effective July 6, 2026, charges $450 for residential solar mounted on an existing structure at 15 kW or less, and $500 plus $15 per kW above 15 kW for a larger system. It notes that plan check and other fees may apply to systems over 40 pounds per square foot or on a conventionally framed roof, that supporting structures over 7 feet tall need a separate permit, and that a ground-mount solar racking permit is a separate $876.
How to file: The City's Building Division takes all applications and plans digitally through its eTRAKiT permit portal, but its pages do not describe an automated solar permit. The California Energy Commission's SB 379 data, which each city reports itself, lists Chico as without a platform.
Automated permit platform: None named

Sources: City of Chico, Building Division, checked September 23, 2026; City of Chico, FY 2026/2027 Master Fee Schedule, effective July 6, 2026 (Residential: Solar Mounted on Existing Structure; ground mount solar racking permit), checked September 23, 2026; California Energy Commission, Residential Solar Permitting Program data (SB 379 platform status as self-reported by each jurisdiction; data last updated August 3, 2026), checked September 23, 2026; Gov. Code §66015, checked September 24, 2026. Chico in the California Solar Cost Index sets this fee beside every other city's.

Solar in Chico: installs, leases and batteries

Home solar systems connected at Chico addresses: 904 in 2021, 1,369 in 2022, 1,739 in 2023, 712 in 2024 and 630 in 2025. So connections peaked in 2023 and 2025 ran 64% below that peak. Another 224 were connected from January to May 2026.

Of the 630 systems connected in Chico in 2025, 22% were leased or on a PPA, so a solar company owns them, and 78% belonged to the homeowner. 31% had a battery, less often than the 55% statewide. The median Chico system was 6.8 kW, and 69 companies connected at least one.

Chico beside Butte County and Statewide, 2025
	Chico	Butte County	Statewide
Systems connected in 2025	630	1,450	145,404
Leased or on a PPA	22%	25%	45%
With a battery	31%	29%	55%
Median system size	6.8 kW	6.27 kW	6.15 kW
Median reported cost	$3.56/W (498)	$3.58/W (1,158)	$4.14/W (58,628)
Companies connecting systems	69	141	2,475

Source: CPUC DG Stats, data through May 31, 2026. Counts are home systems given permission to operate each year; a city means the service city on the application.

Your utility: PG&E

Chico is billed by Pacific Gas and Electric Company (PG&E). PG&E's average residential rate is 33.7¢/kWh (June 2026 (unchanged since March 2026); rate tracker).

Before you compare proposals

The Chico project checks that change the decision

Chico charges the state-limit fee for a home solar permit, but the City does not describe an automated solar permit and the state's data lists it as having none. Plan for a regular review.

Ask the same three questions

Is the system 15 kW or smaller? Above that, Chico's fee is $500 plus $15 per kW over 15.
Does the array weigh more than 40 pounds per square foot, or go on a conventionally framed roof? Either can add plan check and fees in Chico.
Is it a ground mount, or on a structure over 7 feet tall? Chico permits both separately.

Local checks

No automated permit listed

The California Energy Commission's SB 379 data, which cities report themselves and the CEC does not certify, lists Chico as without an automated platform although its deadline was September 2023. The City takes applications digitally through eTRAKiT, so ask the installer how long review has been taking.

Ground mounts are a separate permit

Chico's 2026/2027 fee schedule lists a ground-mount solar racking permit as a separate $876 permit, and requires a separate permit for a supporting structure over 7 feet tall.

PG&E supplies generation too

PG&E's list of the community choice aggregators in its territory does not include Chico or Butte County, so a Chico bill normally shows PG&E for generation and delivery.

Related decisions

Local sources and limits

City of Chico — Building Division — verified 2026-09-23. All applications, plans and documents must be submitted digitally; eTRAKiT is the City’s permit portal. No solar-specific permit route described.
City of Chico — FY 2026/2027 Master Fee Schedule (effective July 6, 2026) — verified 2026-09-23. Residential solar on an existing structure: $450 at 15 kW or less; $500 plus $15 per kW above 15 kW; plan check and fees may apply above 40 lb/sf or on a conventionally framed roof; separate permit for supporting structures over 7 feet; ground-mount solar racking permit $876, separate permit.
California Energy Commission — Residential Solar Permitting Program data (SB 379) — verified 2026-09-23. Self-reported platform status per jurisdiction, data last updated August 3, 2026; the CEC says it does not certify compliance. Rows used: Chico (deadline Sept 2023) and Arcata (deadline Sept 2024), both without a platform; Pasadena, Anaheim, San Jose and Tracy (custom platform); Santa Clarita, Vallejo, Corona and Ontario (Symbium); Escondido, Monterey, Modesto, Mountain View and Huntington Beach (SolarAPP+).
PG&E — Community Choice Aggregation — verified 2026-09-23. Lists the CCAs in PG&E territory and the areas each serves, and says PG&E continues to provide meter reading, billing, maintenance and outage response for CCA customers. A city missing from the list has no CCA named there; the bill is still the check for a given account.

Before you sign

In Chico the middle half of reported costs spans $2.94 to $4.88 per watt, and roof, panel work, equipment and contract terms explain most of that gap. California Solar Tax and Permit Rules for 2026 covers them, and the tax, lease and disclosure rules a Chico contract follows.

Frequently asked questions

How much does solar cost in Chico?

About $24,200 for a 6.8 kW system, at the $3.56 per watt median that Chico owners reported (498 systems, January 2025 to May 2026; middle half $2.94 to $4.88). Source: CPUC DG Stats. No federal credit applies to a Chico system finished in 2026.

What does a solar permit cost in Chico?

$450 for a home rooftop system on Chico's published schedule (checked September 23, 2026); the state limit is $450 up to 15 kW under Gov. Code §66015.

Which utility serves Chico?

Pacific Gas and Electric Company (PG&E). Its average residential rate is 33.7¢/kWh, as of June 2026 (unchanged since March 2026).

Sources

California Distributed Generation Statistics (CPUC), Interconnected Project Sites data set, data through May 31, 2026 — checked September 24, 2026
CPUC, California Solar Consumer Protection Guide — checked September 24, 2026
26 U.S.C. §25D(h) and (e)(8)(A), residential clean energy credit — checked September 24, 2026
Chico solar permitting — City of Chico, Building Division — checked September 23, 2026
City of Chico, FY 2026/2027 Master Fee Schedule, effective July 6, 2026 (Residential: Solar Mounted on Existing Structure; ground mount solar racking permit) — checked September 23, 2026
California Energy Commission, Residential Solar Permitting Program data (SB 379 platform status as self-reported by each jurisdiction; data last updated August 3, 2026) — checked September 23, 2026
California Government Code §66015(a), residential solar permit fees — checked September 24, 2026
PG&E average residential rate — CPUC Public Advocates Office, Q2 2026 Electric Rates Report, p.8, 20 — checked September 24, 2026

The tax, contract and permit rules every California city shares, with their statutes: California Solar Tax and Permit Rules for 2026.