Solar Panel Cost in Clovis, CA (2026): $3.03/W Reported

Clovis homeowners who bought their own solar systems reported a median of $3.03 per watt between January 2025 and May 2026, across 681 systems. The middle half paid $2.65 to $4.58 per watt.

A 6.48 kW system, the median size connected in Clovis in 2025, comes to about $19,600 at that median, or $17,200 to $29,700 across the middle half.

Those are reported costs, not a quote, and no federal credit comes off a Clovis 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: $3.03/W; Clovis addresses, 681 systems
Middle half: $2.65 to $4.58/W; 25th to 75th percentile
Typical 6.48 kW system: $19,600; 6.48 kW × $3.03/W, before any incentive
Same system, middle half: $17,200 to $29,700; size: Clovis 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 Clovis

Clovis does not publish a dollar figure for a residential solar permit. Whatever it charges, Government Code §66015 limits a city to $450 for a home system up to 15 kW, plus $15 per kW above that, unless it adopts a written finding that its cost is higher.

What Clovis publishes: Clovis's Building Division page says residential roof-mounted and ground-mounted photovoltaic permits have their own fee structure, but neither that page nor the City's solar submittal documents state the amount. Ask the Building Division, or the installer, for the City's figure. SolarAPP+ charges its own processing fee.
How to file: Yes. Since September 30, 2023 there are three routes: plans filed in person, plans filed online through the City's CSS portal, or a SolarAPP+ application through the same portal. SolarAPP+ is for contractors only, so an owner-builder uses one of the first two.
Automated permit platform: SolarAPP+

Sources: City of Clovis, Building Division (Solar Information), checked September 23, 2026; City of Clovis, Eligibility List for SolarAPP+ residential roof-mounted photovoltaic systems, checked September 23, 2026; City of Clovis, Residential Roof-Mounted Photovoltaic Submittal Requirements (Rev. 05-24-2024), checked September 23, 2026; Gov. Code §66015, checked September 24, 2026. Clovis in the California Solar Cost Index sets this fee beside every other city's.

Solar in Clovis: installs, leases and batteries

Home solar systems connected at Clovis addresses: 2,189 in 2021, 2,417 in 2022, 2,552 in 2023, 1,670 in 2024 and 1,454 in 2025. So connections peaked in 2023 and 2025 ran 43% below that peak. Another 574 were connected from January to May 2026.

Of the 1,454 systems connected in Clovis in 2025, 40% were leased or on a PPA, so a solar company owns them, and 60% belonged to the homeowner. 43% had a battery, less often than the 55% statewide. The median Clovis system was 6.48 kW, and 118 companies connected at least one.

Clovis beside Fresno County and Statewide, 2025
	Clovis	Fresno County	Statewide
Systems connected in 2025	1,454	7,318	145,404
Leased or on a PPA	40%	49%	45%
With a battery	43%	49%	55%
Median system size	6.48 kW	6.58 kW	6.15 kW
Median reported cost	$3.03/W (681)	$3.12/W (2,730)	$4.14/W (58,628)
Companies connecting systems	118	239	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

Clovis 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 Clovis project checks that change the decision

Clovis does not publish its solar permit fee, and its SolarAPP+ route excludes any job with a service upgrade or an existing system, so the permit route itself tells you something about the scope of a Clovis quote.

Ask the same three questions

Does the design qualify for SolarAPP+ in Clovis: no service upgrade or panel change, a main service of 400A or less, and no existing solar or battery on the house?
What is the City's permit fee in the quote? Clovis does not publish the amount.
Does the roof layout leave two 36-inch access pathways, one from the street side, as the City requires?

Local checks

Strict SolarAPP+ limits

Clovis's eligibility list allows SolarAPP+ only for a roof-mounted system up to 38.4 kWdc on the existing service, with no service upgrade, a main service of 400A or less, no existing solar or storage, and lithium-ion storage installed by a C-10 contractor.

Owner-builders file plans

SolarAPP+ through the CSS portal is for contractors only. A homeowner acting as owner-builder files plans in person or online through the same portal.

Street-side roof access

The City's submittal requirements call for two roof access pathways at least 36 inches wide, one from the street side of the house in front of the fence, which can take panel space on the front of the roof.

PG&E with no CCA

PG&E's list of community choice aggregators names none serving Fresno County, so a Clovis bill is PG&E for generation and delivery.

Related decisions

Local sources and limits

City of Clovis — Building Division (Solar Information) — verified 2026-09-23. Since September 30, 2023: in-person plan submittal, online plan submittal through CSS, or SolarAPP (SB 379) through CSS, the last for contractors only; says residential roof- and ground-mounted PV permits have their own fee structure without stating it.
City of Clovis — SolarAPP+ Eligibility List — verified 2026-09-23. Residential roof-mounted PV up to 38.4 kWdc; lithium-ion storage only, C-10 license to install it; existing service only, with no service upgrade or like-for-like panel change; main service 400A or less; no existing PV or storage on the home; not on wood shake or wood shingle roofs.
City of Clovis — Residential Roof-Mounted Photovoltaic Submittal Requirements (Rev. 05-24-2024) — verified 2026-09-23. Roof plans must show two access pathways at least 36 inches wide, one of them from the street side of the house, in front of the fence.
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.
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 for the Tier 3 cities: Santa Clara, Clovis, Berkeley, Concord, Richmond, San Clemente, Encinitas, San Marcos, Lakewood, Elk Grove, Mission Viejo, Victorville, Tulare, Yucaipa, Rocklin and Grass Valley (SolarAPP+); Glendale and Santa Barbara (custom platform); Saratoga and Vacaville (Symbium); Napa (without a platform); Gilroy, San Ramon, Redding and Yuba City (SolarAPP+); Windsor and Ventura (Symbium); Redwood City and Cupertino (SolarAPP+); Hollister (without a platform, deadline Sept 2024).

Before you sign

In Clovis the middle half of reported costs spans $2.65 to $4.58 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 Clovis contract follows.

Frequently asked questions

How much does solar cost in Clovis?

About $19,600 for a 6.48 kW system, at the $3.03 per watt median that Clovis owners reported (681 systems, January 2025 to May 2026; middle half $2.65 to $4.58). Source: CPUC DG Stats. No federal credit applies to a Clovis system finished in 2026.

What does a solar permit cost in Clovis?

Clovis states no single current figure (no figure published, checked September 23, 2026); Gov. Code §66015 caps it at $450 up to 15 kW unless the city adopts a written finding.

Which utility serves Clovis?

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
Clovis solar permitting — City of Clovis, Building Division (Solar Information) — checked September 23, 2026
City of Clovis, Eligibility List for SolarAPP+ residential roof-mounted photovoltaic systems — checked September 23, 2026
City of Clovis, Residential Roof-Mounted Photovoltaic Submittal Requirements (Rev. 05-24-2024) — 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.