Solar Panel Cost in Long Beach, CA (2026): $3.79/W Reported
By Chad SimpsonUpdated 7 sources citedLong Beach, Los Angeles County
Long Beach homeowners who bought their own solar systems reported a median of $3.79 per watt between January 2025 and May 2026, across 175 systems. The middle half paid $3.05 to $4.75 per watt.
A 6.56 kW system, the median size connected in Long Beach in 2025, comes to about $24,900 at that median, or $20,000 to $31,200 across the middle half.
Those are reported costs, not a quote, and no federal credit comes off a Long Beach 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
- $3.79/W
- Long Beach addresses, 175 systems
- Middle half
- $3.05 to $4.75/W
- 25th to 75th percentile
- Typical 6.56 kW system
- $24,900
- 6.56 kW × $3.79/W, before any incentive
- Same system, middle half
- $20,000 to $31,200
- size: Long Beach 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 Long Beach
Long Beach's published permit fee for a home rooftop system is $386.62 (express permit, solar without battery, all surcharges and inspections). With a battery: $447.45; battery alone: $264.95.
That is $63.38 under the $450 limit that Government Code §66015 sets for a home system up to 15 kW.
- What Long Beach publishes: Long Beach's Information Bulletin IB-023 (revised July 17, 2024) sets the total express permit fee for a flush-mounted rooftop system of 38.4 kW or less, including all surcharges and filing fees and every required inspection, at $386.62 for solar alone, $447.45 for solar with a battery, and $264.95 for a battery alone. Extra fees apply if the project needs planning, electrical or building review.
- How to file: Yes. Residential applications go through the City's online permitting portal (permitslicenses.longbeach.gov) with the express checklist, and fees are paid online. The California Energy Commission's SB 379 data lists Long Beach's platform as a custom one.
- Automated permit platform: City's own instant permit. Express permit under IB-023; the CEC SB 379 data (self-reported) lists a custom platform.
Sources: City of Long Beach, Solar Photovoltaic (PV) Process, checked September 23, 2026; City of Long Beach, Information Bulletin IB-023, Guideline for Express Permit of Rooftop Solar PV System 38.4kW (Rev. 07-17-2024), checked September 23, 2026; Gov. Code §66015, checked September 24, 2026. Long Beach in the California Solar Cost Index sets this fee beside every other city's.
Solar in Long Beach: installs, leases and batteries
Home solar systems connected at Long Beach addresses: 767 in 2021, 1,206 in 2022, 1,648 in 2023, 802 in 2024 and 852 in 2025. So connections peaked in 2023 and 2025 ran 48% below that peak. Another 392 were connected from January to May 2026.
Of the 852 systems connected in Long Beach in 2025, 50% were leased or on a PPA, so a solar company owns them, and 50% belonged to the homeowner. 84% had a battery, more often than the 55% statewide. The median Long Beach system was 6.56 kW, and 136 companies connected at least one.
| Long Beach | Los Angeles County | Statewide | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Systems connected in 2025 | 852 | 16,116 | 145,404 |
| Leased or on a PPA | 50% | 47% | 45% |
| With a battery | 84% | 79% | 55% |
| Median system size | 6.56 kW | 6.56 kW | 6.15 kW |
| Median reported cost | $3.79/W (175) | $3.51/W (3,437) | $4.14/W (58,628) |
| Companies connecting systems | 136 | 613 | 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: SCE
Long Beach is billed by Southern California Edison (SCE). SCE's average residential rate is 34.4¢/kWh (June 1, 2026; rate tracker).
Before you compare proposals
The Long Beach project checks that change the decision
Long Beach publishes one all-in express permit price for a standard rooftop system, inspections included, so the permit line in a quote is easy to check.
Ask the same three questions
- Is the system flush-mounted on the roof and 38.4 kW or smaller, so it qualifies for the express permit?
- Is a battery included? The express fee is $447.45 with one and $386.62 without.
- Has the installer asked SCE for conceptual approval, the first step on the City's list?
Local checks
One fee covers the inspections
Long Beach's IB-023 says the express permit fee includes all surcharges, filing fees and required inspections, and is collected when the permit issues. Extra fees apply only if the project needs planning, electrical or building review.
Historic districts add a review
A home in a historic district or on a qualified historical building also needs a Planning Permit or Certificate of Appropriateness, which brings planning review.
No fire review for houses
Fire review is not required for one- and two-family dwellings; the City requires it for multifamily and nonresidential buildings.
SCE on both lines of the bill
The City's bulletin names SCE as the utility for Long Beach, and SCE's list of community choice aggregators does not include Long Beach, so SCE normally supplies generation as well as delivery.
Related decisions
Local sources and limits
- City of Long Beach — Solar Photovoltaic (PV) Process — verified 2026-09-23. Residential process: contact SCE for conceptual approval, review IB-023, apply and pay through the online permitting portal, then schedule inspections. More complex projects may need more review.
- City of Long Beach — Information Bulletin IB-023 (Rev. 07-17-2024) — verified 2026-09-23. Express electrical permit for flush-mounted rooftop PV up to 38.4 kW; total fee including surcharges, filing fees and required inspections: PV and ESS $447.45, PV without ESS $386.62, ESS only $264.95; historic districts need a Planning Permit or Certificate of Appropriateness; no fire review for one- and two-family dwellings; SCE is the utility for Long Beach.
- SCE — Community Choice Aggregation — verified 2026-09-23. Lists the CCAs in SCE territory and the cities each serves, and says SCE continues meter reading, billing, maintenance and outage response for CCA customers. A city missing from the list has no CCA named there.
- 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+).
Before you sign
In Long Beach the middle half of reported costs spans $3.05 to $4.75 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 Long Beach contract follows.
Frequently asked questions
How much does solar cost in Long Beach?
About $24,900 for a 6.56 kW system, at the $3.79 per watt median that Long Beach owners reported (175 systems, January 2025 to May 2026; middle half $3.05 to $4.75). Source: CPUC DG Stats. No federal credit applies to a Long Beach system finished in 2026.
What does a solar permit cost in Long Beach?
$386.62 for a home rooftop system on Long Beach's published schedule (checked September 23, 2026); the state limit is $450 up to 15 kW under Gov. Code §66015.
Which utility serves Long Beach?
Southern California Edison (SCE). Its average residential rate is 34.4¢/kWh, as of June 1, 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
- Long Beach solar permitting — City of Long Beach, Solar Photovoltaic (PV) Process — checked September 23, 2026
- City of Long Beach, Information Bulletin IB-023, Guideline for Express Permit of Rooftop Solar PV System 38.4kW (Rev. 07-17-2024) — checked September 23, 2026
- California Government Code §66015(a), residential solar permit fees — checked September 24, 2026
- SCE average residential rate — CPUC Public Advocates Office, Q2 2026 Electric Rates Report, p.8, 22 — 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.
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