Solar Panel Cost in Murrieta, CA (2026): $2.88/W Reported
By Chad SimpsonUpdated 7 sources citedMurrieta, Riverside County
Murrieta homeowners who bought their own solar systems reported a median of $2.88 per watt between January 2025 and May 2026, across 62 systems. The middle half paid $2.43 to $3.48 per watt.
An 8.6 kW system, the median size connected in Murrieta in 2025, comes to about $24,800 at that median, or $20,900 to $29,900 across the middle half.
Those are reported costs, not a quote, and no federal credit comes off a Murrieta 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
- $2.88/W
- Murrieta addresses, 62 systems
- Middle half
- $2.43 to $3.48/W
- 25th to 75th percentile
- Typical 8.6 kW system
- $24,800
- 8.6 kW × $2.88/W, before any incentive
- Same system, middle half
- $20,900 to $29,900
- size: Murrieta 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 Murrieta
Murrieta's published permit fee for a home rooftop system is $450 (residential PV permit, 15 kW or less). Above 15 kW: a $500 base fee plus $15 per kW over 15 kW.
That is exactly the $450 limit that Government Code §66015 sets for a home system up to 15 kW.
- What Murrieta publishes: Murrieta's User Fee Schedule for fiscal year 2026/27 sets the residential photovoltaic permit at $450 for a system of 15 kW or less, and at a $500 base fee plus $15 for each kW over 15 kW for a larger one, citing Government Code section 66015. It adds that structural work and non-solar items installed with the system, such as carports, ground-mount supports, exterior lighting and EV charging equipment, need their own permits and fees. SolarAPP+ charges its own processing fee, which the City does not state, and the City says its inspection fee covers two site visits.
- How to file: Yes. Eligible residential roof-mounted systems must be submitted through SolarAPP+ and then the City's Citizen Self Service portal. Homes with zero lot lines do not qualify for SolarAPP+ and file through the portal instead.
- Automated permit platform: SolarAPP+
Sources: City of Murrieta, Self-Issuing Permits & SolarAPP+, checked September 23, 2026; City of Murrieta User Fee Schedule, fiscal year 2026/27 (Solar Permit Fees), checked September 23, 2026; Gov. Code §66015, checked September 24, 2026. Murrieta in the California Solar Cost Index sets this fee beside every other city's.
Solar in Murrieta: installs, leases and batteries
Home solar systems connected at Murrieta addresses: 1,552 in 2021, 1,961 in 2022, 1,841 in 2023, 941 in 2024 and 809 in 2025. So connections peaked in 2022 and 2025 ran 59% below that peak. Another 323 were connected from January to May 2026.
Of the 809 systems connected in Murrieta in 2025, 58% were leased or on a PPA, so a solar company owns them, and 42% belonged to the homeowner. 94% had a battery, more often than the 55% statewide. The median Murrieta system was 8.6 kW, and 108 companies connected at least one.
| Murrieta | Riverside County | Statewide | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Systems connected in 2025 | 809 | 15,138 | 145,404 |
| Leased or on a PPA | 58% | 57% | 45% |
| With a battery | 94% | 75% | 55% |
| Median system size | 8.6 kW | 6.48 kW | 6.15 kW |
| Median reported cost | $2.88/W (62) | $3.16/W (2,968) | $4.14/W (58,628) |
| Companies connecting systems | 108 | 431 | 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
Murrieta 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 Murrieta project checks that change the decision
Murrieta sets its residential solar permit fee by system size and treats a service-panel upgrade as a separate permit. Make both visible before comparing totals.
Ask the same three questions
- Is the system 15 kW or smaller? Murrieta's permit fee changes above that size, so the permit line should match the design.
- Does the design need a service-panel upgrade, and is that separate permit pulled by a C-10 electrical contractor and priced on its own line?
- Are carports, ground-mount supports, lighting or EV charging part of the job? Murrieta permits and charges for those separately.
Local checks
Zero-lot-line homes take another route
Murrieta excludes homes with zero lot lines from SolarAPP+; those projects file through the City's Citizen Self Service portal instead. Ask which route applies before relying on an automated-review schedule.
Panel upgrades are their own permit
The City says every service-panel upgrade needs a separate permit, even when it appears on the solar plans, and that only C-10 electrical contractors may obtain one. A proposal that omits it is not the same scope as one that includes it.
Two inspection visits are included
Murrieta says its inspection fee covers two site visits and that more visits cost extra. Ask who pays if an inspection has to be repeated.
SCE supplies generation as well
SCE's list of the community choice aggregators in its territory does not include Murrieta, so a Murrieta bill normally shows SCE for both generation and delivery.
Related decisions
Local sources and limits
- City of Murrieta — Self-Issuing Permits & SolarAPP+ — verified 2026-09-23. Eligible residential roof-mounted solar goes through SolarAPP+ and the CSS portal; zero-lot-line homes do not qualify; every service-panel upgrade needs a separate permit that only C-10 electrical contractors may obtain; inspection fees cover two site visits.
- City of Murrieta — User Fee Schedule, fiscal year 2026/27 (Solar Permit Fees) — verified 2026-09-23. Residential PV: $450 at 15 kW or less; $500 base plus $15 per kW over 15 kW. Separate permits and fees for structural work and non-solar items such as carports, ground-mount supports, exterior lighting and EV charging.
- 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.
Before you sign
In Murrieta the middle half of reported costs spans $2.43 to $3.48 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 Murrieta contract follows.
Frequently asked questions
How much does solar cost in Murrieta?
About $24,800 for an 8.6 kW system, at the $2.88 per watt median that Murrieta owners reported (62 systems, January 2025 to May 2026; middle half $2.43 to $3.48). Source: CPUC DG Stats. No federal credit applies to a Murrieta system finished in 2026.
What does a solar permit cost in Murrieta?
$450 for a home rooftop system on Murrieta's published schedule (checked September 23, 2026); the state limit is $450 up to 15 kW under Gov. Code §66015.
Which utility serves Murrieta?
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
- Murrieta solar permitting — City of Murrieta, Self-Issuing Permits & SolarAPP+ — checked September 23, 2026
- City of Murrieta User Fee Schedule, fiscal year 2026/27 (Solar Permit Fees) — 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 November 9, 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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