Data / Solar Panel Permit Cost
How much does a solar panel permit cost? (2026)
Across 48 U.S. cities in 27 states, the average solar panel permit fee is $288 (median $222), ranging from $4 in Miami, FL to $1,129 in Portland, OR. These are government permit fees only, not total project cost, each verified from the city's published fee schedule.
$288
Average fee
$222
Median fee
$4
Lowest (FL)
$1,129
Highest (OR)
48
Cities tracked
Solar Panel Permit Cost by state
Average solar panel permit fee per state, ranked highest to lowest. Click a state for its tracked cities.
| State | Cities | Avg. Permit Fee |
|---|---|---|
| Oregon | 1 | $1,129 |
| Indiana | 1 | $699 |
| Washington | 1 | $518 |
| Utah | 1 | $463 |
| Ohio | 2 | $444 |
| Arizona | 2 | $424 |
| Nevada | 1 | $416 |
| Minnesota | 1 | $376 |
| California | 5 | $346 |
| Michigan | 1 | $344 |
| Massachusetts | 1 | $340 |
| Texas | 5 | $337 |
| Illinois | 1 | $300 |
| Idaho | 1 | $275 |
| Pennsylvania | 2 | $262 |
| South Carolina | 1 | $258 |
| Virginia | 2 | $187 |
| Tennessee | 2 | $181 |
| Missouri | 4 | $179 |
| Georgia | 1 | $175 |
| North Carolina | 2 | $169 |
| Oklahoma | 2 | $164 |
| Iowa | 1 | $150 |
| Florida | 4 | $106 |
| Maryland | 1 | $52 |
| Colorado | 1 | $50 |
| New York | 1 | $40 |
Solar Panel Permit Cost by city
Every fee links to its source city page.
| City | Permit Fee |
|---|---|
| Portland, OR | $1,129 |
| Dallas, TX | $998 |
| Cincinnati, OH | $747 |
| Phoenix, AZ | $706 |
| Indianapolis, IN | $699 |
| Seattle, WA | $518 |
| Salt Lake City, UT | $463 |
| Sacramento, CA | $459 |
| San Jose, CA | $440 |
| Las Vegas, NV | $416 |
| Philadelphia, PA | $383 |
| St. Louis County, MO | $379 |
| Minneapolis, MN | $376 |
| Detroit, MI | $344 |
| Boston, MA | $340 |
| San Francisco, CA | $320 |
| Chicago, IL | $300 |
| San Diego, CA | $295 |
| Fort Worth, TX | $288 |
| Boise, ID | $275 |
| Charleston, SC | $258 |
| Orlando, FL | $233 |
| Virginia Beach, VA | $229 |
| Oklahoma City, OK | $225 |
| Austin, TX | $219 |
| Los Angeles, CA | $216 |
| Charlotte, NC | $209 |
| Nashville, TN | $183 |
| Memphis, TN | $180 |
| Atlanta, GA | $175 |
| Des Moines, IA | $150 |
| Richmond, VA | $145 |
| Pittsburgh, PA | $142 |
| Columbus, OH | $141 |
| Tucson, AZ | $141 |
| Springfield, MO | $136 |
| Raleigh, NC | $129 |
| Houston, TX | $125 |
| Tampa, FL | $124 |
| Kansas City, MO | $114 |
| Tulsa, OK | $102 |
| City of St. Louis, MO | $85 |
| Jacksonville, FL | $64 |
| San Antonio, TX | $56 |
| Baltimore, MD | $52 |
| Denver, CO | $50 |
| New York, NY | $40 |
| Miami, FL | $4 |
Cite This Data
Olson, D. (2026). Solar Panel Permit Cost by state. PermitCalculator. https://permitcalculator.com/data/solar-permit-cost/
APA format
Olson, David. "Solar Panel Permit Cost by State." PermitCalculator, 2026, permitcalculator.com/data/solar-permit-cost.
MLA format
Olson, David. "Solar Panel Permit Cost by State." PermitCalculator. Accessed October 1, 2026. https://permitcalculator.com/data/solar-permit-cost/.
Chicago format
Link credit for blogs (HTML)
Method: fees verified from each city's published fee schedule. See our methodology and press & data page. Permit fees are set by local government and change periodically.
Dataset compiled by David Olson, Creator of the Cost Index & Permit Dataset. Download the full dataset (CSV).
Solar Panel Permit Cost FAQ
How much does a solar panel permit cost?
Across 48 U.S. cities, the average solar panel permit fee is $288 (median $222), from $4 in Miami, FL to $1,129 in Portland, OR. These are government permit fees only, each verified from the city's published fee schedule.
Which cities have the cheapest and most expensive solar panel permit?
Miami, FL is the lowest at $4 and Portland, OR is the highest at $1,129 among the 48 cities tracked.
Is the solar panel permit fee the same as the total project cost?
No. This is the government permit fee only. It does not include contractor labor, materials, or design, which are usually far larger than the permit itself.
Where does this solar panel permit data come from?
Every fee is verified from the city's published permit fee schedule, not estimated or scraped. Each city in the table links to its official source.