InstaBidsHow much will solar panels cost in Chicago?
$15,962 was the median declared permit value for data years 2023-2026 in Chicago, IL. One- and two-family home solar building permits issued in Chicago declared a typical range (middle half of 530 City of Chicago permit data points, Chicago, IL, 2023-2026) of $10,082 to $23,251.
Updated 2026-10-28
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| What was measured | Median declared value | Declared value range (middle half) |
|---|---|---|
| One- and two-family home solar building permits issued in Chicago declared | a median declared value on building permits of $15,962 | the typical range (middle half of 530 City of Chicago permit data points, Chicago, IL, 2023-2026) was $10,082 to $23,251 |
Declared permit values are what applicants reported to the city; final contract prices can differ.
How measured: residential single-job permits; declared values below the low-value floor for the same job removed (0 rows). Source: City of Chicago, Department of Buildings 'Building Permits' (ydr8-5enu), data read 22 October 2026.
These figures are estimates from City of Chicago, Department of Buildings 'Building Permits' (ydr8-5enu), data years 2023-2026, read 22 October 2026, for Chicago, IL. They are not a quote, and they are not a promise of what any contractor on InstaBids will charge. Your price depends on your home, the materials and the contractor. Get written bids before you decide.
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What the job includes, the line items to ask for and how to compare bids: the national solar panel system cost guide.
Which Chicago express rules apply to rooftop solar projects?
Example rule, Chicago express solar eligibility: maximum inverter output: “13.44 kW or less”
Source: Chicago Department of Buildings Express Permit Program, read 9 November 2026.
Example rule, Chicago express solar exclusion: institutional building occupancy: “institutional (Group I)”
Source: Chicago Department of Buildings Express Permit Program, read 9 November 2026.
Example rule, Chicago express solar exclusion: average roof height: “exceeding 40 feet”
Source: Chicago Department of Buildings Express Permit Program, read 9 November 2026.
Example rule, Chicago express solar exclusion: average roof height for ballasted arrays: “exceeding 15 feet”
Source: Chicago Department of Buildings Express Permit Program, read 9 November 2026.
Example rule, Chicago express solar exclusion: ballasted array placement: “on a sloped roof”
Source: Chicago Department of Buildings Express Permit Program, read 9 November 2026.
Example rule, Chicago express solar exclusion: attachment method: “adhesives instead of mechanical fasteners”
Source: Chicago Department of Buildings Express Permit Program, read 9 November 2026.
What do Chicago solar permits declare?
Each Chicago figure above is a declared permit value: what the applicant told the permit office the solar job was worth when applying. It is not an invoice.
The City of Chicago permit records have no residential flag, so the count keeps only permits whose description names a one- or two-family home and solar, PV or photovoltaic work. Permits that name a unit, a condominium, an apartment or three or more dwelling units are not counted.
Some permits were left out first: 3961 for a new home or not on an existing home, and 163 that also named another job.
Of the 531 matched permits, 530 carried a declared value. None fell below the low-value floor for this job, so all 530 permits with a value are behind the figures.
The Census American Housing Survey used on other cost pages has no solar item, so the low-value floor here is a fixed one rather than one taken from that survey.
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, AHS 2023 Value Labels Package, read 16 October 2026.
What solar system detail should I check for Chicago express permitting?
Check the inverter output in the proposed design. Chicago's small-scale solar checklist lists an output of 13.44 kW or less in its Eligible section, alongside drawings and calculations. Ask the installer to identify that output and the applicable drawings in the scope, then check the remaining city eligibility conditions before choosing a permit route.
Source: City of Chicago, Express Permit Program eligibility, read 31 October 2026.
Can a ballasted solar system on a sloped Chicago roof use that express route?
Chicago lists a ballasted solar photovoltaic system on a sloped roof as Not Eligible for the Express Permit Program. State the roof shape and proposed mounting method in your solar request, and ask which permit route applies. Do not treat the small-scale inverter threshold alone as confirmation that a roof-mounted design qualifies.
Source: City of Chicago, Express Permit Program eligibility, read 31 October 2026.
How does Chicago compare with New York State program records (NYSERDA)?
Chicago sits below New York on the median, but the two come from different kinds of record. The New York State Energy Research and Development Authority publishes the project cost reported for each system in its programs, and the block below keeps only homes that bought their system rather than leasing it or signing a power purchase agreement.
Source: NYSERDA, Solar Electric Programs Reported by NYSERDA, read 16 October 2026.
| What was measured | Median | Typical range (middle half) |
|---|---|---|
| Home solar systems bought outright and completed under NYSERDA programs in New York State had | a median of $38,702 | the typical range (middle half of 12,001 NYSERDA program data points, New York State (NYSERDA program data), 2025-2026) was $28,520 to $51,000 |
| By system size | a median of $3.84 per watt | the typical range (middle half of 12,001 NYSERDA program data points, New York State (NYSERDA program data), 2025-2026) was $3.20 per watt to $5.09 per watt |
How measured: owned, completed home systems, untrimmed; project cost divided by system size in watts. Source: NYSERDA, Solar Electric Programs Reported by NYSERDA: Beginning 2000, data read 16 October 2026.
These figures are estimates from NYSERDA, Solar Electric Programs Reported by NYSERDA: Beginning 2000, data years 2025-2026, read 16 October 2026, for New York State (NYSERDA program data). They are not a quote, and they are not a promise of what any contractor on InstaBids will charge. Your price depends on your home, the materials and the contractor. Get written bids before you decide.
Full national guide: How much will solar panels cost?
A program figure is the project cost reported for an installed system in New York State, while a permit value is what an applicant in Chicago wrote down before the work began. This page keeps them apart and never blends them into one number.
The New York block also has a per-watt row, which puts systems of different sizes on one scale. The Chicago block is by job only.
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Sources for the figures on this page
- City of Chicago, Department of Buildings 'Building Permits' (ydr8-5enu), https://data.cityofchicago.org/Buildings/Building-Permits/ydr8-5enu, read 22 October 2026. InstaBids computed medians and middle-half ranges. This site provides applications using data that has been modified for use from its original source, www.cityofchicago.org, the official website of the City of Chicago. The City of Chicago makes no claims as to the content, accuracy, timeliness, or completeness of any of the data provided at this site. The data provided at this site is subject to change at any time. It is understood that the data provided at this site is being used at one’s own risk.
- NYSERDA, Solar Electric Programs Reported by NYSERDA: Beginning 2000, https://data.ny.gov/Energy-Environment/Solar-Electric-Programs-Reported-by-NYSERDA-Beginn/3x8r-34rs, read 16 October 2026. Used under the OPEN-NY Terms of Use; no endorsement by New York State or NYSERDA is implied.
- Chicago Department of Buildings Express Permit Program, www.chicago.gov/city/en/sites/guide-to-building-permits/home/help/faq/DOB/EPP-eligible.html, read 9 November 2026.
- U.S. Census Bureau, AHS 2023 Value Labels Package, www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/ahs/2023/AHS 2023 Value Labels Package.zip, read 16 October 2026.