InstaBidsHow much will solar panels cost in New Orleans?
$26,390 was the median declared permit value for data years 2023-2026 in New Orleans, LA. Solar permits on existing single-family, two-family and half-double homes issued in New Orleans declared a typical range (middle half of 1,793 City of New Orleans permit data points, New Orleans, LA, 2023-2026) of $18,900 to $42,270.
Updated 2026-10-28
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| What was measured | Median declared value | Declared value range (middle half) |
|---|---|---|
| Solar permits on existing single-family, two-family and half-double homes issued in New Orleans declared | a median declared value on building permits of $26,390 | the typical range (middle half of 1,793 City of New Orleans permit data points, New Orleans, LA, 2023-2026) was $18,900 to $42,270 |
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 New Orleans, Safety and Permits 'Permits' (rcm3-fn58), data read 22 October 2026.
These figures are estimates from City of New Orleans, Safety and Permits 'Permits' (rcm3-fn58), data years 2023-2026, read 22 October 2026, for New Orleans, LA. 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.
What do New Orleans solar permits declare?
Each New Orleans 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 records come from City of New Orleans, Safety and Permits. The count covers permits on single-family, two-family and half-double homes whose description names solar, PV or photovoltaic work.
Some permits were left out first: 2 legalisation, as-built, revision, supplemental or renewal permits, and 11 that also named another job. None were for a new home or for demolition only.
Of the 1795 matched permits, 1793 carried a declared value. None fell below the fixed low-value floor for this job, so all 1793 valued permits 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.
How does New Orleans route a solar permit application?
New Orleans classifies rooftop solar applications as electrical permits. Use the city solar-permitting page to identify the application route before assembling the project documents.
Source: City of New Orleans, Solar Permitting, read 31 October 2026.
The city says new PV solar permits through OneStop require an approved SolarAPP+ plan review, starting in March 2025. Check that the submission includes the plan-review document rather than only the equipment proposal.
Source: City of New Orleans, Solar Permitting, read 31 October 2026.
OneStop accepts the approved SolarAPP+ combined PDF plan review and other relevant documents as separate submissions. Organize the plan-review PDF separately from supporting material before applying.
Source: City of New Orleans, Solar Permitting, read 31 October 2026.
How does New Orleans compare with New York State program records (NYSERDA)?
The New Orleans median declared value sits below the New York program median for owned systems. 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?
The two are different kinds of record: a program figure is what was reported for a finished system in New York State, while a permit value is what an applicant in New Orleans 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 New Orleans block is by job only.
How does New Orleans review rooftop solar zoning?
Example rule, New Orleans Safety and Permits rooftop solar memorandum: compliant rooftop system zoning review: “No portion of the CZO requires conditional use, variance, or special-exception approval for compliant rooftop PV systems.”
Source: New Orleans Safety and Permits rooftop solar memorandum, read 9 November 2026.
Example rule, New Orleans Safety and Permits rooftop solar memorandum: HDLC and VCC design review authority: “Their review authority is independent of the CZO and does not modify a property’s underlying zoning classification or the “by-right” status of an accessory solar use.”
Source: New Orleans Safety and Permits rooftop solar memorandum, read 9 November 2026.
Example rule, New Orleans Safety and Permits rooftop solar memorandum: HDLC and VCC districts before building permit: “In HDLC and VCC districts, applicants must obtain a Certificate of Appropriateness (C of A) or VCC approval before issuance of a building permit.”
Source: New Orleans Safety and Permits rooftop solar memorandum, read 9 November 2026.
Example rule, New Orleans Safety and Permits rooftop solar memorandum: non-street-facing and flush-mounted arrays: “Current HDLC staff guidance (2024 update) allows administrative approval of rooftop PV on non-street-facing roof slopes and low-profile flush-mounted arrays, expanding accessibility for compliant projects.”
Source: New Orleans Safety and Permits rooftop solar memorandum, read 9 November 2026.
Example rule, New Orleans Safety and Permits rooftop solar memorandum: Vieux Carré visual standards: “The VCC maintains separate design guidelines emphasizing compatibility with historic roofscapes; both agencies apply objective visual standards rather than discretionary land-use controls.”
Source: New Orleans Safety and Permits rooftop solar memorandum, read 9 November 2026.
Example rule, New Orleans Safety and Permits rooftop solar memorandum: accessory rooftop solar zoning framework: “Accessory rooftop PV systems are a permitted accessory use in every major zoning district pursuant to CZO 21.6.DD.”
Source: New Orleans Safety and Permits rooftop solar memorandum, read 9 November 2026.
Example rule, New Orleans solar permitting application: online or paper application route: “Apply online at the One Stop App or fill out and submit the Solar Permit Application”
Source: New Orleans solar permitting application, read 9 November 2026.
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Sources for the figures on this page
- City of New Orleans, Safety and Permits 'Permits' (rcm3-fn58), https://data.nola.gov/Housing-Land-Use-and-Blight/Permits/rcm3-fn58, read 22 October 2026. InstaBids computed medians and middle-half ranges.
- 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.
- 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.
- City of New Orleans, Solar Permitting, nola.gov/solar-permitting/, read 31 October 2026.
- New Orleans Safety and Permits rooftop solar memorandum, nola.gov/nola/media/Resilience/CZO-Accessory-Rooftop-Solar-PV-System-Executive-Memorandum-12-2025.pdf, read 9 November 2026.