Solar Panel Installation Cost: What You Will Pay in 2026
Written by HyreSolar Research Desk Price compilation from published, dated sources
The short answer
Solar Panel Installation Cost depends mainly on system size, equipment and roof, and this page gives the installed range from dated, sourced quotes. Across 14 published sources retrieved October 21, 2026, a typical home system runs $22,100–$27,500 before incentives, or $2.58/W–$3.36/W per watt.
No 30% federal credit applies to a system a homeowner buys: Section 25D ended for expenditures after December 31, 2025 (what changed).
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Keep learningInstalled price range (14 quotes, dated)
Typical installed system, total: $22,100–$27,500, the median low to the median high across the 14 comparable published figures below. The full spread runs from $15,000 to $36,000.
| Source | Published figure | Basis | Source date | Retrieved |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| EnergySage | $31,135 | typical 12 kW system, before incentives | 2026-06-30 (state table 2026-10-16) | 2026-10-21 |
| Fixr | $19,100 to $23,800 | national average | 2026-01-30 | 2026-10-21 |
| SolarSavingsHub | $24,000 | average 8 kW, gross | 2026-10-04 | 2026-10-21 |
| Nedes | $15,000 to $35,000 | typical home, before incentives | 2026-08-27 | 2026-10-21 |
| ProHouseMaintenance | $25,962 to $34,105 | 12 kW, citing EnergySage | 2026-06-01 | 2026-10-21 |
| SolarReviews | $21,816 to $26,004 | 7.2 kW; low=cash, high=loan; before incentives | 2026-10 | 2026-10-21 |
| Portlandia Electric Supply | $22,400 to $25,600 | 8 kW gross | 2026-06-06 (updated 2026-09) | 2026-10-21 |
| The Green Watt | $19,950 | example 7 kW at $2.85/W, before incentives | 2026-04-15 | 2026-10-21 |
| NRG Clean Power | $15,000 to $36,000 | typical home, before incentives (high is '$36,000+') | 2026-07-25 | 2026-10-21 |
| Solar Powered Tech | $25,000 to $29,000 | 7.2 kW median-size | 2026-09-24 | 2026-10-21 |
| SolarWattCalc | $18,000 to $30,000 | typical owned system, before incentives | not stated | 2026-10-21 |
| Jouleio | $17,500 to $24,500 | typical 7 kW, citing SEIA 2025 | 2026-05-18 | 2026-10-21 |
| SurgePV | $25,200 | 8 kW at NREL Q1 2024 benchmark $3.15/W | 2026-07-19 | 2026-10-21 |
| GreenEnergyCalc | $31,135 | typical 12 kW, attributed to EnergySage (not independent) | 2026-10-02 | 2026-10-21 |
Each row is a figure as the source states it, gross of incentives, not adjusted by us. The headline range is a HyreSolar calculation over these rows. No 30% federal credit is subtracted: Section 25D ended for expenditures after December 31, 2025.
Compare quotes from vetted solar installers Proposal analyzer
Installed price per watt: 21 quotes, dated
Installed price per watt: $2.58/W–$3.36/W, the median low to the median high across the 21 comparable published figures below. The full spread runs from $2.20/W to $4.00/W.
| Source | Published figure | Basis | Source date | Retrieved |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| EnergySage | $2.60/W | EnergySage marketplace quotes, before incentives | 2026-06-30 (state table 2026-10-16) | 2026-10-21 |
| Fixr | $3.04/W | national average | 2026-01-30 | 2026-10-21 |
| SunHub | $2.50/W to $3.30/W | residential, before incentives | 2026-06-04 | 2026-10-21 |
| SolarSavingsHub | $2.85/W to $3.25/W | national average installed, gross | 2026-10-04 | 2026-10-21 |
| GreenEnergyCalc | $3.50/W | LBNL Tracking the Sun 2024 median, cash purchases (cited by page; also cites EnergySage $2.60) | 2026-10-02 | 2026-10-21 |
| Nedes | $2.20/W to $3.66/W | installed 2026, before incentives | 2026-08-27 | 2026-10-21 |
| ProHouseMaintenance | $2.58/W | citing EnergySage, before incentives | 2026-06-01 | 2026-10-21 |
| SolarReviews | $3.03/W | 7.2 kW cash, before incentives | 2026-10 | 2026-10-21 |
| EcoWatch | $3.33/W | EcoWatch analysis, appears pre-credit (page dating inconsistent) | not stated | 2026-10-21 |
| Arka360 | $2.59/W to $2.86/W | residential average; basis not stated | 2026-06-05 | 2026-10-21 |
| Portlandia Electric Supply | $2.50/W to $3.50/W | before incentives | 2026-06-06 (updated 2026-09) | 2026-10-21 |
| The Green Watt | $2.50/W to $3.20/W | installed, gross | 2026-04-15 | 2026-10-21 |
| NRG Clean Power | $2.58/W to $2.75/W | marketplace quotes (page also cites LBNL cash ~$3.50) | 2026-07-25 | 2026-10-21 |
| Solar Powered Tech | $4.00/W | LBNL 2024 median all purchases, before incentives (cash median $3.50) | 2026-09-24 | 2026-10-21 |
| RenCalc | $2.40/W to $3.70/W | before incentives | 2026-09-04 | 2026-10-21 |
| SolarWattCalc | $2.50/W to $3.50/W | US | not stated | 2026-10-21 |
| pv magazine USA (via Now.Solar), citing Wood Mackenzie/SEIA | $3.36/W | Wood Mackenzie/SEIA Q2 2026 turnkey residential | 2026-09-24 | 2026-10-21 |
| Jouleio | $2.50/W to $3.50/W | citing SEIA 2025 | 2026-05-18 | 2026-10-21 |
| SurgePV | $2.50/W to $3.39/W | before incentives | 2026-07-19 | 2026-10-21 |
| solar.com | $3.36/W | national benchmark per SEIA/Wood Mackenzie | not stated | 2026-10-21 |
| This Old House | $2.29/W to $3.66/W | state range, 10-kW system before tax credit (no national average given) | 2026-06-12 | 2026-10-21 |
Each row is a figure as the source states it, gross of incentives, not adjusted by us. The headline range is a HyreSolar calculation over these rows. No 30% federal credit is subtracted: Section 25D ended for expenditures after December 31, 2025.
What moves the price of a solar installation
System size moves the total most, because panels, racking and inverter capacity scale with kilowatts. The per-watt price moves the other way: design, permits, the interconnection application and getting a crew to the house cost about the same for a small system as a large one, so small systems carry a higher price per watt.
Roof type and layout come next. A single south-facing plane of asphalt shingle is the cheapest roof to work on; tile, slate, standing-seam metal, steep pitches and three or four roof planes all add labor for the same watts.
Electrical work is the common surprise: a main service panel that cannot accept the solar breaker turns into a panel upgrade, priced on its own line.
Equipment choice is the last big lever. Microinverters and DC optimizers cost more than a single string inverter and earn it on shaded or multi-plane roofs. Premium panels add a little per watt and rarely change the total by as much as the roof does.
Price by size and equipment
Size decides the total; the leaves below hold the sourced ranges for each size and add-on.
| If your project is | Read | Why it differs |
|---|---|---|
| A 5–6 kW system | 5 kW · 6 kW | Fixed costs weigh most, so the per-watt price is highest. |
| An 8–10 kW system | 8 kW · 10 kW | Near the US average size; most published averages describe this band. |
| Solar with storage | Panels with battery | Storage is priced per kWh and adds a second large line. |
| A ground array | Ground mount | Racking, foundations and trenching replace roof attachment. |
| A roof near the end of its life | Solar and roof replacement | Reroofing first avoids paying to remove and reinstall the array later. |
How to check a quote
- 1Put every quote on gross cost per watt
Divide the price before incentives by the DC system size in watts. The proposal analyzer does it from a real proposal.
- 2Pull non-generation items into their own column
Battery, panel upgrade, roof work, tree removal and EV charger are priced separately, or the per-watt figure means nothing.
- 3Find any 30% credit in the math
A cash or loan proposal that still nets 30% off is using rules that ended December 31, 2025.
- 4Ask for the dealer fee on a financed price
Loan fees can sit inside the amount financed. The dealer fee calculator shows the rate you are really paying.
- 5Compare the workmanship warranty and who does the work
An in-house crew and a subcontractor can quote the same price and owe you very different things in year eight.
Questions
How much does it cost to install solar panels on a house?
Does the installed price include permits and interconnection?
Is there still a 30% federal tax credit for solar panels?
Why do two quotes for the same house differ so much?
HyreSolar does not install or finance solar systems. The figures above are other publishers’ published prices, dated and linked; none is a quote for your property. Prices vary with location, roof, equipment, electrical work and financing.