Solar panel cost in Chicago (2026)
The typical solar installation in Chicago, counting all building types, was valued at $17,000 on its city permit (middle half: $12,000 to $25,000), across 9,206 solar installations with city permits issued from September 2021 to September 2026. The permits cover houses, apartment buildings and commercial buildings alike, so this is not the price of a job on one house.
How the values spread
The numbers behind the chart
| Value on the permit | Jobs | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Under $5,000 | 236 | 3% |
| $5,000 to $10,000 | 1,399 | 15% |
| $10,000 to $15,000 | 1,997 | 22% |
| $15,000 to $20,000 | 1,793 | 19% |
| $20,000 to $25,000 | 1,521 | 17% |
| $25,000 to $30,000 | 755 | 8% |
| $30,000 to $35,000 | 552 | 6% |
| $35,000 to $40,000 | 280 | 3% |
| $40,000 and over | 673 | 7% |
Solar installers with the most jobs in Chicago
| Rank | Contractor | Jobs | Contact |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Sunrun Installation Services | Get a quote | |
| 2 | Bright Planet Solar Inc | Get a quote | |
| 3 | Freedom Forever Illinois LLC | Get a quote |
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By year
| Year | Jobs | Median | Middle half |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 (September to December) | 379 | $13,000 | $9,800 to $18,000 |
| 2022 | 1,710 | $16,000 | $11,000 to $23,000 |
| 2023 | 1,587 | $18,000 | $12,000 to $26,000 |
| 2024 | 2,338 | $16,000 | $11,000 to $23,000 |
| 2025 | 1,919 | $19,000 | $12,000 to $27,000 |
| 2026 (January to September) | 1,273 | $21,000 | $14,000 to $27,000 |
What the records show
- Share of jobs in each budget range: under $15,000: 39% (3,632 of 9,206); $15,000 to $30,000: 44% (4,069 of 9,206); $30,000 to $50,000: 13% (1,178 of 9,206); over $50,000: 4% (327 of 9,206).
- The median was $16,000 in 2022 (1,710 jobs) and $19,000 in 2025 (1,919 jobs), up 22%.
Every figure here is the job value written on the city permit, not the price paid. Permit values usually run below the final price, so get more than one quote. Values under $1,000 are placeholders and are left out. Median and middle half: half of the jobs were valued above the median; the middle half runs from the 25th to the 75th percentile. Source: Chicago building permits, from September 2021 to September 2026. Data updated September 24, 2026. The same figures as data: solar.json.