Solar in San Francisco
DBI, San Francisco's Department of Building Inspection, prices a solar photovoltaic system of 10 kW or less at $283 for the electrical permit and inspection, and each additional 10 kW at $238, with up to 2 inspections. Those lines come from DBI Fee Table 1A-E (September 2025), which applies to permits issued on or after September 1, 2025, as the table stood on April 30, 2026. DBI can revise its fees each July 1, so you'll want the current figure when the permit is filed.
DBI takes applications on the PermitSF portal, and it approves plans and issues permits for all construction in the city. The SolarAPP+ Foundation's table, as rendered on October 23, 2026, lists San Francisco among its jurisdictions, and DBI is the office that can tell you whether your system qualifies for that route. California's utility territory layer leaves the city's center point unassigned and shows PG&E and Alameda Power & Telecom along the edges, so go by the name printed on your bill.
The Census survey for 2020-2024 puts the median year built at 1946. A quote that still counts on the federal credit is out of date, because the IRS says that credit stopped with systems placed in service by December 31, 2025. Learn which DBI line the installer's permit figure came from before you sign.
What solar costs near San Francisco
No installer has quoted us a San Francisco job, so this page gives no city price. The California page lists the estimates with what solar installers are paid ($30.42 an hour in the BLS wage data, which is pay, not price) and the utility application fees. How we estimate costs.
Licenses and permits for solar in San Francisco
In California a solar system goes on a house under a CSLB license: A, B, C-10 Electrical or C-46 Solar. Under Gov. Code 65850.5 the city or county approves a residential solar permit administratively, and under Gov. Code 66015 its fee is capped at $450 plus $15 per kW above 15 kW unless it adopts a written finding. The utility's interconnection application comes on top of the permit.
Solar jobs in San Francisco
Sources for San Francisco
- City solar permit page, San Francisco Read Oct 23, 2026. Confirm with the source before you rely on it.
- Department of Building Inspection, SF.gov Read Oct 22, 2026. Confirm with the source before you rely on it.
- IRS Residential Clean Energy Credit; IRS OBBBA provisions Read Oct 23, 2026.
- California Energy Commission Electric Load Serving Entities (IOU and POU) Confirm with the source before you rely on it.
- ACS 5-year B25034 Year Structure Built Confirm with the source before you rely on it.