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How much does it cost to install solar panels?

Installing solar panels costs about $30,505 for an average system in 2026. What changes your price is below.

That is a 12 kW system at about $2.58 per watt, the EnergySage marketplace average, before any incentives. Most 12 kW quotes there run $25,962 to $34,105. The federal 30 percent tax credit no longer applies to homeowner owned systems placed in service after December 31, 2025, so do not subtract it.

Installing solar panels costs about $30,505 for an average system in 2026

Estimate the cost to install solar panels

Pick what you need and add your ZIP. The price updates as you go. Got a price already? Check it in the last step.

1Which one do you need?
2How you buy
3What is your ZIP?
Local prices not added yet.
4Got a price?
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Is this price fair?

A fair price is $25,950 to $34,100.

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Low$30,025High
Your estimateUS average
$26Kto$34.1K

Middle of the range: $30,025

$0$23,020$46,040
Normal range Middle

What you are paying for

12 kW systemAverage. US range for this job.$25,950 to $34,100
Competitive quotesHow you buy.Base price
US averageLocal prices not added yet.US price
Middle of rangeHalfway between low and high.$30,025
How we calculate this

    Prices are for the United States in 2026 from published cost guides, checked September 2026. This is an estimate, not a quote.

    Middle $30,025$26K to $34.1K

    Cost by system size

    4 kWAbout $11,440 at $2.86 per watt.
    6 kWAbout $15,960 at $2.66 per watt.
    8 kWAbout $20,880 at $2.61 per watt.
    10 kWAbout $25,500 at $2.55 per watt.
    12 kW, the average systemAbout $30,505 on EnergySage. Range $25,962 to $34,105.
    15 kWAbout $36,600 at $2.44 per watt.
    Panels themselvesOnly about 12 percent of the total cost in EnergySage's data.

    What pushes a quote up

    System sizeBigger systems cost less per watt, but more in total.
    Where you buyBerkeley Lab's median cash price was $3.50 per watt in 2024, almost a dollar above competitive marketplace quotes.
    Your stateFrom about $2.35 per watt in Texas to $3.18 in New Hampshire.
    FinancingLoan deals often roll dealer fees into the contract price.
    Roof and electricalAn old roof or a full panel can add thousands before the panels go on.

    Solar panel installation cost by region

    Lower cost states$20,800 to $27,300. Alabama, Arkansas, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Mississippi, Missouri, Oklahoma, Tennessee, West Virginia and most rural areas.
    Average cost states$25,962 to $34,105. Arizona, Florida, Georgia, Michigan, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Texas, Virginia and most mid size cities.
    Higher cost states$33,800 to $44,300. California, Connecticut, Hawaii, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New York, Washington, plus big metros such as Chicago, Denver and Washington DC.

    These rows are our estimate. We took the typical national range and adjusted it for local labor costs, which run about 20 percent lower in the cheapest states and about 30 percent higher in the dearest ones. Hot states tend to have lower prices per watt but need bigger systems, so totals can end up close to cold states.

    The tax credit is gone, and many quotes have not caught up

    For years, solar quotes showed a price and then a price after the 30 percent federal credit. NRG Clean Power spells it out: the residential clean energy credit, Section 25D, no longer applies to homeowner owned systems placed in service after December 31, 2025. On a $30,505 system that is a $9,150 difference. Some 2026 articles and sales decks still show the old math. If a quote subtracts 30 percent, ask the installer to show you in writing which credit they mean.

    Leases and power purchase agreements are different, because the solar company owns the system. Those deals may still use business credits. That is a reason to read them closely, not a reason to sign.

    Two prices for the same system

    EnergySage's $2.58 per watt comes from installers bidding against each other on its marketplace. Berkeley Lab's national median for cash purchases in 2024 was $3.50 per watt. That gap is roughly what a homeowner pays when a single company knocks on the door. On 12 kW it is about $11,000. Get at least three bids.

    Why this costs more in 2026

    Solar equipment is imported, and electricity prices are rising, which is why more people are asking. NEADA projects electric heating bills up 9 percent this winter.

    Every truck trip costs more now. Diesel passed $6 a gallon in September 2026 (CBS 8 reporting AAA), and material costs rose 4.8 percent in a year (Roofing Contractor). Quotes may only hold for a few weeks.

    How to judge the quote in your hand

    Ways to pay less