Plan gross installation cost without performance or incentive promises.
This calculator covers one 4–16 kWdc residential, grid-connected, roof-mounted PV installation. It excludes batteries, ground-mounted and off-grid projects, commercial systems, solar thermal, leases, PPAs, removal, roof replacement or repair, structural remediation, and contractor lead generation.
System size and equipment
System size is DC nameplate capacity. Panel count is derived from planned system watts and the selected or entered module wattage. Module tier, string inverter, optimized string, and microinverter paths use separate committed equipment records.
Roof, access, and electrical scope
Roof attachment, stories, roof complexity, staging, panel readiness, disconnect, conduit, permits, and interconnection remain visible. Roof, story, complexity, and staging combine once on matching Solar PV Installer labor; access equipment is separate.
Labor and benchmark context
May 2025 BLS OEWS Solar Photovoltaic Installers and Electricians adjust matching labor only. DOE's 2024Q1 residential rooftop benchmark provides system and cost-category context, not a local contractor quote.
Incentives and performance
No incentive is subtracted. Current IRS guidance says the Residential Clean Energy Credit is unavailable for expenditures after December 31, 2025. Energy production, utility savings, payback, ROI, net metering, export compensation, financing, and tax eligibility are not calculated.
Current versions
- bls-oews-2025-solar-trades-v1
- solar-equipment-2026-07-v2
- solar-additional-costs-2026-07-v2
- solar-guidance-2026-07-v1
- solar-panel-installation-0.2.0
Professional confirmation
An installer, electrician, engineer where required, authority having jurisdiction, and utility must confirm roof condition and structure, shading and layout, equipment compatibility, electrical capacity, permitting, interconnection, production, and final contract scope.
Solar installation planning questions
Is this solar estimate an installer quote?
No. It is a gross early-planning range. An installer, electrician, authority having jurisdiction, and utility must confirm roof condition, structure, system design, electrical capacity, permits, interconnection, equipment, and contract scope.
Does the calculator subtract a federal solar tax credit?
No. The result is gross project cost. Current IRS guidance says the Residential Clean Energy Credit is unavailable for expenditures after December 31, 2025, and the calculator does not determine tax eligibility.
Does the system size predict energy production or savings?
No. DC nameplate size is used only for cost planning and approximate panel count. The calculator does not model orientation, shading, weather, utility rates, production, savings, payback, ROI, net metering, or export compensation.
What roof and system types are supported?
The scope is one 4–16 kWdc US residential, grid-connected, roof-mounted PV installation. Batteries, ground-mounted, off-grid, commercial, solar-thermal, leased, and PPA systems are excluded.
How should I compare solar bids?
Compare DC size, module and inverter models, racking, roof attachments, electrical and panel scope, design, permits, utility fees, warranties, monitoring, schedule, financing, incentives, and every exclusion—not only cost per watt.
Traceable committed inputs without live pricing.
Official labor, DOE benchmark, homeowner, permitting, and IRS guidance plus manufacturer scope references support the model. Current installed-cost guides and marketplaces remain secondary calibration checks only; none supplies a production coefficient.
US Bureau of Labor Statistics — May 2025 Solar Photovoltaic Installers OEWS
US Bureau of Labor Statistics — May 2025 OEWS bathroom trades
US Department of Energy — Solar Photovoltaic System Cost Benchmarks
US Department of Energy — Homeowner's Guide to Going Solar
US Department of Energy — Streamlining Solar Permitting with SolarAPP+
Internal Revenue Service — Residential Clean Energy Credit
SolarEdge — Residential solar products
Enphase — IQ8 Microinverter Installation Guide
IronRidge — XR Flush Mount Installation Manual
EnergySage — 21st Solar & Storage Marketplace Report
HomeGuide — Solar Panel Installation Cost Guide
Angi — Solar Panel Installation Cost Guide
HomeAdvisor — Solar Panel Installation Cost Guide
Fixr — Solar Panel Installation Cost Guide
This Old House — Solar Panel Cost Guide
Modernize — Solar Panel Installation Cost Guide
Review public source-policy notes →
Planning another project? Roof → HVAC → Bathroom → Kitchen → Flooring → Interior Painting → Exterior Painting → Windows → Water Heater →