Who issues your permit
About 120 cities, villages and towns in suburban Cook County issue their own permits, so a system in Palatine or Orland Park is permitted by that village. Only unincorporated land goes to the County's Department of Building and Zoning. Check which applies in CookViewer with the "Unincorporated Area" layer. The rules below are the County's.
What the County asks for
From Building and Zoning's residential solar requirements (read 24 October 2026):
| Rooftop or wall arrays | Ground arrays |
|---|---|
| Survey marking which building the array is on, plus a roof plan with distances from eaves, ridges and valleys | Plat of survey, not more than five years old, showing the array and its setbacks to lot lines |
| A 36-inch access path from eave to ridge on every roof plane | Maximum height 15 feet above grade |
| Nothing within 18 inches of the ridge, for firefighter ventilation | At least 10 feet from the house, not blocking any entrance or exit |
| A report and calculations by an Illinois licensed architect or structural engineer that the roof can carry the extra wind and equipment loads | Footing and mount drawings from the manufacturer or an Illinois architect or engineer; away from the septic field and utility easements; a letter or diagram showing no glare onto neighbours |
For every photovoltaic system: cut sheets for modules and inverters (all listed by a Nationally Recognized Testing Laboratory) and a single-line electrical diagram showing modules, inverters, panels, batteries if any, disconnects, breakers, conduit and conductor sizes, and grounding. Solar thermal systems need a riser diagram with pipe sizes, valves and backflow protection.
Who can pull it
"All photovoltaic installations shall be performed by a REGISTERED COOK COUNTY ELECTRICAL CONTRACTOR," and solar thermal by a registered Cook County plumbing contractor. The electrical contractor submits a letter of intent with a detailed scope, signed by its supervising electrician. To register, an electrical contractor needs a supervising electrician licensed by an Illinois municipality whose electrical commission gives an exam, plus $1,000,000 of liability insurance (Contractor Registration). The sheet names no homeowner route for photovoltaic work.
What it costs and how to apply
The County's sheet says "The average minimum permit fee for any installation is $465.00," rising with the project's complexity, and a $100 deposit is due shortly after you apply. That sheet was last revised in January 2017, so the invoice is the final word.
- Confirm the address is unincorporated and find your 14-digit PIN.
- Your installer submits through the E-Permits portal or by email to intake.bnz@cookcountyil.gov (up to 25 MB), with the full application, plans, engineer's report and letter of intent.
- Electrical, architectural, zoning and contractor registration reviews run; deficiency replies go to permitcontrol.bnz@cookcountyil.gov.
- Pay the invoice; the permit is issued with the names of your field inspectors and the stages to inspect (building permits page).
What 6,555 suburban solar permits show
From the Assessor's copy of the suburbs' permits (solar permits):
| Measure | Suburban Cook County solar |
|---|---|
| Permits issued, Jan 2024 to Dec 2025 | 6,555, about 3,278 a year |
| Last 12 months on file (Jan to Dec 2025) | 2,952, 18% fewer than the 3,603 the year before |
| Usual declared value | $20,007 (middle half $13,338 to $29,769) |
| Busiest month / quietest month | August (index 155) / March (55) |
Solar filings build through the summer and peak in August and September (153), then fall away; March is the slowest month. The declared value is what the suburb recorded on the permit, not a quote or an after-incentive price. National installation costs are in solar panel installation cost, and other cities' rules in do I need a permit for solar panels.
Checking the installer and the permit
In unincorporated Cook County, ask for the installer's Cook County electrical registration number, and check other Illinois licences with how to check a contractor's license in Illinois. Permits already on your address are covered in Cook County building permit search. The year and month breakdown is on permit statistics, and individual rows on browse permits.
What this does not tell you
The Assessor's file holds only the permits a suburb reported, names no installer, has no ZIP code we can publish and no final inspection dates, so it cannot say when a system passed inspection. Village rules and fees differ from the County's.
How we know this
The unincorporated rules and fee are from Cook County Building and Zoning's residential solar photovoltaic and thermal requirements sheet (revised January 2017), its building permits page and its Contractor Registration page, all read 24 October 2026. Our counts are the Cook County Assessor's Assessor - Permits file, read 20 October 2026: suburban permits issued January 2024 to December 2025, Chicago excluded.
Numbers come from public permit records in 57 cities, data through October 20, 2026. Nobody paid to be on this page and nobody can.
Questions
- Do I need a permit for solar panels in Cook County?
Yes. In unincorporated Cook County, Building and Zoning has a residential solar permit checklist covering roof and ground arrays; in a city or village, that village issues it. The suburbs reported 6,555 solar permits to the Cook County Assessor from January 2024 to December 2025.
- Who can install solar in unincorporated Cook County?
The County says all photovoltaic installations shall be performed by a registered Cook County electrical contractor, and solar water-heating (thermal) systems by a registered Cook County plumbing contractor. The contractor submits a letter of intent signed by its supervising electrician.
- How much is a solar permit in unincorporated Cook County?
The County's solar requirements sheet says the average minimum permit fee for any installation is $465, rising with the complexity of the project, with a $100 deposit paid shortly after you apply.
- What setbacks apply to rooftop solar in Cook County?
For unincorporated Cook County: a 36-inch access path from eave to ridge on every roof plane, and nothing within 18 inches of the ridge. Ground arrays can be no taller than 15 feet and must sit at least 10 feet from the house.
- Are solar permits in Cook County going up or down?
Down. Suburbs reported 2,952 solar permits in 2025, 18% fewer than the 3,603 in 2024. August and September are the busiest months.
Build your own list
Pick your city and the kind of work. Every firm with a permit on record, sorted by what you value.
Related guides
- Albuquerque building permit search: how to look up permits on an address
- Building a casita in Albuquerque: the 750 sq ft limit, rear-yard rule, parking, free plans, and who builds them
- Do I need a permit to build a house in Albuquerque? GB-2 or homeowner, the plan set and the fee
- Do I need a solar permit in Albuquerque? Building and electrical permits, the engineer triggers and the fee
- Do I need a remodel permit in Philadelphia? EZ permits, the owner-occupant rule, fees and 10,519 permits
- Do I need an HVAC permit in Pierce County? The mechanical permit, what is exempt, and why 37% expire
- Solar Photovoltaic and Thermal System Permit Requirements for Residential Installations — Cook County Department of Building and Zoning (2026-10-24)
- Building and Zoning Building Permits — Cook County (2026-10-24)
- Building and Zoning Contractor Registration — Cook County (2026-10-24)
- Assessor - Permits (6yjf-dfxs) — Cook County Open Data (2026-10-20)