NYC solar in numbers
| What we measured | New York City |
|---|---|
| Solar permits on 1–2 family homes, three years | 19,067 |
| Firms | 87 |
| Firms with a permit in the last 12 months | 66 |
| Firms matched to an active license | 75.9% |
| Usual filed value | $37,400 |
| Middle half of firms' usual value | $28,989 to $44,647 |
| Usual days from permit to sign-off | 144 |
| Signed off (permits a year or more old) | 84.2% |
| 10th / 90th-percentile firm (10+ permits) | 61.7% / 97.6% |
Solar here is a concentrated market: the five busiest firms hold 60.6% of permits. Filing peaks in August (index 116) and is lowest in November (82). Prices by firm are on the NYC solar cost page; financing in solar lease vs buy.
Which licenses an NYC solar job needs
DOB's solar page for owners says "No Solar work can be performed without a work permit, hiring a Licensed Contractor, or a Registered Design Professional" (NYC DOB, read 23 October 2026). In practice that is three people to check:
| Who | What they do | Where to check |
|---|---|---|
| Registered design professional (engineer or architect) | Prepares the construction documents, including a structural check that the roof can carry the panels, and performs the final inspection | the name and license on the DOB filing |
| Licensed NYC electrician | Files the electrical work permit before any wiring starts | DOB License Search |
| The installer | Holds the contract; on a 1–4 family home DOB's alteration rules require DCWP's Home Improvement Contractor license as well as GC registration | DCWP Check License and DOB License Search |
Ask for all three names and numbers in the proposal. DCWP's search needs no account. More on both agencies in the NYC contractor license lookup.
The permit rule for NYC solar
Every rooftop system needs a DOB work permit; DOB exempts only solar landscape lights. The wiring needs a separate electrical permit filed by a licensed NYC electrician before electrical work begins, and the design professional must "perform final inspection to confirm Code-compliance" (NYC DOB, read 23 October 2026). After you sign, search your address on the DOB NOW Public Portal: you should see a solar filing and an electrical filing, both tied to your installer. Rules in other cities are in do I need a permit for solar panels.
Red flags in the NYC record
- A license that is no longer active. 14 solar firms in our file (16.1%) matched a license whose status is not active. They pulled permits in the window; check the license today.
- A sign-off share under 61.7%. That is the 10th-percentile line among the 50 installers with 10 or more permits; 9 are under 70%. An unsigned solar job can delay utility interconnection paperwork and shows as open on your building.
- No design professional named. DOB requires one for the plans and the final inspection.
- A firm that went quiet. 8 solar firms with 5 or more permits filed none in the last 12 months. A 25-year warranty from a firm that has stopped installing is worth less.
- A price far outside $28,989 to $44,647 without a reason in the system size or a battery.
The busiest NYC solar installers in the last 12 months
Ranked by solar permits on one- and two-family homes in the last 12 months of the window. Volume, not quality.
| Firm | Permits, last 12 months | Permits, three years |
|---|---|---|
| Sunrun Installation Svc | 1,114 | 3,768 |
| Momentum Solar | 930 | 3,570 |
| Nyss LLC | 431 | 1,705 |
| Kamtech Restoration Corp | 357 | 1,473 |
| Trinity Solar LLC | 294 | 702 |
Signed-off shares among these five run from 61.8% to 95.1%, so busy does not mean finished. The compare list shows every installer's share, days and license match.
See every NYC solar installer by sign-off share and license →
What the NYC record does not tell you
A sign-off means DOB accepted the installation; it says nothing about the panel brand, the production estimate or the lease terms. Our file covers one- and two-family homes only. The filed value is what the installer wrote on the permit, before tax credits or rebates. Landmark districts add their own review, which we do not track. The national checklist is in hiring a solar installer, and price ranges in solar panel installation cost.
How we know this
Permits are NYC Department of Buildings solar filings on one- and two-family homes (NYC Open Data), 2023-10 to 2026-09. "Signed off" uses permits a year or more old; days to sign-off is the median from issue to sign-off. Percentile and under-70% figures use solar firms with 10 or more permits; the filed-value range uses firms with 3 or more. The busiest-firm table ranks by permits in the last 12 months. License status is matched from DOB license records and DCWP home improvement licenses. Rules are quoted from NYC DOB pages, read 22 and 23 October 2026.
Numbers come from NYC Department of Buildings permits and DOB NOW filings on one- and two-family homes (NYC Open Data), data through October 17, 2026. Nobody paid to be on this page and nobody can.
Questions
- How do I choose a solar installer in NYC?
Check three names on the job: the installer's DOB and DCWP licenses, the licensed electrician who files the electrical permit, and the registered design professional who signs the plans. Then read the firm's record: 84.2% of NYC solar permits a year or more old were signed off, and 9 of 50 busy installers were under 70%.
- Do I need a permit for solar panels in New York City?
Yes. DOB says no solar work can be performed without a work permit, a licensed contractor or a registered design professional; only solar landscape lights are exempt. The electrical work needs its own permit filed by a licensed NYC electrician.
- What does solar cost in NYC?
The usual NYC solar permit on a one- or two-family home was filed at $37,400, and the middle half of installers usually file between $28,989 and $44,647. That is before incentives and is the value on the permit, not a quote.
- How long does NYC solar take to sign off?
The usual NYC solar permit took 144 days from issue to sign-off. DOB says the registered design professional performs the final inspection, so ask who that is before you sign.
- Who are the biggest solar companies in NYC?
By permits on homes in the last 12 months, Sunrun Installation Svc led with 1,114, then Momentum Solar with 930. The five busiest hold 60.6% of NYC solar permits.
Build your own list
Every firm with that kind of permit on record. Pick what you value. The list moves.
Related guides
- Hiring a solar installer: 5 red flags and 10 questions, checked against solar permits in 41 cities
- Hiring a solar installer in Henderson, NV: the NSCB license, the permit, and what 6,100 solar permits show
- Hiring a solar installer in Honolulu: the DCCA license, the permit, and what 16,000 solar permits show
- Hiring a solar installer in San Diego: the CSLB license, the permit, and what 10,000 solar permits show
For one city
- Project Requirements for Owner: Solar System — NYC Department of Buildings (accessed 2026-10-23)
- Registrant Project Requirements: Alteration, 1-2 family buildings — NYC DOB (2026-10-22)
- License Search — NYC DOB Building Information System (2026-10-22)
- Check License — NYC Department of Consumer and Worker Protection (2026-10-22)
- DOB NOW: Public Portal FAQs — NYC DOB (2026-10-22)