The Pittsburgh rule
PLI's Electrical Permit page (read 26 October 2026) says "An electrical permit is required" to install new electrical systems or extend and modify existing ones, and that "Work on single and two-family homes and structures accessory to them requires a Residential permit." Solar has its own scopes on that permit:
| Solar job | Pittsburgh permit |
|---|---|
| Roof-mounted PV array on a house | Residential electrical permit, roof-mounted PV scope; "Installation is limited to buildings with a valid certificate of occupancy" |
| Ground-mounted PV array | Residential electrical permit, "Ground Mounted Solar PV Array" scope |
| Service upgrade over 400 amps with the system | "Requires the submission of stamped drawings" |
| Roof structure or zoning questions | PLI's Building & Development Application covers renovations and zoning approval; ask PLI whether your array needs one too |
PLI's Building & Development Application page does not mention solar, so we cannot say whether a rooftop array also needs a building application in every case. PLI's Application Technicians answer that on 412-255-2175 or through the OneStopPGH chat. In a City historic district, exterior changes go through historic review first; see the Pittsburgh historic district guide.
What it costs
From PLI's 2026 fee schedule (effective 1 January 2026, read 26 October 2026), as for any residential permit:
| Fee | 2026 amount |
|---|---|
| Base permit fee, residential | $6.00 per $1,000 of construction value; minimum $130, maximum $8,000 |
| Due at application | 40% of the base fee, non-refundable; the rest at issuance |
| Technology fee | $2 on a base fee up to $200 |
| State Education & Training Fund | $4.50 |
| Digital Record Retention | $5.00 |
| Solar job value | Base fee | Total with per-permit fees (our arithmetic) |
|---|---|---|
| $14,000 (low end of firms' usual) | $130 (minimum) | $141.50 |
| $17,782 (usual) | $130 (minimum) | $141.50 |
| $22,140 (high end of firms' usual) | $132.84 | $144.34 |
The minimum covers any job up to about $21,600, so nearly every home system pays $141.50. The schedule has no solar-specific line.
Who can pull it
PLI's Licensing Rules and Regulations define an electrical contractor as "any person performing work that requires an electrical permit", require a City electrical trade license held by a person, and require insurance "prior to issuance of any permit under Title Ten". We found no owner exemption for electrical work, so the installer's licensed electrician pulls it. Separately, Pennsylvania's Home Improvement Consumer Protection Act requires firms doing $5,000 or more of home improvements a year to register with the Attorney General; search the firm's PA number on hicsearch.attorneygeneral.gov. Steps for both checks: Pittsburgh contractor license lookup.
How it runs
- The electrician applies in OneStopPGH, choosing the roof- or ground-mounted PV scope.
- 40% of the base fee is paid at application, the rest at issue.
- PLI inspects; the status you want is Completed. You can check it by address in OneStopPGH Insights (Pittsburgh building permit search).
- Completed is the City's sign-off only; connecting the system to the grid is a separate approval from the utility.
What 926 Pittsburgh solar permits show
| Measure | Pittsburgh solar |
|---|---|
| Permits on homes, October 2023 to September 2026 | 926 |
| Firms | 59 |
| Firms with a permit in the last 12 months | 44 |
| Usual filed value | $17,782 |
| Middle half of firms' usual value | $14,000 to $22,140 |
| Completed (permits a year or more old) | 80.3% |
| Usual days from issue to Completed | 56 |
| 10th / 90th-percentile firm (10+ permits) | 71.1% / 92.0% |
| Busiest firm / five busiest firms' share | 14.6% / 54.8% |
| Busiest / quietest month (100 = average) | July (174) / January (49) |
Solar in Pittsburgh is seasonal: filings in July run at 174 against an average month of 100, and January at 49, so installers have fewer jobs competing for crews in winter. Prices cluster tightly, with the middle half of firms filing between $14,000 and $22,140; a quote far outside that range deserves a line-by-line explanation. Five firms hold 54.8% of permits. Per-firm prices are on Pittsburgh solar cost.
See every Pittsburgh solar installer by permits Completed →
Related
Compare installers on the Pittsburgh solar list; counts by month on Pittsburgh permit statistics. Other wiring: Pittsburgh electrical permit and hiring an electrician in Pittsburgh. Choosing an installer: hiring a solar installer. National prices: solar panel installation cost and solar lease vs buy. Other cities: do I need a permit for solar panels.
What this does not tell you
We match only a few Pittsburgh solar firms to a license record (93.2% unmatched), because the City licenses the electrician as a person, not the company; check the HIC registration and ask for the electrician's City license. Filed values are the applicant's estimate. Data stops at September 2026.
How we know this
The permit scopes are from PLI's Electrical Permit page and fees from PLI's 2026 fee schedule, read 26 October 2026; the license rule from PLI's Licensing Rules and Regulations and the HIC registration rule from the Attorney General, read 22 and 23 October 2026. Fee totals are our arithmetic. Counts are City of Pittsburgh PLI permits classified as solar, October 2023 to September 2026; Completed share uses permits a year or more old.
Numbers come from City of Pittsburgh permits (Western Pennsylvania Regional Data Center), data through October 12, 2026. Nobody paid to be on this page and nobody can.
Questions
- Do I need a permit for solar panels in Pittsburgh?
Yes. PLI's Electrical Permit page lists solar PV arrays among the residential electrical permit scopes, and says roof-mounted array installation is limited to buildings with a valid certificate of occupancy.
- How much is a solar permit in Pittsburgh?
PLI's 2026 fee schedule charges a residential base fee of $6.00 per $1,000 of construction value, minimum $130 and maximum $8,000, plus a technology fee, a $4.50 state training fund fee and a $5 record fee. On the usual Pittsburgh solar job that is $141.50 by our arithmetic.
- Who can pull a solar permit in Pittsburgh?
A City-licensed electrical contractor. PLI's licensing rules define an electrical contractor as any person performing work that requires an electrical permit and require a City electrical trade license and insurance before a permit is issued. We found no homeowner exemption for electrical work.
- How long does a solar permit take to close in Pittsburgh?
In our file the usual Pittsburgh solar permit was Completed 56 days after issue, and 80.3% of permits a year or more old were Completed.
- Do I need anything besides the permit for solar in Pittsburgh?
Possibly a historic review if the house is in a City historic district, and your installer should be registered with the Pennsylvania Attorney General as a home improvement contractor if it does $5,000 or more of home improvements a year.
Build your own list
Every firm with that kind of permit on record. Pick what you value. The list moves.
Related guides
- Albuquerque building permit search: how to look up permits on an address
- Do I need a solar permit in Albuquerque? Building and electrical permits, the engineer triggers and the fee
- Do I need a solar permit in Anaheim? The online small-rooftop permit, the 10 kW line and the City utility
- Do I need a solar permit in Bend, OR? The prescriptive checklist, the 2026-27 fees and how fast permits final
- Do I need a solar permit in unincorporated San Diego County? The online PV permit, the fee question and finals
- Do I need a solar permit in San Diego? The self-issued PV permit, the 38.4 kW limit and the fees
For one city
- Electrical Permit — City of Pittsburgh PLI (accessed 2026-10-26)
- PLI Fee Schedule, effective 1/1/2026 — City of Pittsburgh (accessed 2026-10-26)
- Building & Development Application — City of Pittsburgh PLI (accessed 2026-10-26)
- Licensing Rules and Regulations (amended through 12 March 2026) — City of Pittsburgh PLI (2026-10-23)
- Home Improvement Contractor Registration — Pennsylvania Office of Attorney General (2026-10-22)
- Home Improvement Consumer Information (HICPA registration search) — Pennsylvania Office of Attorney General (2026-10-22)
- OneStopPGH Permit Center — City of Pittsburgh (2026-10-23)