Data through September 2026 · updated 18 Oct 2026
3,093 solar permits were issued in Portland, October 2024 through September 2026: about 1,546 a year and 4% of all permits. 1,241 solar permits in the last 12 months (Oct 2025–Sep 2026), 33% fewer than the 1,852 in the 12 months before. The busiest month is October. The usual one took 48 days from issue to the city's final. 97206 has the most, 399.
Permits issued each month, October 2024 through September 2026.
| Month | Permits |
|---|---|
| Oct 2024 | 185 |
| Nov 2024 | 118 |
| Dec 2024 | 157 |
| Jan 2025 | 93 |
| Feb 2025 | 171 |
| Mar 2025 | 178 |
| Apr 2025 | 173 |
| May 2025 | 125 |
| Jun 2025 | 127 |
| Jul 2025 | 188 |
| Aug 2025 | 150 |
| Sep 2025 | 187 |
| Oct 2025 | 348 |
| Nov 2025 | 156 |
| Dec 2025 | 118 |
| Jan 2026 | 47 |
| Feb 2026 | 49 |
| Mar 2026 | 58 |
| Apr 2026 | 65 |
| May 2026 | 81 |
| Jun 2026 | 57 |
| Jul 2026 | 86 |
| Aug 2026 | 87 |
| Sep 2026 | 89 |
By calendar month, 100 = an average month (the thin line). October is the busiest (207), January the quietest (54). A busy month at the permit counter usually means a longer wait for a contractor.
| Month | Index |
|---|---|
| January | 54 |
| February | 85 |
| March | 92 |
| April | 92 |
| May | 80 |
| June | 71 |
| July | 106 |
| August | 92 |
| September | 107 |
| October | 207 |
| November | 106 |
| December | 107 |
Permits issued Oct 2024–Sep 2025, at least 12 months before the file ends. Usual days is the middle permit among the 1,794 with a final date.
| Measure | Value |
|---|---|
| Permits issued Oct 2024–Sep 2025 | 1,852 |
| Finished | 96.9% |
| Expired | 2.5% |
| Usual days, issue to final | 48 |
| Middle half, days | 27–87 |
The value written on the permit at application, from 2,638 permits with one. Not a quote and not the final bill.
| Measure | Value |
|---|---|
| Usual declared value | $6,750 |
| Middle half | $6,750–$6,750 |
Counted at the property's ZIP code. Share is the part of the city's 3,093 solar permits.
How the city filed these permits. We group its types into kinds of work; this is the split.
| Permit type | Permits | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Residential 1 & 2 Family Permit / Single Family Dwelling | 2,591 | 84% |
| Electrical Permit / Residential 1 & 2 Family | 200 | 6% |
| Residential 1 & 2 Family Permit / Garage/Carport | 121 | 4% |
| Electrical Permit / Commercial/Multifamily | 99 | 3% |
| Residential 1 & 2 Family Permit / Townhouse (2 Units) | 23 | under 1% |
| Residential 1 & 2 Family Permit / Duplex/Two Family Dwelling | 23 | under 1% |
| Residential 1 & 2 Family Permit / Accessory Structure | 19 | under 1% |
| Residential 1 & 2 Family Permit / Townhouse (3 or more units) | 15 | under 1% |
| Residential 1 & 2 Family Permit / Floating Home | 2 | under 1% |
Electrical (23,696)HVAC (16,519)Plumbing (15,031)Remodels & repairs (3,972)New homes (2,203)Additions (792)Demolition (685)Garages, sheds & shade structures (348)ADUs & casitas (245)
From our cross-city data studies: the same measure, read the same way, for every city we cover.
Solar permits for other places in Portland. Each permit office keeps its own file, so the numbers are not added together.
Source: City of Portland, PortlandMaps Public/BDS_Permit FeatureServer layer 22 (All Permits), read 18 Oct 2026. We count permits issued October 2024 through September 2026; denied and withdrawn permits are left out.
Building and trade permits that Portland Permitting & Development (formerly the Bureau of Development Services) issued for property inside the City of Portland. Permits the bureau handles for places outside the city limits, and tree, nuisance, noise, land-use and right-of-way cases in the same file, are not counted. Gresham, Beaverton, Lake Oswego and the rest of the metro area run their own permit offices.
Counts are permits, not jobs: one job can need several permits. Nobody paid to be on this page and nobody can. Sources and definitions →
Free to reuse with attribution (CC BY 4.0). Please credit Contractor Records and link to this page. Suggested citation:
Contractor Records, "Solar permits in Portland, OR", https://contractorrecords.com/portland/solar-permits, data through September 2026, from Portland Permitting & Development building-permit records.Link to a table: By month · Season · Days to final · Declared value · By ZIP code · Permit types.
Download the tables (CSV): Solar permits by month · Solar permits by calendar month (index) · Solar permits: days to final · Solar permits: declared value · Solar permits by ZIP code · Solar permits by permit type.