At a glance

Yes, if you own the home and do the work yourself. California's contractor licensing law doesn't apply to an owner who builds or improves a structure on their own property, as long as the work isn't intended for sale and the owner does it personally or with their own employees paid wages. You pull the permit in your own name, pass the city's inspection and apply to your utility for permission to operate.

Self-installs are a small but growing share: 3,030 home systems in the first eight months of 2026 against 3,495 in all of 2025, according to the state's interconnection data for PG&E, SCE and SDG&E.

The owner-builder law

B&P Code 7044(a)(1)

You do the work, it isn't for sale

The exemption covers an owner who builds or improves a structure on their own property if none of the improvements are intended or offered for sale and the owner personally performs all the work, or has it done by their own employees "with wages as their sole compensation."

B&P Code 7044(b)

Selling within a year raises a flag

If you sell or offer the property for sale within one year after the work is finished, the law presumes the work was done for sale, and it's on you to prove otherwise.

B&P Code 7031.5

A signed statement with the permit

Every permit applicant must file a signed statement giving a license number or the exemption claimed. Breaking this rule carries a civil penalty of up to $500.

CSLB, C-46

The exemption covers you, not helpers

It covers only you and employees you pay wages. Anyone else doing solar work for you comes under the licensing law, and the CSLB's C-46 solar license covers anyone who "installs, modifies, maintains, and repairs" solar systems.

From permit to power-on

  1. Pull the permit yourself

    Apply to your city or county and sign the Owner-Builder Declaration under penalty of perjury, stating your exemption (Business and Professions Code 7031.5). Expect to show ID or other proof you own the property.

  2. Plan check without SolarAPP+

    SB 379 requires instant online permits only for licensed contractors: its platforms issue permits in real time "to a licensed contractor." Expect your city's regular streamlined review instead. The fee cap still applies: $450 plus $15 per kW above 15 kW for a home system.

  3. Install and pass inspection

    Systems up to 10 kW AC on a house or duplex get one inspection. Ask your building department what it needs to see; checklists vary within the state's rules.

  4. Apply to your utility

    PG&E's rules let self-installers apply directly: you identify yourself as a self-installer and skip the contractor license number and consumer protection documents. SCE and SDG&E say "you or your contractor" submits the application. The paperwork includes a single line diagram and the final signed-off building permit.

  5. Wait for permission to operate

    Don't turn the system on until the utility gives written permission to operate. Your system goes on the same net billing tariff and rate plan as any other new system.

What you sign: the owner-builder notice

Owner's acknowledgment Health and Safety Code 19825(c), in plain words

Before your city or county issues an owner-builder permit, you initial a list of statements like these and sign it. The permit isn't issued until you do.

  1. 1.You may be held liable for injuries to any unlicensed person working on your property, and your homeowner's insurance may not cover them.
  2. 3.As owner-builder you are the responsible party of record on the permit. Hiring a licensed contractor and filing the permit in its name can protect you from that financial risk.
  3. 5.If you hire anyone other than licensed contractors and the job is worth $500 or more in labor and materials, you may be an "employer" under state and federal law.
  4. 6.An employer must register with the state and federal government, withhold payroll taxes, carry workers' compensation and pay into unemployment insurance for each employee.
  5. 8.If you sell the house, you may be liable for injuries or losses a later owner suffers from hidden defects in the work or materials.

Summarized from the state's required form; the full form has more items. Item numbers are the form's own.

The form warns that "a frequent practice of unlicensed persons is to have the property owner obtain an 'Owner-Builder' building permit" that wrongly implies the owner is doing the work. If someone offers to install your system on a permit in your name, the risks above become yours.

A man lifting a black solar panel into place on a brown shingle roof under a clear blue sky

What self-installers reported paying

Self-installed systems without a battery reported a median of $2.89 a watt in 2026, about 28% below the $4.03 median for contractor installs. For a median-size system that was about $12,900 against $18,989. Across 2025 and 2026, self-installed systems were a little bigger (a median of 6.56 kW against 5.85 kW) and far less likely to have a battery: at PG&E and SCE, 22% of self-installed systems in 2025 and 2026 had one, against 64% of contractor installs. For how contractor prices compare across the state, see solar panel cost in California.

There's no federal tax credit for homeowners to lower either price now. The IRS says the 30% Residential Clean Energy Credit isn't available for any property placed in service after December 31, 2025.

Risks to weigh

  • Injuries. You can be liable for injuries to anyone unlicensed who works on your property, and your homeowner's insurance may not cover them.
  • Becoming an employer. Paying helpers who aren't licensed contractors, on a job worth $500 or more, can make you an employer with payroll taxes and workers' compensation to cover.
  • Selling the house. A sale within a year of finishing raises the presumption you built it to sell, and you may be liable to later owners for hidden defects.
  • Panel warranties. Read the maker's terms first. Canadian Solar's manual, for one, says "all modules must be installed by qualified personnel as determined by the authority having jurisdiction."
  • Electrical danger. Canadian Solar warns that an array's voltage and current in daylight "are sufficient to cause a lethal electrical shock."
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Common questions

Can I install my own solar panels in California?

Yes, as an owner-builder. Business and Professions Code 7044 exempts an owner who improves their own property if the work isn't intended for sale and they do it personally or with their own employees paid wages. You still need a building permit, an inspection and your utility's permission to operate.

Do I need a permit for DIY solar in California?

Yes. You apply to your city or county and sign the Owner-Builder Declaration stating your exemption. The $450 fee cap for home solar applies, but the instant online permit platforms issue permits in real time only to licensed contractors, so you go through the regular streamlined review.

Can a homeowner connect DIY solar to the grid in California?

Yes, with the utility's approval. PG&E's rules let self-installers identify themselves and apply without a contractor license number, and SCE and SDG&E accept applications from "you or your contractor." Don't turn the system on before written permission to operate.

How much cheaper is DIY solar in California?

In the state's 2026 data, self-installed homeowner-owned systems without a battery reported a median of $2.89 per watt, against $4.03 for contractor installs. Reported costs aren't itemized, so a self-installer's figure may leave out things a contractor's includes.

Can I sell my house after installing my own solar?

Yes, but a sale or offer for sale within one year after the work is finished creates a presumption that you did the work for sale, which the owner-builder exemption doesn't allow. You may also be liable to later owners for hidden defects.

Is there a tax credit for DIY solar in 2026?

Not a federal one. The IRS says the Residential Clean Energy Credit isn't available for property placed in service after December 31, 2025, whoever installs it.

Building departments set their own plan and inspection requirements within state law, so check yours before you buy equipment. This guide explains the law; it isn't legal advice. Sources: Business and Professions Code 7044 (owner-builder exemption) · Business and Professions Code 7031.5 · Health and Safety Code 19825 (owner-builder declaration and notice) · Government Code 65850.52 (SB 379) · Government Code 66015 · CSLB: C-46 Solar Contractor classification · PG&E: Solar NEM consumer protection requirements (PDF) · PG&E: Getting started with solar · California DG Stats: Interconnected Applications Data Set · IRS: Residential Clean Energy Credit · Canadian Solar installation manual, U.S. edition 3.3 (PDF). Reviewed October 2026.

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