Best solar companies
See which solar companies actually install in your area, proven by public records, not ads. Then let vetted installers compete on your project, with your best price guaranteed.
946,000+ home solar systems appear in California public utility records through May 2026. We use those records, not ads or paid reviews, to see who actually installs in each market. San Diego County is the largest market shown here with 285,020 systems, while Riverside has the lowest solar.com base price at $2.41/W before site adders. Active installer counts include every company that filed in 2025. The ranked lists cover the established companies with 250 or more verified installs.
| County | Systems | Active installersEvery company that filed an interconnection in 2025, including small and occasional operations. | % leasedShare of recorded systems that are third party owned: a lease or power purchase agreement. The remainder are customer owned. | Reported cost medianMedian self-reported install cost on owned-system interconnection records, per watt. | solar.com base |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| San Diego CountyA mature SDG&E market where high rates and the Net Billing Tariff make solar plus storage the normal design. | 285,020 | 548all sizes, 2025 | 23.4% | $4.82/Wowned systems, CPUC | from $2.53/Wbefore site adders |
| Riverside CountyBig inland loads, low base pricing, and a sharp split between SCE battery economics and Riverside Public Utilities municipal rules. | 198,935 | 514all sizes, 2025 | 44.6% | $4.13/Wowned systems, CPUC | from $2.41/Wbefore site adders |
| Los Angeles CountyThe largest installer field shown here, with SCE territory plus municipal pockets like LADWP, Glendale, Pasadena, and Burbank. | 190,760 | 744all sizes, 2025 | 35.1% | $3.99/Wowned systems, CPUC | from $2.54/Wbefore site adders |
| San Bernardino CountyFoothill and Inland Empire homes with large summer loads, SCE exposure, and one of the highest TPO shares in the dataset. | 142,132 | 444all sizes, 2025 | 45.5% | $4.25/Wowned systems, CPUC | from $2.54/Wbefore site adders |
| Orange CountyA dense coastal and inland market where SCE dominates, with Anaheim Public Utilities as the big municipal exception. | 129,570 | 621all sizes, 2025 | 28.3% | $4.13/Wowned systems, CPUC | from $2.54/Wbefore site adders |
| Fresno CountyPG&E and SCE territory with 96,749 recorded home solar systems in public interconnection records. | 96,749 | 281all sizes, 2025 | 34.5% | $3.85/Wowned systems, CPUC | address-based |
| Kern CountyPG&E and SCE territory with 90,384 recorded home solar systems in public interconnection records. | 90,384 | 302all sizes, 2025 | 39.0% | $3.73/Wowned systems, CPUC | address-based |
| Contra Costa CountyPG&E territory with 89,151 recorded home solar systems in public interconnection records. | 89,151 | 364all sizes, 2025 | 23.2% | $4.54/Wowned systems, CPUC | address-based |
| Santa Clara CountyPG&E territory with 86,450 recorded home solar systems in public interconnection records. | 86,450 | 370all sizes, 2025 | 18.7% | $4.58/Wowned systems, CPUC | address-based |
| Alameda CountyPG&E territory with 75,871 recorded home solar systems in public interconnection records. | 75,871 | 348all sizes, 2025 | 18.6% | $4.58/Wowned systems, CPUC | address-based |
| San Joaquin CountyPG&E territory with 62,444 recorded home solar systems in public interconnection records. | 62,444 | 246all sizes, 2025 | 37.1% | $3.56/Wowned systems, CPUC | address-based |
| Ventura CountySCE territory with 41,675 recorded home solar systems in public interconnection records. | 41,675 | 324all sizes, 2025 | 34.1% | $3.76/Wowned systems, CPUC | address-based |
| Tulare CountyPG&E and SCE territory with 41,076 recorded home solar systems in public interconnection records. | 41,076 | 206all sizes, 2025 | 47.8% | $3.21/Wowned systems, CPUC | address-based |
| Solano CountyPG&E territory with 39,395 recorded home solar systems in public interconnection records. | 39,395 | 180all sizes, 2025 | 30.4% | $3.92/Wowned systems, CPUC | address-based |
| Placer CountyPG&E territory with 38,912 recorded home solar systems in public interconnection records. | 38,912 | 229all sizes, 2025 | 23.4% | $3.37/Wowned systems, CPUC | address-based |
| Sonoma CountyPG&E territory with 31,435 recorded home solar systems in public interconnection records. | 31,435 | 223all sizes, 2025 | 17.5% | $4.85/Wowned systems, CPUC | address-based |
| San Mateo CountyPG&E territory with 26,324 recorded home solar systems in public interconnection records. | 26,324 | 268all sizes, 2025 | 15.1% | $5.30/Wowned systems, CPUC | address-based |
| San Luis Obispo CountyPG&E territory with 24,599 recorded home solar systems in public interconnection records. | 24,599 | 132all sizes, 2025 | 26.4% | $4.34/Wowned systems, CPUC | address-based |
| El Dorado CountyPG&E territory with 22,090 recorded home solar systems in public interconnection records. | 22,090 | 182all sizes, 2025 | 27.0% | $4.27/Wowned systems, CPUC | address-based |
| Yolo CountyPG&E territory with 20,349 recorded home solar systems in public interconnection records. | 20,349 | 152all sizes, 2025 | 26.4% | $4.32/Wowned systems, CPUC | address-based |
| Butte CountyPG&E territory with 20,214 recorded home solar systems in public interconnection records. | 20,214 | 173all sizes, 2025 | 17.7% | $3.81/Wowned systems, CPUC | address-based |
| Santa Barbara CountyPG&E and SCE territory with 18,621 recorded home solar systems in public interconnection records. | 18,621 | 151all sizes, 2025 | 32.0% | $4.15/Wowned systems, CPUC | address-based |
| Madera CountyPG&E territory with 17,936 recorded home solar systems in public interconnection records. | 17,936 | 152all sizes, 2025 | 31.9% | $3.42/Wowned systems, CPUC | address-based |
| Monterey CountyPG&E territory with 17,229 recorded home solar systems in public interconnection records. | 17,229 | 143all sizes, 2025 | 33.8% | $4.58/Wowned systems, CPUC | address-based |
| Merced CountyPG&E territory with 16,552 recorded home solar systems in public interconnection records. | 16,552 | 133all sizes, 2025 | 35.7% | $3.53/Wowned systems, CPUC | address-based |
| Marin CountyPG&E territory with 14,948 recorded home solar systems in public interconnection records. | 14,948 | 183all sizes, 2025 | 10.7% | $5.53/Wowned systems, CPUC | address-based |
| Kings CountyPG&E and SCE territory with 13,767 recorded home solar systems in public interconnection records. | 13,767 | 129all sizes, 2025 | 45.5% | $3.33/Wowned systems, CPUC | address-based |
| San Francisco CountyPG&E territory with 12,896 recorded home solar systems in public interconnection records. | 12,896 | 124all sizes, 2025 | 5.7% | $5.32/Wowned systems, CPUC | address-based |
| Santa Cruz CountyPG&E territory with 12,758 recorded home solar systems in public interconnection records. | 12,758 | 128all sizes, 2025 | 15.9% | $5.31/Wowned systems, CPUC | address-based |
| Sutter CountyPG&E territory with 10,059 recorded home solar systems in public interconnection records. | 10,059 | 93all sizes, 2025 | 27.5% | $4.29/Wowned systems, CPUC | address-based |
| Yuba CountyPG&E territory with 10,019 recorded home solar systems in public interconnection records. | 10,019 | 109all sizes, 2025 | 31.4% | $3.38/Wowned systems, CPUC | address-based |
| Napa CountyPG&E territory with 8,918 recorded home solar systems in public interconnection records. | 8,918 | 141all sizes, 2025 | 20.4% | $4.52/Wowned systems, CPUC | address-based |
| Shasta CountyPG&E territory with 7,102 recorded home solar systems in public interconnection records. | 7,102 | 89all sizes, 2025 | 13.2% | $4.50/Wowned systems, CPUC | address-based |
| Nevada CountyPG&E territory with 6,361 recorded home solar systems in public interconnection records. | 6,361 | 111all sizes, 2025 | 19.0% | $4.99/Wowned systems, CPUC | address-based |
| Stanislaus CountyPG&E territory with 6,312 recorded home solar systems in public interconnection records. | 6,312 | 82all sizes, 2025 | 31.6% | $3.32/Wowned systems, CPUC | address-based |
| San Benito CountyPG&E territory with 5,875 recorded home solar systems in public interconnection records. | 5,875 | 69all sizes, 2025 | 31.9% | $3.06/Wowned systems, CPUC | address-based |
| Tehama CountyPG&E territory with 5,597 recorded home solar systems in public interconnection records. | 5,597 | 75all sizes, 2025 | 27.0% | $4.69/Wowned systems, CPUC | address-based |
| Calaveras CountyPG&E territory with 5,471 recorded home solar systems in public interconnection records. | 5,471 | 84all sizes, 2025 | 30.0% | $4.96/Wowned systems, CPUC | address-based |
| Lake CountyPG&E territory with 4,507 recorded home solar systems in public interconnection records. | 4,507 | 69all sizes, 2025 | 29.3% | $5.24/Wowned systems, CPUC | address-based |
| Tuolumne CountyPG&E territory with 4,428 recorded home solar systems in public interconnection records. | 4,428 | 73all sizes, 2025 | 22.3% | $5.93/Wowned systems, CPUC | address-based |
| Amador CountyPG&E territory with 4,230 recorded home solar systems in public interconnection records. | 4,230 | 76all sizes, 2025 | 36.8% | $4.34/Wowned systems, CPUC | address-based |
| Humboldt CountyPG&E territory with 3,979 recorded home solar systems in public interconnection records. | 3,979 | 58all sizes, 2025 | 4.7% | $4.20/Wowned systems, CPUC | address-based |
| Glenn CountyPG&E territory with 3,055 recorded home solar systems in public interconnection records. | 3,055 | 42all sizes, 2025 | 28.5% | $4.47/Wowned systems, CPUC | address-based |
| Mendocino CountyPG&E territory with 2,911 recorded home solar systems in public interconnection records. | 2,911 | 59all sizes, 2025 | 15.6% | $4.65/Wowned systems, CPUC | address-based |
| Colusa CountyPG&E territory with 2,040 recorded home solar systems in public interconnection records. | 2,040 | 34all sizes, 2025 | 35.0% | $4.48/Wowned systems, CPUC | address-based |
| Mariposa CountyPG&E territory with 1,277 recorded home solar systems in public interconnection records. | 1,277 | 50all sizes, 2025 | 19.3% | $4.45/Wowned systems, CPUC | address-based |
% leased counts systems recorded as third party owned, meaning a lease or power purchase agreement. The remainder are customer owned. Active installer counts include every company that filed an interconnection that year, down to small and occasional operations. Counts come from PG&E, SCE, and SDG&E interconnection records; homes served by municipal utilities like LADWP, SMUD, and city power departments interconnect through their local utility instead, so companies focused on those territories show fewer records here. Star ratings and review counts are from Google.
The Solar.com Installer Score
Sales integrity, price transparency, communication, timeline reliability, workmanship, and long-term support. A company can carry a strong star average while one category tells a different story; that gap is usually where the real story is.
Reviews with no concrete facts don't count toward category scores. Recent reviews weigh more than old ones, and reviewers with real track records weigh more than drive-by accounts. Companies with fewer than 20 published reviews are not yet scored, rather than scored badly.
Scores appear on county rankings with side-by-side comparison and on installer review profiles, rolling out market by market as each area's full review record is processed. Any scored company can bid on your project through solar.com.
Read the full methodology: how the Solar.com Installer Score works →
What to compare
A familiar name on the truck does not decide your price, your equipment, or your warranty. The contract does. Every solar.com proposal comes with these four locked in writing.
Where solar.com fits in
We check contractor standing, insurance, and the basics that protect the homeowner.
Volume matters, but so do clean installs, service follow-through, and issue resolution.
The number has to hold up with equipment, roof scope, adders, warranties, and timelines.
Through solar.com, vetted installers compete for your project on one address-specific scope. You still compare equipment, warranties, roof work, and adders, and the Best Price Guarantee backs the number.
Los AngelesLA County
IrvineOrange County
RiversideRiverside County
Rancho CucamongaSan Bernardino County
San DiegoSD CountyWe separate two questions: who is active in the public record, and who should bid on your roof. Public pages show verified interconnection activity. Address-level matching adds license, insurance, workmanship history, bid accountability, and ongoing review.
No. Public placement is not for sale. The county tables are ranked from public interconnection records, and solar.com vetting is separate from paid advertising.
Every grid-tied solar project files an interconnection record. That makes the data a useful way to see who is actually building systems in a county instead of relying on review counts or sponsored lists.
Compare all-fees price per watt, equipment class, roof and electrical adders, workmanship warranty, manufacturer warranties, monitoring, and whether the offer is owned solar or a lease-style structure.
No. A low bid still has to use bankable equipment, a clean design, clear warranty coverage, and an installer that can stand behind the work. The right number is a direct, accountable bid, not just a cheap teaser.
The table shows recorded install volume. Your address determines roof geometry, utility, usage, battery need, and which vetted installers can bid through solar.com. That is where price becomes real.
Run your address and see direct pricing in about two minutes. No sales call required.
Methodology: Counts are residential PV interconnections in investor-owned-utility territory (PG&E, SCE, SDG&E) per CPUC Rule 21 public records through May 2026. Postal and name variants are merged. Municipal utility territory such as LADWP, Glendale, Pasadena, Burbank, Anaheim, and Riverside Public Utilities is not included in those CPUC counts. Counts show recorded installations, not quality ratings. Reported costs are self-reported on owned-system interconnections. No installer can pay for placement.