Solar permits in Los Angeles County, September 2026
Our dataset recorded 1,448 solar permits in Los Angeles County, CA for September 2026. That is up from 1,175 in August 2026 and 1,145 in July 2026, but below the 1,957 recorded in September 2025, a year-over-year change of -26%.
All counts here are recorded permits in Poach.rr's dataset, collected from public permit portals (the source host for this market is data.lacity.org). They are not every permit in the county. Coverage depends on which jurisdictions publish their filings.
Caution on the latest month: September 2026 is the newest month in the data, and some portals publish filings late. The -26% gap against last September may narrow as records come in. Treat it as a flag, not a trend. The 12-month view below is steadier.
Trailing 12 months vs the prior 12
For the 12 months ending September 2026, we recorded 17,954 solar permits. The prior 12 months had 18,773. That is a change of -4.4%, a mild decline. It is much smaller than the single-month gap, which suggests the September comparison is partly a result of a very strong September 2025.
The monthly series shows how the year unfolded:
| Month | Solar permits | Roofing permits |
|---|---|---|
| 2025-10 | 2,170 | 1,854 |
| 2025-11 | 1,842 | 1,358 |
| 2025-12 | 1,831 | 1,518 |
| 2026-01 | 1,367 | 1,824 |
| 2026-02 | 1,262 | 1,509 |
| 2026-03 | 1,540 | 1,826 |
| 2026-04 | 1,462 | 1,720 |
| 2026-05 | 1,350 | 1,583 |
| 2026-06 | 1,362 | 1,724 |
| 2026-07 | 1,145 | 1,500 |
| 2026-08 | 1,175 | 1,720 |
| 2026-09 | 1,448 | 2,145 |
The pattern is front-loaded. Solar peaked at 2,170 in October 2025 and ran at 1,831 or higher through December 2025. It then dropped to 1,367 in January 2026 and stayed between 1,145 and 1,540 for the rest of the window. The low of 1,145 came in July 2026. September's 1,448 is the first clear step back up in the recent months, though it is still one month of data.
Roofing ran the other way
Roofing permits in the same market behaved differently. September 2026 had 2,145 roofing permits, the highest month in our 24-month window. That compares with 1,720 in August 2026 (up 24.7%) and 1,620 in September 2025 (up 32.4%).
Over the trailing 12 months, we recorded 20,281 roofing permits against 19,175 in the prior 12, a gain of 5.8%. The monthly average over the last 12 months was 1,690. The lowest month was November 2025, at 1,358.
So the 12-month view shows roofing slightly up and solar slightly down. Neither move is large. Because September is the latest month, the roofing spike deserves the same caution as the solar dip. It could change as late filings arrive.
What it means for roofers
Solar permits are a signal of roofs that were, or are about to be, handled by someone else. Here is how to use that:
- Roof work before solar. A roof that is near the end of its life is a problem for a solar job. Panels typically stay on the roof for a long time, so a worn roof underneath is a conflict. Roofers who work with installers on timing can win jobs ahead of the solar permit.
- Roof work after solar. Homes with a recent solar permit and an aging roof are candidates for detach-and-reset or a roof evaluation. The solar permit date tells you when the array went on.
- Older roofs are a large pool. Of 344,334 homes we track in this market, 77,826 have roofs over 20 years old, and 31.4% are over 15 years old. Another 44,511 sit in the 10-to-15-year band and 30,433 in the 15-to-20-year band. The largest single band is 5 to 10 years, at 117,723.
- Replacement dominates. In our roofing data, 85.6% of permits are replacements and 0.7% are repairs. That fits a market where full re-roofs are the main work type.
Roofing permits are also concentrated geographically. Of the 20,281 trailing 12-month roofing permits, 15,526 (76.6%) are in the city of Los Angeles. Los Angeles County as a listed location has 2,105, Pomona 441, Whittier 344 and Altadena 336. Our dataset covers 85 cities in total, so the long tail is wide but thin.
What it means for solar installers
- Volume is softer than a year ago. The trailing 12-month total of 17,954 is down 4.4% from 18,773. Planning around a flat to slightly lower market is more defensible than planning around growth.
- Watch the next two months. If October's count comes in well above September's 1,448, that would suggest the summer low was a pause. If it stays near September's level, the softer pattern holds. Last year's October peak of 2,170 is the benchmark to compare against.
- Roof condition is a pipeline issue. With 31.4% of tracked homes having roofs over 15 years old, many solar leads will need roof work first. Installers with a roofing partner can close jobs that would otherwise stall.
- Look past the install. We scored 48,899 homes for HVAC, and 2,198 of them have a recent roof or solar permit alongside an old system. For solar crews already on site, that is a cross-sell conversation worth having.
Bottom line
The 12-month solar picture in Los Angeles County is a modest decline, not a collapse. September's 1,448 permits is a recovery from the July low, and a gap against a strong September 2025 that may shrink as late filings arrive. Roofing is up slightly over 12 months and had its biggest month in the window in September. For both trades, the practical angle is the same: the roof and the array are one project, and the older roofs in the tracked homes are where the two meet.
Poach.rr sweeps public permit portals daily. Contractors can filter by state, county and permit age to find homes in these segments.
Frequently asked questions
How many solar permits were recorded in Los Angeles County in September 2026?
Our dataset recorded 1,448 solar permits in Los Angeles County, CA for September 2026. That compares with 1,957 in September 2025, a change of -26%, but the latest month can be incomplete.
Are Los Angeles County solar permits up or down over the last 12 months?
Down slightly. We recorded 17,954 solar permits in the trailing 12 months versus 18,773 in the prior 12, a change of -4.4%.
Which month had the fewest solar permits recently?
July 2026 had the lowest count in the recent months at 1,145 recorded permits. August 2026 followed at 1,175, and September 2026 rose to 1,448.
How did roofing permits compare to solar in September 2026?
Roofing was stronger. We recorded 2,145 roofing permits in September 2026, up 32.4% from 1,620 a year earlier, while solar was down 26% over the same comparison.
How many homes in Los Angeles County have older roofs?
Of 344,334 homes tracked in our dataset, 77,826 have roofs over 20 years old. About 31.4% are over 15 years old.
Methodology
Counts are residential roofing and solar building permits in Poach.rr's dataset for Los Angeles County, CA, collected from public permit portals (data.lacity.org). Coverage depends on which jurisdictions publish permits, so read the numbers as a consistent sample, not a census of every permit filed. Months where a source feed was incomplete are excluded from comparisons, and the latest month can rise as portals publish late filings. Data runs through September 2026; page generated October 13, 2026.