How to Choose a Solar Installer Without Getting Burned

Choosing a solar installer is partly a home-improvement decision and partly a financing-risk decision. A clean proposal should identify the contractor, equipment, warranties, financing partner, cancellation rights, projected production, and total price without relying on verbal promises.

The short answer: choose the installer only after you verify the license, compare at least three written proposals, separate the cash price from financed price, and confirm who handles permits, interconnection, roof penetrations, service, and warranty claims. A company that refuses written answers is not ready for your signature.

For a broader homeowner guide, start with Beginner's Guide: How to Go Solar Without Getting Scammed. If you already have installation defects, review Solar Installation Problems: Roof Leaks, Delays, and Defects.

Installer Verification Checklist

Confirm the license with the state contractor board, not only the company's website. Search complaints by the legal company name, DBA names, owner names, and sales organization names. Ask who performs the installation, who services the system, and who is responsible if the installer closes.

Read the contract before any credit pull or recorded verification. Confirm the cash price, financed price, dealer fee, APR, payment escalators, roof work terms, production guarantee, equipment substitutions, and dispute-resolution clause. If the company says another lender or dealer controls the finance terms, get those documents too.

Compare More Than Price

The cheapest quote can be risky if it hides dealer fees, weak warranties, subcontracted labor, or unrealistic production assumptions. A better quote explains assumptions in plain language and gives you time to compare.

Sources and Official References

• DOE Homeowner's Guide to Going Solar
• FTC consumer alert on solar and clean energy scams
• CFPB issue spotlight on solar financing
• Treasury, CFPB, and FTC consumer solar advisory announcement
• PVWatts solar production calculator

FAQ

What is the biggest installer red flag?

Pressure to sign before you can verify the license, financing documents, and cancellation rights is the strongest warning sign.

Should I trust online reviews?

Use reviews as one signal, but compare them with licensing records, complaint databases, contract terms, and whether the installer answers detailed written questions.

What if the installer goes out of business?

Keep contracts, permits, warranties, equipment serial numbers, and lender documents. Those records help with warranty claims, complaints, and possible lender defenses.