Free quote check · before you sign · no sales call

Is my solar quote fair?

This site exists because more than a hundred solar installers have closed since 2023 and left their customers holding the loan. If you have a proposal on the table, five numbers from it will tell you whether the price is in range for your state, whether the production promise holds up against the federal model, whether the financing hides a fee, what the tax credit really is this year, and whether the company is likely to be around. Where each number sits on the proposal.

ZIP code Sets the state benchmark and the sunlight model.

System size, kW DC "System size" on the proposal, or panel count × watts per panel ÷ 1,000.

How you would own it

Cash Loan Lease Power purchase agreement

Total system price, dollars "Total system cost" before any incentive or credit is subtracted. For a lease or PPA, the buyout or total cost if shown; otherwise leave it and the price check is skipped.

Quoted year-one production, kWh, optional "Estimated annual production." Leave blank and we still show what the federal model expects.

Amount financed, dollars On the loan disclosure. If it is higher than the price, the gap is the dealer fee.

APR, percent

Term, years

Installer name We do not look it up. The questions below are yours to answer.

Does the proposal claim a federal tax credit?

Utility rate and roof, optional

Your electricity rate, cents per kWh On your bill: total charges ÷ kWh used. Used only for a rough payback line.

Roof pitch, degrees

Direction panels face, degrees South is 180. West is 270. East is 90.

Five things to check about the company (tick what you have confirmed) The contractor license is active in my state (state license lookup) The company is in good standing with my Secretary of State (business search) It has operated under this exact name for three or more years I know which lender or leasing company actually funds the deal The contract says who services the system if the installer closes

Email, to save your result We'll send the result and check in once to ask how it went. Nothing else. No list is sold, ever.

What the numbers usually mean

Price well above your state average: ask for the cash price and the dealer fee as separate lines, and ask what equipment justifies the difference. Premium panels and batteries do; "financing" does not.
Production claim above the model: the salesperson's software may assume a better roof than yours, or no shade. Ask for the shade report and the tilt and direction used.
Amount financed above the price: that is the dealer fee, paid by you, shown as a low APR. Ask for the same loan at the cash price.
A tax credit on an owned system installed this year: the federal residential credit ended for systems placed in service after 2025. If the savings math depends on it, the math is wrong.
Company questions you cannot answer: the installer pages on this site are what happens after a closure. Get the servicing question answered in the contract before you sign.