Use this guide
Choose the questions relevant to your situation. Expand each answer, save the checklist and request written clarification where evidence is missing.
Questions homeowners ask
Where do I start?
Gather a year of utility bills and define your goal: bill reduction, backup, lower emissions or a combination. Note planned changes such as an EV. Compare energy-efficiency improvements as well as solar; reducing demand may change the system you need.
Source: DOE: Going solar step by step. Reviewed 2026-10-05.
What is the full project sequence?
A useful planning sequence is goals and bills, roof screening, proposals, verification, contract, detailed design, permits and utility applications, installation, inspections, permission to operate and handover. Local processes can overlap or reorder these stages. Ask the installer to identify the actual milestones for your address.
Source: DOE: Going solar step by step. Reviewed 2026-10-05.
What should happen before I sign?
Collect comparable proposals and clarify equipment, cash price, finance terms, exclusions and responsibilities. Commission a separate assessment when important assumptions remain unverified. Do not treat a rooftop rendering as evidence that concealed roof or electrical conditions have been inspected.
What does the site survey contribute?
A defined survey captures site information needed for design: roof layout, structural observations, electrical labels, equipment locations and access. Ask which areas were actually inspected and which values were estimated. The installer and relevant professionals must resolve missing information before relying on it.
What should detailed design resolve?
Request the proposed layout, equipment models, mounting approach, electrical scope and known upgrades. Ask who verifies applicable structural and electrical requirements. When a proposal changes after the survey, request a written explanation and an updated price and production basis.
Who handles installation and approvals?
Ask the contractor to identify who submits permit and utility applications, schedules required inspections and corrects deficiencies. An installed array is not automatically authorized to operate. Keep approval documents and confirm the utility’s operating requirements before activation.
Source: DOE: Permitting and inspection. Reviewed 2026-10-05.
What belongs in the handover folder?
Request contracts, approved plans, inspection results, utility authorization, equipment details, warranty documents, monitoring access, support contacts and operating instructions. Record which items are outstanding. Store a copy independently of an installer portal so you can retrieve it later.
How long does going solar take?
There is no responsible nationwide promise for every address. Ask for a milestone schedule that separates contractor work from authority and utility queues. Track the application identifier, submission date, correction request and next responsible party instead of relying on one promised completion date.
Source: DOE: Interconnection resources. Reviewed 2026-10-05.
Your decision checklist
- Bills and goal documented.
- Roof, shade and access questions resolved.
- Quotes compared on the same scope.
- Contracts and finance terms understood.
- Design, permits and interconnection responsibilities named.
- Inspections and utility operating authorization retained.
- Monitoring access, warranties and support contacts tested.
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Know who is answering which question
| Checkpoint | Purpose | Ask |
|---|---|---|
| Sales proposal | Equipment, scope, estimated output and offered commercial terms. | Which inputs have been verified? |
| Site survey | Documented accessible site observations and measurements. | What was inaccessible or estimated? |
| Independent assessment | Separately scoped evaluation of evidence and unresolved questions. | Who pays, and what conflicts exist? |
| Engineering review | Professional determination within the licensed project scope. | Which requirements and documents are covered? |
| Permit inspection | The responsible authority’s compliance review. | What corrections remain? |
| Utility approval | Authorization under the utility’s process. | Which configuration is authorized? |
Continue your research
About these guides
Published by Solar Survey AI, a commercial survey-services company. Our original decision checklists are recommendations; linked authorities support the referenced facts. We may benefit if you purchase our services. This is not independent certification of our company, a project-specific engineering decision or personal tax/legal advice. Local rules, contracts and site evidence control individual decisions. Reviewed October 5, 2026.
For available survey or inspection services, confirm your project scope and availability with our team. Our planned free homeowner remote diagnosis remains coming soon.
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