How to Choose a Solar Installer Without Getting Scammed
Why This Feels Risky
Solar is a big purchase and most people only do it once. It's normal to worry about being overcharged or picking the wrong installer. This guide sticks to facts you can check.
Start With Your Own Numbers
Before you compare installers, know what you're working with: your ZIP code, your electric bill, and your roof. These three things drive the size of the system you actually need.
A tool like SunScout uses NREL's PVWatts production model — a public, government-run model — to estimate how much power a system at your address would produce. That gives you a baseline to compare any installer's proposal against.
Compare More Than One Installer
- Look at more than one company before you sign anything.
- Check live ratings, such as Google ratings, for each installer near you.
- Ask each installer to explain how they sized your system and why.
SunScout lists solar installers near your ZIP code side by side with their live Google ratings. It is independent: no installer pays to be listed.
Understand the Cost Range and Payback
Ask for a cost range and a payback estimate, not just a monthly payment. A tool that models your own bill and roof can show you an honest cost range and payback for comparison — use that as a check against any quote you receive.
What We Don't Know / What to Confirm
This guide does not cover contractor licensing rules, warranties, financing terms, or your state's specific consumer protections — those vary and we don't have that information here. This is not legal, financial, or tax advice. Confirm licensing, contracts, and warranties with the installer directly, and check with a qualified professional or your local or state agency before signing anything.
What to Do Next
SunScout is free. Enter your ZIP code, your electric bill, and your roof details. It reads your own numbers — not an example — runs the PVWatts model for your address, sizes a system to your actual usage, and shows you the installers near you with their live Google ratings, side by side.