Overview: Solar Panel Installers
Solar starts with the roof, not the panels. An array is fastened through the roof covering and then sits there for decades, so a roof with only a few years left in it should be replaced before anything goes on top. An installer who will not talk about the age and condition of your roof is leaving that problem for somebody else.
Next comes the site itself. Orientation, pitch and shade set what an array can produce, and a chimney, a vent stack or a neighbor's maple can take out more than any difference between panel brands. Ask for a shade study, and ask how the design copes with the shaded part of the roof. That is the real argument between a string inverter and microinverters.
The rest is connection and paperwork: the building permit, the utility interconnection agreement, the meter arrangement and the monitoring you will actually look at. A battery is a separate decision with its own location and its own electrical work.
Warranties are only as strong as the company behind them, and solar companies do close. Ask who answers the phone for a workmanship claim if yours is gone. Use the state and city lists below to find installers covering your area.
Cost of Solar Installation
Compare the cash price before incentives using the same DC system size and equipment. Batteries and electrical upgrades can change the budget substantially; a low monthly payment does not show the financed total.
| Service or scope | Planning range | What this covers |
|---|---|---|
| Grid-connected rooftop solar | $2.50–$4.50per installed DC watt before incentives | Install a residential rooftop PV system on a suitable straightforward roof, with panels, inverter equipment and ordinary installation specified.Compare gross cash totals, system size and production assumptions. Financing fees, reroofing, batteries and major service work are separate.Included scope and possible extrasScope used for this estimate: Specified panels and inverter; Mounting and electrical installation; Stated permit and interconnection scope Outside this estimate: Battery; Roof replacement; Electrical service upgrade |
| Ground-mounted solar | $3–$4per installed DC watt before incentives | Install a residential fixed ground-mount PV system with the foundation, trench route and electrical connections specified in the quote.Ask for a total that states foundations, trench length, restoration and utility work. A long trench or difficult ground can exceed this range.Included scope and possible extrasScope used for this estimate: PV equipment and racking; Specified foundations; Quoted trench and electrical installation Outside this estimate: Rock excavation; Extended utility work; Battery |
| Battery storage addition | $10,000–$23,000per specified installed battery system | Add roughly 10–15 kWh of residential battery storage, with usable capacity, power output, inverter compatibility and backed-up circuits specified.Confirm the gateway, backup controls, installation and commissioning. Battery capacity alone does not establish whole-home backup or runtime.Included scope and possible extrasScope used for this estimate: Battery and controls; Specified installation; Commissioning Outside this estimate: Whole-home service upgrade; Additional batteries; Unlisted circuit changes |
| Electrical service upgrade | $3,500–$8,000per specified 200-amp upgrade | Upgrade an ordinary existing residential service to 200 amps, including the panel, meter equipment and specified service-entrance and grounding work.Ask whether a full service upgrade is necessary and whether load management is an alternative. Match panel, meter, cable, grounding and permit scope.Included scope and possible extrasScope used for this estimate: Specified panel and meter equipment; Ordinary service-entrance and grounding work; Installation and the listed inspection scope Outside this estimate: New long underground runs or trenching; Major relocation; Utility infrastructure charges; Permit fees unless included; Whole-house rewiring; Solar equipment |
| Solar removal and reinstallation | $4,000–$10,000per approximately 20-panel detach and reset | Remove and reinstall an existing approximately 20-panel rooftop system for scheduled roof work, then recommission it.Confirm storage, replacement mounting hardware, recommissioning and who warrants the roof penetrations. Reroofing itself is separate.Included scope and possible extrasScope used for this estimate: Module removal and storage as specified; Reinstallation; Commissioning Outside this estimate: Roofing; Replacement damaged components; Unlisted warranty charges |
Example budget
Illustration for an 8-kW DC rooftop system: $20,000–$36,000 before incentives
A chosen 8-kW system without battery, reroofing or major electrical upgrades; sizing requires an assessment of your roof and electricity use.
8,000 DC watts × $2.50–$4.50 per watt. This is an arithmetic planning example, not a quoted system.
What changes the price
- DC capacity, roof layout and equipment specification
- Battery capacity, backup loads and utility work
- Cash price, financing fees and verified incentive eligibility
Ask before you book
- What is the cash price before incentives, and what equipment and DC capacity does it include?Creates a comparable installation benchmark.
- How do the financed price, fees, term and total payments compare with the cash offer?A low monthly payment does not establish a lower total cost.
- Which roof, electrical, battery and interconnection costs are additional?These extras can change the project budget substantially.
Check the scope
Compare cash prices by DC watts and itemized scope. Ask which incentives you personally qualify for and verify them before counting them in your budget. No incentive is subtracted here.
Compare quotes wisely
Request identical cash and financed equipment specifications, and price storage separately against the backup loads you actually need.
How to read these estimates
These ranges combine published U.S. prices and cost guidance for the stated work. They are budgeting estimates, not offers from listed companies or a statistical national average. Confirm the total, included work and additional charges in writing.
U.S. planning estimates. Local quotes vary by location and the scope of work.
Frequently asked questions
Does my roof need work before panels go on?
Look at the roof covering and the framing first. If the roof is near the end of its service life, replace it before the array goes up, because removing and reinstalling panels later is pure waste. The framing has to carry the extra load, which is rarely an issue on a sound roof but is worth confirming on an older house or a converted porch.
String inverter or microinverters?
It comes down to shade and roof shape. A string inverter ties panels together, so a shaded panel drags on the group, and it puts one box on a wall where you can reach it. Microinverters or optimizers work panel by panel, handle broken up roofs and shading better, and put electronics under every panel. Ask which the design assumes and why.
Will the roof mounts leak?
A properly flashed mount will not. Each penetration should go into a rafter and be sealed with a flashing that tucks under the course above, rather than relying on a bead of sealant that will fail in the sun. Ask what flashing system they use and whether the workmanship warranty covers the roof, not just the electrical side.
What does adding a battery change?
It stores what you generate and did not use, and with the right setup it keeps chosen circuits alive when the grid goes down. Note that plain grid tied solar shuts off in an outage for the safety of line crews, so backup power is a battery feature rather than a solar feature. Batteries need a location that stays within their temperature range.
Who honors the warranty if the installer closes?
Split it in your head. Panels and inverters carry manufacturer warranties, which survive the installer as long as the equipment was registered and you have the paperwork. Workmanship and roof penetrations are the installer's own promise and disappear with the company. Keep the design drawings, serial numbers and permit records somewhere you can find them.
