What to bring to the conversation
- Property, dimensions or quantities you know
- Existing condition and items to retain
- Access, occupancy and scheduling constraints
FREE PREPARATION RESOURCE
Home solar goals, site-context and proposal-comparison workbook
Free fillable worksheets to organize home-solar goals, non-sensitive site context, provider-led assessment, proposed system scope, ownership or payment model, responsibilities and closeout before comparing proposals.
View the checklist and download the fillable PDF ↗FIND HELP. COMPARE OFFERS. YOU CHOOSE.
Existing-system inspections
Tell us what you need. Pros can review your request and send you offers. You decide who to hire.
Request findings and performance-review scope.
Start my requestFree to request. No need to hire anyone.
What information helps?
Share what you know. You do not need to know every detail.
- The problem or the result you want
- Where you need the service
- When you would like help
- Your budget, if you have one
Do not guess measurements or costs. You can ask a pro to check them.
Want to learn more before you start?
Open the guide for costs, useful questions and planning tools. You can start your request without reading it all.
Home · THE PROJECT GUIDE
Existing-system inspections.
Get the details right.
Request findings and performance-review scope.
Compare the proposed system, installation and commercial terms together. Ask providers to state production assumptions and which roof or electrical work is outside their price.
Explore freely · Compare thoughtfully · You choose the professional
THE WORK BEHIND THE WORDS
Make this particular service clear.
Start with the distinction below, then define the deliverables and boundaries. If something is unknown, ask the provider to assess it.
Existing-system inspections · the key conversation
Request findings and performance-review scope.
What to ask for in return
A written description of existing-system inspections, the assumptions behind the price and which items need further assessment. Ask the provider to explain system design, production assumptions, electrical and roof coordination, ownership terms in the context of your request.
| Detail | Get this in writing | Keep the comparison fair |
|---|---|---|
| Generation design | Show capacity, equipment models, layout and estimated annual generation. | Use the same shading and usage assumptions. |
| Installed solar price | Separate solar-only cash price from storage, roof work and financing. | Compare dollars per watt only for matching price boundaries. |
| Storage and backup | Identify supported loads, usable capacity and output limitations. | Compare a defined backup design rather than battery count. |
| Approvals and support | Assign permits, utility coordination, monitoring and warranty support. | Record the expected handoffs and open dependencies. |
UNDERSTAND THE PRICE
See the parts. Then compare the total.
A useful budget explains what the money covers. Keep these cost areas visible rather than relying on a package name or headline figure.
Preparation and investigation
Products and installation
Access, disposal and reinstatement
Approvals, testing and handover
What changes the scope?
Compare the proposed system, installation and commercial terms together. Ask providers to state production assumptions and which roof or electrical work is outside their price.
Ask providers to explain how system design and production assumptions affect their assumptions. Separate confirmed information from items still awaiting assessment.
What does the chart show?
The planning tool compares amounts you enter over the same period. Fixed charges, rate × quantity, monthly charges and extras stay separate. Its cumulative-cost graph makes different upfront and recurring arrangements easier to understand.
Published references, where available below, show their own units, source and period. They remain separate from your calculator inputs. Employee wages and producer-price indexes are context, not the price a provider will charge. Ask for current proposals for your actual scope.
Explore employee wages by state
Related occupation: Solar Photovoltaic Installers. BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025. These are employee wages, not contractor billing rates, business fees or an installed-project estimate.
$20.00U.S. · 10th percentile
$25.55U.S. · Median hourly wage
$38.45U.S. · 90th percentile
The median divides employees into two equal groups. The percentile figures describe the wage distribution; they are not minimum and maximum prices. Unpublished or suppressed estimates remain “Not published.”
Mean wages and interpretation
| Area | Median | Mean |
|---|---|---|
| U.S. | $25.55 | $27.84 |
A provider’s charge also covers costs such as nonbillable time, supervision, vehicles, equipment, insurance, administration and profit. The selected occupation may cover only part of a multitrade project. OEWS does not measure self-employed contractors’ fees. No wage-to-quote multiplier is applied, and these snapshots do not establish a current labor-price trend.
BLS national and state source tables ↗ · SOC 47-2231 · Reviewed October 8, 2026.
YOUR PLANNING DESK
A clearer brief. A better starting point.
Build your request, compare entered costs and download a branded planning pack. Your selections stay here until you choose to continue.
Start with the details that matter.
No account needed to plan. Keep private documents, account numbers, credentials and sensitive case details out of this brief.
Also consider: Access, occupancy and scheduling constraints. Leave unknown details for the provider to assess.
Review your starting brief
Review before continuing. You can edit the wording below. Manual edits stay in place until you choose to regenerate from your answers.
388 characters
Next, review the request in PickYourPro.ai. An account is required to complete it. This step does not send invitations or commit you to a provider. Service availability and provider participation vary.
Opt-in saves form answers only. Manual brief edits, comparison values and checklist selections are not saved. Download a copy to keep them; avoid saving on shared devices.
FROM FIRST QUESTION TO HANDOVER
Know what happens next.
- 1
Define
Describe the outcome and current condition. Mark unknown measurements rather than guessing.
- 2
Assess
Agree any visit or diagnostic fee. Ask what must be checked before the price can be final.
- 3
Compare
Use the same drawings, selections and boundaries for each proposal.
- 4
Complete
Approve changes in writing and collect the agreed completion records.
A planning sequence, not a promised duration. Actual timing depends on the service, the information available and the provider's agreed scope.
WHEN YOU WANT THE DEEPER VIEW
The details worth resolving early.
Compare the generating system, its installation and its financial terms separately. Panel count alone is not a reliable comparison: panels can have different capacities, roofs can have different constraints, and battery or financing costs may be bundled into the total.
For this particular project
Define whether the service is visual review, performance investigation, electrical testing or a combination. Ask what access is needed and whether monitoring history is reviewed. Request findings, photos and a list of inaccessible areas. An inspection report and a repair quote are distinct deliverables; clarify whether repairs require separate authorization.
Use these questions to write my brief ↗- 01Review usage
- 02Design array
- 03Compare terms
- 04Install & approve
- 05Monitor output
System size versus energy production
Ask for the array’s rated capacity in kW and estimated annual generation in kWh. These are different measurements. Request the assumptions about shading, orientation, equipment and losses. Use your actual electricity use and planned changes when discussing system size.
Solar alone or solar plus storage?
Keep the battery price and scope separate from the solar price. For backup, identify the loads served, usable storage capacity, output limits and outage operating mode. A storage capacity number does not by itself establish how long every appliance can run.
Who owns the system and the obligations?
Request a cash purchase price separately from any financed, leased or power-purchase option. Compare fees, escalators, maintenance responsibility, transfer terms and end-of-term obligations. Have a qualified adviser verify any incentive eligibility; do not subtract an incentive simply because it appears in marketing.
Roof, electrical and utility work
Ask whether the roof needs work before installation and how future removal and reinstallation would be handled. Identify electrical upgrades, monitoring, permit coordination and utility interconnection. Installation completion and permission to operate can be separate milestones.
What changes with location and conditions?
- Utility export compensation and rate schedules materially affect the economics. Obtain the actual tariff assumptions used in the proposal.
- Shade, roof orientation and available area are property-specific. State-level prices do not determine your system’s output.
- Snow, wind, heat and local permitting conditions affect design and installation. Have the installer explain which conditions are included in the scope.
Documents to collect at completion
- Approved layout and equipment schedule
- Interconnection and permission-to-operate records where applicable
- Monitoring access and operating instructions
- Separate equipment, workmanship and roof-penetration terms
Compare these promised records before choosing a provider. Keep the originals alongside your planning pack.
PICKYOURPRO.AI · YOUR NEXT STEP
Explain it once.
Compare with more clarity.
Turn what you have learned into a focused request. Give providers the same starting information, review their responses and ask questions about differences in scope, timing and fees.
- 1
Build a clear brief
Describe the service, your priorities and what needs assessment.
- 2
Review responses
Compare what each provider proposes and clarify open questions.
- 3
Choose your provider
Consider relevant experience, scope and terms—not just the lowest number.
Requesting and comparing proposals is free for clients. Provider participation, availability and response times vary. Confirm any separate consultation or inspection charge. Review project unlock terms for later project stages.
GOOD QUESTIONS, CLEARER CHOICES
Before you choose.
What should I include in a existing-system inspections request?
Request findings and performance-review scope. Include system design, production assumptions, electrical and roof coordination, ownership terms where known. Leave unknowns for the professional to assess.
Can I compare prices before an assessment?
You can compare the stated assumptions, scope and fee basis. Ask what must be checked before an offer is final and whether a consultation, inspection or diagnostic visit has a separate charge. For this service, start by clarifying system design.
How should I handle a lower price?
Ask which tasks, deliverables and terms differ. Use the cost tool to compare the same period and quantities, then review exclusions and professional fit. The smallest calculated number is not a recommendation.
Does the planning pack create an agreement?
No. It records your brief and entered scenarios. You still need to review and agree the provider’s actual proposal and terms. Keep original documents and approvals.
What happens after I continue to my request?
Your reviewed brief enters the existing PickYourPro.ai request process. You will need an account and can confirm the remaining details before completing the request. Provider participation and availability vary.
Are these live market prices?
The planning calculator uses your entered figures. Published references elsewhere on the page are separate, dated observations with their own sources and limitations. Neither is a live provider quote. Employee wages are not billable labor rates, and a producer-price index is not an installed project price.
TRANSPARENT BY DESIGN
Sources and editorial notes.
Prepared by PickYourPro.ai with AI assistance · Framework published October 7, 2026. Expanded research review: October 8, 2026. These service-planning questions have not been independently reviewed by a licensed specialist. Local requirements and professional suitability need individual verification.
- FTC: hiring a contractor ↗
Background on written estimates and checking a contractor. This resource does not endorse PickYourPro.ai. See any price-reference chart for the exact unit, scope and observation date.
- DOE: homeowner solar guide ↗
Public background for discussing a solar installation. This resource does not endorse PickYourPro.ai. See any price-reference chart for the exact unit, scope and observation date.
- EnergySage: first-half 2026 market report highlights ↗
Primary marketplace quote data. Published October 7, 2026; the sample is not the entire U.S. market. This resource does not endorse PickYourPro.ai. See any price-reference chart for the exact unit, scope and observation date.
- EnergySage: solar cost data ↗
Quoted installed-price references. Selected state observations use the source’s September 4, 2026 update. This resource does not endorse PickYourPro.ai. See any price-reference chart for the exact unit, scope and observation date.
Methodology and updates
Scope questions are organized by service and buying process. The planning calculator uses only entered values. Separately labelled reference charts use public source observations; no private PickYourPro project history is used. A permanent page address does not make a dated reference permanently current. Substantive changes should update the editorial record.
October 7, 2026: initial guide, service-specific scope, planning worksheet and cost-comparison tools published.
October 8, 2026: expanded option comparisons, project-specific buying questions, regional considerations and completion records.
KEEP EXPLORING
More solar guides.
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Explore ↗Battery storage
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Explore ↗Solar expansion
Ask about compatibility and approval requirements.
Explore ↗Inverter replacement
Identify the existing system and monitoring arrangements.
Explore ↗Solar removal and reinstallation
Coordinate roofing, storage, remounting and warranty responsibilities.
Explore ↗