The solar buyer checklist
One printed page. Sixteen checkboxes. Zero sales calls.
Print it, carry it into the meetings, and tick it off as each item is answered in writing. Every item here is the kind of detail we caught falling out of real contracts while researching the guides.
Group 1 — Before you take the calls
Usage drives size; the installer's "survey" often over-projects it.
Three is what every buying guide and half the industry advises.
Quotes migrate toward what you can 'afford' instead of what you need.
Cheapest quote from a company that can't install isn't a quote.
Group 2 — At the call — question every number
Upside-down figures start after this point. Ask for it in writing.
A promise of 14,000 kWh/year needs weather and shading behind it.
Retail-rate net metering, export credits and wholesale rates are very different.
For 2022–2025 installs it's a tax credit; it is not a discount written by the installer.
You're not buying the system; the math changes completely.
Group 3 — Financing — the hidden costs
It's rolled into the price; 20-35% is common on 25-year loans, and 'interest-free' claims hide it.
A $0 payment today can mean a 9% effective loan.
Payoff in year 3 at a $40,000 balance with a 30% fee hurts.
Group 4 — Before you sign
Including the make and model of every panel, inverter and mount.
Labor warranties vary 2–25 years across installers.
Who handles the paperwork? What if the utility denies your export?
Same-day 'discounts' are timed for your hesitation, not your benefit.
Short version: the cheapest quote is only the best deal if the cash price, the production estimate and the export-credit math all survive the questions above. Run your quotes through the scorecard once the calls are over.