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Almost-buyer toolkit

How to compare solar quotes without a 90-minute pitch

Finding installers is easy. Evaluating three PDFs without trusting any of them is the hard part. Normalize to dollars per watt, separate battery, and pressure-test against a planning benchmark (~$3.10/W before incentives in SolarFlow’s model).

Questions that surface real numbers

What is the cash price before incentives?

Ignore payment-factor marketing. Get the gross installed price and system size in kW so you can compute $/W.

Is battery included, and at what line-item cost?

Bundles hide PV pricing. Separate battery so you can compare solar $/W apples-to-apples.

What rate and export credit assumptions drive the savings chart?

Ask for your rate schedule and Net Billing / export assumptions in writing. If they won’t show work, treat savings as soft.

What is excluded (main panel upgrade, roof work, trenching)?

Change orders after signature are a common pain. Get exclusions in the proposal.

What are equipment brands, warranties, and workmanship terms?

Cheapest isn’t always best — but premium needs a reason beyond glossy savings.

Market check

Decode a solar quote

Enter figures from the proposal (cash price before tax credits). We compare against SolarFlow’s transparent planning benchmarks — not a sales target.

After the market check, model your roof so the kW on the quote matches your layout — then share a spouse-ready report. Also see utility bill guides and permit timelines.