Before you sign
Questions to Ask a Solar Company
The most useful questions are about who actually does the work: who wires the system, whether that work is subcontracted, who pulls the permit, who files with the utility, what the workmanship warranty says in writing, and who is on the roof and at the panel on install day.
Reviewed 2026-09-24
Google reviews
1,463 across four profiles
Family-owned
Since 1996
Licensed and insured
VA 2705031092
Answer first
What should I ask a solar company?
Ask who does the electrical work and whether it is subcontracted, whether a master electrician is on site, who pulls the permit, who files the utility interconnection, what the workmanship warranty covers in writing and for how long, and whether the panel has been checked for the solar connection. Then ask how the production figure was modeled and who you call for service in year ten.
- Ask for names and license numbers, then check them on Virginia DPOR's license lookup.
- Get every answer that matters written into the proposal, not just said at the kitchen table.
- The FTC warns against any home improvement company that pressures a quick decision or asks for cash.
- We answer each question on this page for ourselves at the bottom.
Who does the work
A solar system is a roof job and an electrical job. Many companies sell the system and hand one or both parts to someone else. That is not automatically bad, but you should know who is on your roof and in your panel.
| Ask | Why it matters | A good answer sounds like |
|---|---|---|
| Who does the electrical work? | The connection to your panel and the utility is where most code and safety issues live. | A named company with a Virginia contractor license that covers electrical work. |
| Is any of it subcontracted? | A subcontractor may not be bound by the promises the salesperson made. | A plain yes or no, and if yes, the subcontractor's name and license on the contract. |
| Is a master electrician on site? | Virginia's Board for Contractors licenses electricians as journeyman or master tradesmen. Master is the higher license. | Yes, for the whole install, or a clear statement of who supervises the electrical work. |
| Who am I talking to? | Some companies pay sales staff by commission, and the person quoting may never see the job. | The person who will design or run your project, or a clear handoff to them. |
| Can I verify your license? | The FTC suggests checking with the state contractors licensing board. | A license number you can look up on DPOR yourself. |
Permits and the utility
Fairfax County strongly recommends that a licensed contractor pull the permit as the responsible party, so the county can help if work is defective. The utility side is separate: Dominion's net metering process needs an interconnection application before installation and a certification by a licensed Virginia electrician, or a passed local inspection, after it.
- Who pulls the building permit, and in whose name?
- If the panel or service needs work, who pulls that electrical record?
- Who files the utility interconnection application, and when?
- Who schedules and attends the inspection?
- Who tells me when I have permission to operate, and what do I do before then?
The electrical side
The panel is where solar quotes most often come apart after signing. Ask before, not after.
- Did you check my panel's busbar and main breaker ratings against the 120% rule?
- Is a panel replacement or heavy-up included, excluded, or listed as a possible change order?
- Where will the solar connect: a breaker in the panel, or a supply-side connection?
- How will the system be grounded and bonded, and where will the disconnects go?
- If I add an EV charger or a battery later, does this design leave room?
Production, price, and what is in writing
The FTC advises getting detailed bids in writing: system size, expected production, the full installation cost including permit fees, whether there is any promise about output, and which warranties cover the equipment and the installation workmanship.
- How was the production figure modeled, and does it include shade measured at my roof?
- Is the price a cash installed price, and what is it per watt?
- Which equipment models, exactly, and can they be substituted?
- What does the workmanship warranty cover, for how long, and who honors it?
- Who do I call for service, and who services the system if your company is gone?
- Does anything in this quote depend on a tax credit? If so, which one, and has it been confirmed by a CPA?
How we answer these
We think a company should answer its own checklist. Installation is all in-house at AJ Long Electric. There is no commissioned sales team and no subcontracted electrical work. A master electrician is on site for every solar project. Our Virginia Class B contractor license is 2705031092, and you can look it up on DPOR.
We pull the Fairfax County residential solar permit and any electrical record the panel work needs, attend the inspection, and file the Dominion or NOVEC interconnection. Panel work, a battery, or an EV circuit go on the same proposal as separate lines.
We also service solar systems other companies installed, including systems whose installer has gone out of business. Estimates are free.
Straight answers
Questions
- How do I check a solar company's license in Virginia?
- Use the Virginia Department of Professional and Occupational Regulation license lookup. Search the company name or license number and confirm the license is active and covers the work being quoted.
- Is it bad if a solar company subcontracts the electrical work?
- Not automatically, but you should know. Ask for the subcontractor's name and license on the contract, and ask who is responsible if the electrical work fails inspection or needs service later.
- Who should pull the solar permit?
- The licensed contractor doing the work. Fairfax County strongly recommends that a properly licensed contractor pull the permit as the responsible party.
- Who files the Dominion interconnection application?
- Usually the installer, with the homeowner signing as the customer. Dominion's process has both the customer and the vendor sign the application before contingent approval.
- How many quotes should I get?
- The FTC suggests comparing detailed bids from several companies. Two or three written proposals with the same scope are usually enough to see the differences.
Next step
Ask us all of them
Bring this list to the site visit. We answer every question on it in writing on the proposal. Estimates are free.
Solar energy company
AJ Long Electric Solar
AJ Long Electric
7138 Little River Turnpike #305
Annandale, VA 22003
Serving Annandale, Fairfax County, and Northern Virginia.