Red flags
Red Flags in a Solar Quote
Some problems in a solar quote show up before you ever compare it with another one. These nine warning signs are the ones to check first. Any one of them is a reason to stop and ask before signing.
Reviewed 2026-09-24
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Since 1996
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VA 2705031092
Answer first
What are the red flags in a solar quote?
The biggest ones: a system sized without anyone looking at your roof, usage, or panel; a federal homeowner tax credit counted toward a 2026 install; production promises that live inside a lease or power purchase agreement; no line for panel or service work; no permit or interconnection line; and pressure to sign the same day. Each is fixable if the company answers in writing. If they will not, walk away.
- The homeowner federal credit does not apply to systems placed in service after December 31, 2025.
- Fairfax County requires a residential solar permit for roof-mounted and free-standing systems.
- Dominion caps a system at 150 percent of expected annual use, so real sizing starts from your bills.
- The FTC says never to deal with a company that pressures a quick decision or asks for cash.
Red flags in the numbers
These show up on the first page of the quote.
- 01
Sized without a roof or bill lookup
A round-number system, like 10 kW, with no roof layout, no shade reading, and no request for 12 months of bills. Dominion limits a residential system to what does not reasonably produce more than 150 percent of expected annual use, so real sizing starts from your usage and your roof. Ask for the layout and the usage figure the size came from.
- 02
A homeowner tax credit for a 2026 install
The IRS says the Residential Clean Energy Credit is not available for property placed in service after December 31, 2025. A quote that subtracts a 30 percent federal credit from the price of your own home in 2026 is wrong; that rate now belongs to the Section 48E commercial credit, which rental and business property may qualify for after a CPA confirms it. Ask for the net price with no credit in it.
- 03
Savings built on a rate forecast you cannot see
The FTC notes that companies may estimate how much electricity rates will rise. A savings chart that depends on a steep assumed increase looks better than it will be. Ask which current rate and which yearly increase the chart uses, and compare it with your actual bill.
Red flags in the contract terms
These are in the fine print, often in the financing or ownership section.
- 01
Output promises tied to a lease or PPA
A promised minimum production that appears only in a lease or power purchase agreement, where the remedy is a small credit and the payment keeps running. The FTC advises asking how the company will pay if the system falls short and whether payments will increase. With a lease or PPA, you do not own the system and cannot claim renewable energy certificates or tax credits.
- 02
Equipment listed as "or equivalent"
No model numbers for the panels, inverters, or racking, or a clause that lets the company substitute freely. Ask for model-specific equipment and the rule for any substitution.
- 03
Same-day pressure
A discount that expires tonight, a contract you cannot take home to read, or a request for cash. The FTC says never to deal with a power or home repair company that does any of these.
Red flags in the scope
These are about what is missing. They cost the most when they surface after signing.
- 01
No panel or service line
No mention of the busbar rating, the main breaker, or whether a panel upgrade is needed. On older homes the 120% rule often fails on the existing panel, and a heavy-up discovered after signing becomes a change order. Ask whether the panel was checked and what happens if it fails.
- 02
No permit or interconnection line
No line for the building permit, no mention of the electrical record a heavy-up needs, and no mention of the utility application. Fairfax County requires a residential solar permit, and Dominion requires an interconnection application and electrician certification. Ask who files each one and whether the fees are included.
- 03
No name on the electrical work
The quote never says who wires the system or connects it to the panel. Ask whether the electrical work is subcontracted and get the company and license number, then look it up on DPOR.
After the red flags: compare line by line
Red flags tell you whether a single quote deserves a second look. Once a quote clears them, the next step is different: put it side by side with the others on the same fields, from array size and equipment to roof responsibility, warranties, and exclusions. Our proposal comparison guide has the worksheet.
For a benchmark, we publish a cash planning band of $19,000–$34,000 at $2.40–$2.85/W for a typical 8 to 12 kW rooftop array in Northern Virginia. Panel, battery, and EV work are separate lines. A financed monthly payment is not the same number as a cash installed price, so convert both quotes to cash before comparing.
Straight answers
Questions
- Can I still get the federal solar tax credit on my home in 2026?
- No. The IRS says the Residential Clean Energy Credit is not available for property placed in service after December 31, 2025. Rental and business property may qualify for a separate commercial credit; confirm with a CPA. We do not give tax advice.
- Is a production promise in a solar lease a good thing?
- Read what it pays. Ask how the company pays if the system produces less, how that is measured, and whether your payments rise over time. A small credit against a payment that keeps going is not much protection.
- What if a solar quote does not mention my electrical panel?
- Ask before signing whether the panel was checked against the 120% rule and whether a panel upgrade is included, excluded, or a possible change order. On older homes it is often needed.
- Is it a red flag if the salesperson never went on the roof?
- Not by itself, if the design was checked in person before the contract is final. It is a red flag when the size and price are fixed from an online image with no roof visit, no shade reading, and no look at the panel.
- How is this different from comparing solar proposals?
- Red flags are warning signs inside one quote. Comparing proposals is lining up several quotes on the same fields. Clear the red flags first, then compare.
Next step
Get a second look at your quote
Send us the quote you have. We check the sizing, the panel, the permit and interconnection lines, and the contract terms, and give you our own written 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.