Free roof study
Get a Free Solar Roof Study
A roof study is how every AJ Long Electric solar project starts. You send a bill and your address, we look at the roof, the shade, the electrical panel, and the service size, and you get back a written proposal sized to your house. It is free, and it commits you to nothing.
Reviewed 2026-09-24
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Family-owned
Since 1996
Licensed and insured
VA 2705031092
On every install
Master electrician on site
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Workmanship warranty
Answer first
What the roof study covers
The free roof study checks five things: your electric bill, the roof, the shade, the electrical panel, and the service size coming in from the utility. We size the system only after looking up the actual roof, so nobody quotes you a number of panels from a zip code. You get back a written proposal with the system size, a modeled production estimate, the price, and any electrical work the house needs, each on its own line.
- Free: no charge for the study, the visit, or the written price. The dispatch fee never applies to an estimate.
- The panel and service are part of the study, because they decide as much of the price as the roof does.
- Production numbers are modeled estimates and labeled that way.
- A master electrician is on site for every solar project, starting with the design the study produces.
What to send us
Two things start the study: a recent electric bill and the property address. Twelve months of usage is better than one, because solar is sized to a year, not a month. If you have the online account for Dominion Energy or NOVEC, the usage history is usually there.
Tell us what is coming too. An electric vehicle, a heat pump, a pool, or a planned addition changes how much energy the house will use and what the panel has to carry. It is far cheaper to plan for them now than to redesign later.
The five checks
Each check answers a different question, and each one can change the proposal.
- 01
Your bill
Annual kilowatt-hours and your rate schedule. Dominion requires a net metered system be sized so it does not reasonably produce more than 150% of expected annual use, so the bill sets the ceiling.
- 02
Your roof
Direction, pitch, usable area, age, and condition. Fairfax County suggests a roof under five years old and calls south or west faces the best exposure.
- 03
Your shade
Trees, chimneys, dormers, and neighboring buildings. Fairfax County calls six or more hours of direct sun a day ideal. We model the shade across the year, not just at noon.
- 04
Your panel
Busbar rating, main breaker, open spaces, condition, and grounding. The 120% rule decides whether your panel can take the solar breaker as it is.
- 05
Your service size
The size of the service from the utility. A smaller service may need a heavy-up before solar, a battery, or an EV charger fits.
What you get back
A written proposal, not a sales pitch. It shows the system size set from the roof lookup, a modeled production estimate, and the cash price, with panel, service, battery, or EV charger work listed separately so you can see what the electrical side adds.
For planning before the study, our published cash rate is $2.40–$2.85/W and a typical 8 to 12 kW rooftop array runs $19,000–$34,000. The study replaces that range with a price for your house.
The proposal also names the permit office and the utility for the address, notes any HOA review, and lists the local incentives that apply. The homeowner federal credit does not apply to systems placed in service after December 31, 2025, and the proposal does not count it.
When the study says wait
Sometimes the honest result is a different plan. A roof near the end of its life should usually be replaced before an array goes on it. A heavily shaded lot may produce too little to justify a full array. We say so in writing and show the modeled numbers, and you decide.
Other times the study finds electrical work the house needed anyway, like an undersized service or a panel that should be replaced. That goes on its own line, whether or not you go solar.
The site visit
Imagery gets the study started, and the site visit confirms it. We measure the roof and shade in person, open the electrical panel, and look at the attic framing under the planned array. You need to be home for the inside part.
Straight answers
Questions
- Is the solar roof study really free?
- Yes. The study, the visit, and the written proposal are free, and the dispatch fee never applies to an estimate.
- Can you tell me my system size from my address?
- Not responsibly. We set the size after looking up the actual roof and reading your usage, then confirm it on site.
- Do I have to be home?
- For the inside part, yes. We need to open the electrical panel and look in the attic.
- What if I am not sure I want solar?
- That is what the study is for. You get the numbers in writing and decide on your own schedule.
Next step
Request your roof study
Send a recent electric bill and your address through the solar intake form, or call. We will set up the study and the site visit.
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.