Cash price before incentives
Ask for the project’s cash price before incentives. Keep it separate from the amount financed, the monthly payment and the total of payments.
For California homeowners
California solar quote guide for homeowners
See what each solar quote includes, compare prices and take a short list of questions to your installer.
Use the checker without entering your name, address or phone number.
A clear next step
How CaSolar works
Start where you are. Our tools help you prepare questions and read written proposals before choosing an installer.
Prepare your brief
Gather electricity usage, roof information and your goals for backup power.
What to prepare →Request the same scope
Give each installer the same questions so their written answers are easier to compare.
Use the request template →Compare the details
Separate solar, battery and upgrade costs. Keep the full project budget in view.
Open the quote checker →Plan what comes next
Clarify the site review, approvals, installation and homeowner handover.
Follow the installation steps →
Before you sign
How to read a solar quote
Solar equipment and included work
Check the panels’ rated DC capacity and ask for separate prices for storage, roof work and electrical upgrades. Ask which circuits have backup.
Estimated utility bill savings
Check the utility rate and battery mode behind the first-year bill estimate.
Choose your next step
Solar quote tools and guides
Your home, your brief
What to prepare before requesting home solar quotes
Your electricity use, roof and future plans give an installer a starting point. Gather your recent bills, note the age of the roof and list changes such as EV charging or a heat pump. Ask for a site assessment to check what an online estimate cannot confirm.
Keep the same brief for every installer. When one proposal assumes higher electricity use, ask what changed before comparing its savings figure.
Prepare your solar quote request →
The whole proposal
Compare solar panel quotes beyond the monthly payment
A monthly payment describes one part of the commitment. Put the cash price, equipment, included work and payment schedule side by side. An itemized quote makes it possible to separate a battery or roof repair from the solar array.
Our calculator shows solar-only price per DC watt when the required figures are available. Use that result alongside warranty coverage, exclusions and the questions you still need answered.
See what price per watt leaves out →
Storage with a purpose
Solar panels with battery storage — what should you compare?
Start with what you want the battery to do. List the appliances you want available in an outage, then ask the installer to explain the proposed backup circuits and expected runtime.
Request a solar-only option and a storage option with the same array. Keep the extra cash price, projected utility bill and backup coverage as three separate comparisons.
Explore solar with and without a battery →For solar professionals
Make your proposal easier to understand
Use our scope template to explain equipment, allowances and exclusions. Take the handover checklist into the final walkthrough so the homeowner knows where to find monitoring, warranties and support.
Open installer resources →Plan the next visit
Check the weather before a site visit
Explore the U.S. map for updated local forecasts, wind and precipitation chances. Each forecast names its reference city and issue time.
Explore the daily weather map →Questions before you compare solar quotes
Does CaSolar install solar panels?
CaSolar is an information and comparison project. We provide tools and checklists. Site assessments, designs, quotes and installation are handled by the installer you choose. Read about the project.
Can I compare a quote that includes a battery?
Yes. Enter the full cash price and the separately identified battery price. If the battery cost is bundled, ask for a breakdown before using a solar-only price-per-watt comparison.
What happens after I choose an installer?
Agree on the final scope, responsibility for approvals and the milestones for payment and handover. Our installation walkthrough explains the questions to ask at each stage.
Planning reference: U.S. Department of Energy’s rooftop solar walkthrough. Images are illustrative.