Buyer's guide
How to Choose a Solar Company in Florida
Seven checks any homeowner can run before signing, in the order that matters. You can run all of them on us. We would rather you did.
Get My Free AssessmentMost advice on this question is written by companies that want the answer to be themselves. So here is the version that is useful instead: the things you can verify yourself, from public records and from documents any honest company will hand you without being pushed.
- 01
Verify the licence yourself
Ask who the licensed contractor performing the work is, and get their licence number in writing. Then check it yourself at the Florida DBPR licence portal, which is free and public. Confirm the licence is active and that the name on it matches the name on your contract. A company that will not name the installing contractor before you sign has told you something.
- 02
Find out who provides each warranty
There is rarely one warranty. The panels have a manufacturer warranty, the inverter often has its own, and the installation and workmanship warranty comes from whoever physically did the work. Ask for each one separately: who provides it, how long it lasts, what it excludes, whether a service call costs anything, and whether it transfers if you sell. Get the documents, not a summary.
- 03
Read the financing agreement before the proposal
The proposal is marketing. The financing agreement is the contract. It states the rate, the term, the total you will pay, any fees, any escalator that raises your payment over time, and whether anything is filed against your property. If a monthly payment is quoted to you without those terms attached, ask for them before you go further.
- 04
Ask what happens to your roof
On most roof types the mounts penetrate the deck and are flashed and sealed. On a standing seam metal roof the hardware clamps to the raised seam and the panel is never drilled. Ask which applies to your roof, who covers a leak at a mount, and for how long. If your roof is near the end of its life, ask whether it should be replaced first, and what it costs to remove and reinstall panels later if it is not.
- 05
Make them show the production estimate, not the savings
Savings depend on utility rates, which change and which nobody controls. Estimated production, in kilowatt-hours, depends on your roof and is something a company should be able to show its working for: system size, orientation, angle, shading. Ask what shading analysis they ran. A company that leads with a savings number and cannot show you the production estimate behind it is selling the part it cannot guarantee.
- 06
Confirm which utility serves your address
It decides more than most homeowners expect: the interconnection process, how a system is credited on your bill, and which financing structures are even available. Two homes on the same street can be on different utilities. If the company you are talking to cannot tell you which one serves you and what that changes, they are guessing at your proposal.
- 07
Get every number in writing before you sign
System size, equipment makes and models, total price, payment terms, timeline, who pulls the permit, what happens if the project is delayed or cancelled, and the cancellation window. Anything said out loud that is not in the document does not exist. This is the whole test, and it costs nothing to apply.
Run it on us
Every check above is one we expect to be asked. Here is where our answers live, so you can read them before you ever speak to anyone.
Choosing a solar company: common questions
- How do I check if a Florida solar contractor is licensed?
- Ask for the licence number of the contractor who will perform the work, then look it up on the Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulation licence search, which is free and public. Confirm the licence is active and that the name matches your contract. The company selling you the system and the company installing it are not always the same, so verify the one doing the work.
- What questions should I ask a solar company before signing?
- Who is the licensed installing contractor and what is their licence number. Who provides each warranty, for how long, and what is excluded. What the financing agreement says about rate, term, total cost, fees, any escalator, and any filing against the property. What the estimated production is and what shading analysis it is based on. Which utility serves the address and what that changes. And whether every number discussed appears in the written documents.
- Is a solar savings estimate a guarantee?
- No. Savings depend on your energy usage, system size, roof and site conditions, financing terms, utility rates, net-metering rules and other factors specific to your home, and utility rates in particular are set by the utility and regulators rather than by any solar company. Estimated production in kilowatt-hours is the figure a company can actually show its working for.
- What is the difference between the company selling solar and the one installing it?
- In Florida they are often different businesses. A sales organisation may design the project and coordinate it while a licensed contractor performs the installation and pulls the permit. Neither arrangement is a problem on its own, but you should know which one you are dealing with, and the installing contractor and their licence number should be named in your written agreement.
- Should I get more than one solar quote?
- Yes, and compare them on the same terms. Line up estimated production in kilowatt-hours, equipment makes and models, total cost rather than monthly payment, the financing terms including any escalator, and who provides each warranty. Two proposals with the same monthly payment can differ substantially once the term and total are compared.
Bring the list to your assessment
Print it, screenshot it, read it off your phone. Ask us every question on it, and ask the next company the same ones.
Savings and utility-bill examples shown are illustrative only, are not guaranteed, and may not reflect typical results. Actual savings depend on your energy usage, system size, roof and site conditions, financing terms, utility rates, net-metering rules, and other factors specific to your home.
Financing, where available, is provided by third-party financing providers and is subject to credit approval. Rates, terms, fees, monthly payments, total cost, and any security interest or filing are set out in your financing agreement. “$0 down” describes the initial payment structure only and does not mean the system or services are free.