The solar installation process is more than just putting panels on a roof. It involves choosing a contractor, signing a contract, getting permits, passing inspections, and receiving utility approval before the system can legally produce power. Understanding each step helps you avoid delays, spot bad actors, and know what questions to ask along the way.

Short version: A qualified installer handles permits and inspections, but you should still understand the sequence: contract first, permit before installation, inspection after installation, then utility connection.

Start with multiple quotes and credential checks

The U.S. Department of Energy’s Homeowner’s Guide to Going Solar recommends installing solar through a qualified professional who holds a certification and works with high-quality solar panels. According to the guide, the industry-standard certification is awarded through the North American Board of Certified Energy Practitioners, known as NABCEP.

The California Public Utilities Commission, or CPUC, publishes a consumer protection guide that is specific to California. It recommends getting bids from at least three different solar providers before signing anything. The guide notes that the cheapest bid is not necessarily the right choice, because a very low bid may indicate that a provider is trying to cut corners.

The CPUC guide also tells California homeowners to ask for the solar provider’s Contractors State License Board, or CSLB, license number. If you were contacted by a telephone or door-to-door salesperson, ask for that person’s individual home improvement salesperson registration number. The guide says the CSLB license must be active and should hold license classifications C-46 for solar contractor, C-10 for electrical contractor, or B for general building contractor in order to install a residential solar energy system. These license classes are California-specific and do not apply as a national standard.

For a broader view of what to check before choosing an installer, see installation planning. You can also review the overall decision process in how to plan a home solar system step by step.

Read the contract before you sign

The Federal Trade Commission, or FTC, warns that scammers sometimes promise big savings from solar energy or other home improvements. In its consumer alert on clean energy scams, the FTC says anyone who pressures you into a contract or demands up-front or immediate payment is a scammer. Legitimate businesses and government agencies do not pressure you to act immediately.

The FTC also says that offers of free or no-cost solar panels are scams. The federal government does not install solar systems in homes for free. If you spot a scam, the FTC asks you to report it at ReportFraud.ftc.gov.

The CPUC guide gives California customers a specific right: a three-day cancellation period after signing a contract. You have at least three business days to cancel for any reason, or five days if you are 65 or older. The guide says you may cancel by emailing, mailing, faxing, or delivering a notice to your solar provider by midnight of the third business day after you received a signed, dated copy of the contract. Different rules may apply for contracts negotiated at a company’s place of business.

The CPUC checklist also recommends saving copies of all documents you receive, including downloading or printing them. That information can be useful if you sell your home, need to replace your roof, or have repair or maintenance issues. For more on contracts and ownership, see ownership and warranties.

Permits come before installation

According to the U.S. Department of Energy’s page on permitting and inspection for rooftop solar, permitting and inspection are required before a solar array is allowed to produce electricity on the grid. Generally, local governments require solar installers to obtain a permit for rooftop panels before they can be installed.

The Department of Energy says local governments have different rules pertaining to permitting and inspection, and details and fees may vary across jurisdictions. That means the timeline for approval depends on where you live. The permitting and inspection process ensures that a building is safe for solar panels and that the system is properly installed.

Anything connected to home wiring or the grid is done by licensed professionals with permits and utility approval. Homeowners should not attempt to handle these steps themselves. The Department of Energy’s Homeowner’s Guide to Going Solar explicitly recommends installing solar through a qualified professional.

Inspection and utility connection come after

The Department of Energy’s permitting page describes the sequence clearly. Following the installation, a professional from the local government will inspect the new array to ensure all safety codes have been followed. The utility will then connect the system to the grid, and it can begin generating power.

This order matters. A system should not be turned on and exporting power before the inspection and utility approval are complete. The Department of Energy says permitting and inspection are required before a solar array is allowed to produce electricity on the grid. If you are unsure where your project stands, ask your installer what has been approved and what is still pending.

For context on how a grid-tied system works after approval, see grid-tied solar. If you are considering batteries as part of the project, review home battery storage.

Soft costs include permitting and interconnection

The Department of Energy’s soft costs page explains that soft costs are the non-hardware cost components of solar energy systems. These include design, siting, permitting, installation, interconnection, and financing. They also include sales, general, and administrative expenses such as customer acquisition, workforce training and certification, supply chain and inventory control, and operating overhead.

According to the Department of Energy’s permitting page, administrative errors and backlogs can result in permitting delays. Improving the permitting and inspection process is crucial to reducing soft costs, which account for about two-thirds of the overall cost of residential systems. The Department of Energy states that soft costs for residential solar energy systems declined by approximately 50 percent between 2010 and 2020 according to the National Laboratory of the Rockies, but these costs need to fall an additional 60 to 70 percent to reach the cost targets of DOE’s IESO program.

Because incentives and program rules change, the Department of Energy’s Homeowner’s Guide points to DSIRE, operated by the N.C. Clean Energy Technology Center at N.C. State University, as a source of information on incentives and policies that support renewable energy in the United States. Check current official sources rather than relying on older figures. For a broader look at what affects total cost, see cost factors.

Programs that streamline permitting

The Department of Energy’s permitting page lists two programs that work on reducing the costs and administrative burdens associated with solar permitting. SolarAPP+ is a web-based platform that automates solar and solar plus storage permitting for local governments. SolSmart offers recognition and no-cost technical assistance to local governments that streamline solar projects and reduce soft costs.

These are Department of Energy programs, not tools that homeowners use directly to pull their own permits. They operate at the local government level. If your jurisdiction participates, the permitting step may move faster, but the installer still handles the application and approval process.

The Department of Energy’s soft costs page also lists the Interconnection Innovation e-Xchange, known as i2X, as an initiative that helps improve solar access and lower soft costs. These programs reflect a broader effort to reduce administrative delays rather than a promise that any individual project will be approved quickly.

What to expect at each step

The table below summarizes the main stages of the solar installation process, what happens at each stage, and a question you can ask. The sequence is based on the Department of Energy’s permitting and inspection guidance and the consumer protection steps described by the CPUC and FTC.

Step What happens Question to ask
Quotes and credentials You collect bids and check licenses or certifications. Can you provide your license or certification number and references?
Contract review You read the contract and financing documents before signing. What is the cancellation period and what are my total obligations?
Permit application The installer obtains a local permit before installation. Has the permit been approved and what fees apply in this jurisdiction?
Installation Qualified professionals install the system according to local rules. Who will be on site and how will safety codes be followed?
Local inspection A local government professional inspects the array after installation. When is the inspection scheduled and what happens if corrections are needed?
Utility connection The utility connects the system to the grid. What is the interconnection status and when can the system begin generating power?

Timelines vary by jurisdiction because local governments have different rules, as the Department of Energy notes. Do not assume a project will follow the same schedule as one in another city or state.

Frequently asked questions

Can I install solar panels myself?

The U.S. Department of Energy’s Homeowner’s Guide to Going Solar recommends installing solar through a qualified professional who holds a certification and works with high-quality solar panels. Anything connected to home wiring or the grid should be handled by licensed professionals with permits and utility approval.

What happens if I feel pressured to sign a solar contract?

The Federal Trade Commission says anyone who pressures you into a contract or demands up-front or immediate payment is a scammer. The CPUC guide for California customers recommends not signing anything if you feel you need more time to do research or think about your decision. You can ask a salesperson to come back at a later date.

Why does the permit and inspection step matter?

According to the Department of Energy, the permitting and inspection process ensures that a building is safe for solar panels and that the system is properly installed. Permitting and inspection are required before a solar array is allowed to produce electricity on the grid.

For more detail on planning a solar project from start to finish, visit installation planning or the broader home solar planning section.

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