Ten practical checkpoints for home solar installation β from feasibility and shading to grid connection, contracts, and upkeep β before you sign anything.
What determines how well home solar works out has less to do with panel pricing and more to do with your roof's condition, shading, and the grid-connection process. Rather than encouraging installation, this list works through ten practical checkpoints to verify yourself before signing a contract. Actual output depends on orientation, tilt, regional sunlight, and shading, so this guide avoids promising any specific return or payback period.
The items that are hardest to see up front β roof structural assessment, grid-connection paperwork, contract clauses β tend to cause the most disputes later. This guide doesn't recommend any particular installer; before signing, compare quotes from at least three companies and verify their program registration, electrical contracting license, and insurance yourself. Rate and certification details reflect research as of August 2026, so confirm with official sources right before you contract.