Five steps, real durations
The process, including the slow parts
Most projects run 8–12 weeks door-to-door. We won't pretend otherwise. The install itself takes days; paperwork takes weeks. Here's exactly where the time goes.
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Week 0–1
Site assessment
One visit, about 90 minutes. We measure the roof, run a shade study with a real instrument, check your panel and service capacity, and review 12 months of usage.
Honestly: It's free, and 'solar isn't worth it for this house' is a possible outcome. Roughly 1 in 6 assessments ends with us recommending against — or recommending a re-roof first.
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Week 1–3
Design & fixed quote
Engineering drawings, panel layout, production model, and a line-itemed fixed quote — equipment, labor, permits, everything. Any incentive programs we've verified for your address appear as their own lines.
Honestly: The quote is valid 90 days. No 'sign tonight' pricing — a real number doesn't expire at dinner.
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Week 3–8
Permits & utility application
We file the building permit, the electrical permit, and your utility's interconnection application, and we chase all three.
Honestly: This is the long pole and it is mostly out of our hands. City and county queues run 2–5 weeks depending on season. Anyone promising 'panels next week' is skipping a step you'll pay for later.
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1–3 days
Installation
Racking, panels, inverter, wiring, and a clean roof penetration detail we photograph and include in your closeout packet. Most homes take one to two days; complex roofs take three.
Honestly: We don't leave until the site is cleaner than we found it. Your lawn is not a staging area for a week.
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Week 8–12
Inspection & permission to operate
The city inspects, the utility swaps or reprograms the meter, and issues permission to operate (PTO). We commission monitoring and walk you through it.
Honestly: You cannot legally flip the system on before PTO, and the utility's PTO queue adds 1–3 weeks. We'll tell you the current queue time when you ask — not a hopeful guess.
What install day looks like
Measured twice, mounted once
The crew arrives with an engineered layout, not a "we'll see." Racking goes on in the morning, panels in the afternoon, and every roof penetration is flashed, sealed, and photographed for your closeout packet — so if anyone ever asks "did the solar people cause this?", there's a picture that answers it.
Most homes take one to two days on the roof. Then it's the inspector's turn, and the utility's — which is why the honest answer to "when can I turn it on?" is measured in weeks, not days.
Start with the free assessment
No pressure — literally
Twelve weeks of honesty beats one week of promises
We'll tell you the current permit and utility queue times before you sign anything — ask, and you'll get this month's numbers, not a hopeful guess.
Prefer a human? (970) 555-0134 — office hours only, and we never cold-call.