Five steps, real durations
The process, including the slow parts
Most projects run 8 to 12 weeks from signed quote to switch-on. 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 to 1
Site assessment
One visit, about 90 minutes. We measure the roof, run a shade study with a real instrument, check your electrical panel, 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 it, or recommending a re-roof first.
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Week 1 to 3
Design and fixed quote
Engineering drawings, panel layout, production estimate, and a line-item fixed quote: equipment, labor, permits, everything. Any incentive programs you may qualify for, once we've checked them 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 to 8
Permits and 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 slow part, and it's mostly out of our hands. City and county queues run 2 to 5 weeks depending on the season. Anyone promising 'panels next week' is skipping a step you'll pay for later.
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1 to 3 days
Installation
Racking, panels, inverter, wiring, and a clean seal at every roof mount, photographed for 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 to 12
Inspection and permission to operate
The city inspects, the utility swaps or reprograms the meter and issues permission to operate (PTO). We switch on monitoring and walk you through it.
Honestly: You can't legally turn the system on before PTO, and the utility's queue adds 1 to 3 weeks. Ask us and we'll tell you this month's queue time, 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. 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. That's 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? Call (970) 555-0134 during office hours. We never cold-call.