Research-backed solar guide

Solar quotation checklist

Normalize quotations so you compare complete scope instead of catchy prices.

Part of the: Solar cost and savings in the Philippines

SolarGabay Editorial Sources reviewed Updated July 20, 2026 · 14 min

Author

SolarGabay Editorial Team — independent consumer-focused writers who translate technical sources into practical homeowner guidance.

Technical review

Reviewed against the published methodology, source hierarchy, and stated limitations. This is educational guidance, not site-specific engineering.

Update history

Last reviewed July 20, 2026. Corrections are logged through the public corrections process and material changes update this date.

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Practical answer

What you should know first

A proper solar quotation is not just a price and a kW size. It should clearly show the equipment, expected output, scope of work, warranty, exclusions, and payment terms. Without that detail, you are comparing sales language instead of actual proposals.

A useful quotation lets two technically literate reviewers reach the same understanding of what will be built.

Decision map

Make every quote comparable

Technical schedule

Models, quantities, ratings, layout, protection, and generation estimate.

Commercial scope

Price, taxes, permits, roof work, exclusions, payment, and timeline.

Handover and support

Testing, documents, monitoring, training, warranties, and service response.

The variables that matter

System size alone does not make two proposals equivalent.

Production assumptions should be transparent enough to challenge and compare.

Warranty quality depends on coverage, labor treatment, claim process, and responsible party.

Exclusions often hide the biggest differences between “cheap” and “complete.”

Minimum technical content

The quotation should identify module, inverter, battery, mounting, monitoring, and protection equipment by manufacturer and model. It should show DC and AC ratings, expected annual generation, assumptions, roof layout, and the system type during normal and outage conditions.

If the proposal relies on net metering, incentives, or export credits, those should be separated from physical production and described as policy-dependent rather than guaranteed.

Solar installers working on a pitched roof with fall-protection equipment — A comparable quote names equipment, quantities, scope, assumptions, exclusions, warranties, schedule, payment milestones, and acceptance tests.

List exact equipment models and quantities.

Show annual kWh and key loss assumptions.

Include layout, single-line diagram, and backup-circuit scope where relevant.

[1] U.S. Department of Energy [2] U.S. Department of Energy [3] U.S. Federal Trade Commission

Minimum commercial content

Payment milestones, taxes, permits, utility work, structural work, roof responsibility, exclusions, cancellation terms, and warranty labor should be explicit. The FTC cautions consumers against pressure to sign before they have time to review.

Comparable quotes must use the same scope. A proposal that excludes permitting or roof repairs should not be ranked beside a turnkey proposal without adjusting the comparison.

Separate cash price, finance cost, and optional upgrades.

Mark every exclusion and owner responsibility.

Keep verbal promises out of the decision unless they are added to the contract.

[1] U.S. Department of Energy [2] U.S. Department of Energy [3] U.S. Federal Trade Commission

Worked example

“Complete installation” is not a useful line item

Without a written list, the phrase may or may not include utility documents, roof sealing, electrical upgrades, monitoring setup, labels, training, or warranty labor. Break it into checkable items.

Vague scope prevents fair comparison.

Decision rule

Return any proposal that lacks exact models, a roof layout, production assumptions, exclusions, and written warranty responsibility.

Practical checklist

Create a side-by-side comparison sheet before discussing price.

List equipment models, monitoring, mounting, protection, permits, and roof work.

Record the expected annual generation and the assumptions behind it.

Mark every exclusion and clarify whether it is optional, uncertain, or necessary.

Evidence, scope and limitations

If a quotation is too vague to compare, it is too vague to trust.

International references are used for engineering and consumer principles. Philippine utility procedures, tariffs, permits and legal requirements must be confirmed using current local rules.

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