Solar Inspections for Home Buyers
When the home you are buying has rooftop solar, the array is one of the largest systems on the property. A buyer solar inspection is a focused, non-invasive visual evaluation of the visible solar components and the roof that supports them, performed during your contingency period so you know what you are inheriting before you close.
Solar Is a Specialty — Ask Whether Your Inspector Covers It
A rooftop array is a complete electrical system in its own right: high-voltage DC circuits, an inverter, conduit, disconnects, and a row of roof penetrations that hold the whole assembly down. Solar is a specialty, and not every home inspector evaluates the array as part of their report. Before you book, ask plainly whether the inspection you are hiring covers the solar array or whether it is excluded. If it is, a separate solar inspection gives you a clear, independent look at what is actually on the roof.
What's Included
The inspection is a visual, non-invasive evaluation of the components that are safely accessible from the roof surface, the attic, and the ground. We document the visible condition with photographs:
Owned vs. Leased & the Paperwork You Need
Whether the panels are owned or leased changes what you are actually buying. Owned panels are part of the home and transfer with the sale. Leased panels, and panels under a power purchase agreement, are owned by a third party, and that contract has to be assumed or bought out before the system is truly yours. The difference can affect your loan, your timeline, and what happens at close of escrow, so it is worth understanding early.
Before your contingency expires, ask the seller to gather the documents that tell the system's full story:
- The purchase agreement or lease contract for the system, if the panels are leased or under a power purchase agreement.
- The permit history from the local building department showing the array was permitted and inspected when it was installed.
- The utility's permission to operate letter, which confirms the system was approved to connect to the grid.
- The inverter monitoring setup or app login, so you can see production after you own the home.
- Any transfer terms in the lease or warranty paperwork that apply at the close of escrow.
Buying a home with solar? Run our Buying a Home With Solar Checker for a short list of the questions to ask before you close on a property with existing panels.
Who This Is For
Buyers of homes with panels
You are under contract on a property with rooftop solar and want an independent look at the array before your contingency expires.
Buyers of leased-solar homes
The system is under a lease or power purchase agreement, and you want to understand what you are assuming and what the paperwork should show.
Buyers with roof concerns
You want the roof penetrations and flashings around the mounts examined, not just the panel surfaces, because leaks tend to start where the hardware meets the roof.
Buyers combining inspections
You are already scheduling a home inspection and want the solar evaluated in the same visit, by someone who understands both the building and the array.
How It Works
Book
Schedule by phone or form. We confirm the appointment time, access to the array and attic, and your escrow deadline.
Inspect
An on-site visual evaluation of the array, racking, roof penetrations, inverter, wiring, and disconnects.
Report
A digital, photo-documented report covering the condition of the visible solar components and the roof beneath them.
Questions Answered
A follow-up walkthrough of the findings and a plain-spoken explanation of what the paperwork you requested actually means.
Buyer Solar Inspection FAQs
Why does a home with solar need a separate inspection?
Solar is a specialty. The array sits on the roof, the inverter handles high-voltage DC, and the roof penetrations that hold the mounts are a common leak source. Before you buy, it helps to have the visible condition of those components examined by someone who understands how the system is installed and connected. When you hire an inspector, ask plainly whether their inspection covers the solar array or whether they exclude it from their report.
What is the difference between owned and leased solar panels?
Owned panels belong to the homeowner, so they transfer with the property at close of escrow. Leased panels, and panels under a power purchase agreement, are owned by a third party, and the lease or agreement has to be assumed or bought out before or at closing. That assumption can affect your financing and your timeline, so request the full lease or purchase paperwork early in your contingency period.
What paperwork should I ask the seller for?
Ask for the system's purchase agreement or lease contract, the permit history from the building department, the utility's permission to operate letter, and any warranty or monitoring details. The permission to operate letter confirms the utility approved the system to connect to the grid. Without the permit and interconnection history, it is hard to know whether the installation was ever inspected or signed off.
Will the inspection tell me how much power the system produces?
The inspection is a visual evaluation of condition and safety, not a production audit. What it can do is confirm that the inverter is running without fault codes, that the visible wiring and disconnects are intact, and that the roof penetrations are sealed. To understand actual production, ask the seller for the monitoring history, which shows the kilowatt-hours the system has generated over time.
Do you inspect the roof under the solar panels?
We inspect the roof penetrations, flashing, and sealants that are visible from the attic, the roof surface, and around the array edges. Solar panels cover a portion of the roof surface, so the roofing directly beneath the array is not fully visible during an inspection. That is one reason the age and remaining life of the underlying roof matter when you are buying a home with solar.
Can you also perform a standard home inspection at the same time?
Yes. Most buyers combine the home inspection and the solar inspection in a single appointment, which saves coordination during a tight escrow. When both are scheduled together, the roof, attic, electrical panel, and solar components are evaluated in one visit and reported together.
Which communities do you serve for buyer solar inspections?
All of San Luis Obispo County, including Paso Robles, Atascadero, Templeton, San Miguel, San Luis Obispo, Morro Bay, Cambria, Los Osos, Arroyo Grande, Pismo Beach, Grover Beach, and Nipomo.
Serving Paso Robles and All of San Luis Obispo County
Interactive Google Map centered on Paso Robles, our home base. We inspect rooftop solar throughout San Luis Obispo County. No residential street addresses are shown.
Owner operated • Open 7 days, 7:00 AM – 5:00 PM • Serving San Luis Obispo County and surrounding cities.
Book Your Buyer Solar Inspection
Owner operated across San Luis Obispo County. Direct consultation and a photo-documented solar report.
Buying a Home With Solar?
Know what is on the roof before you close. Speak directly with your inspector and schedule a buyer solar evaluation anywhere in San Luis Obispo County.