What Are You Actually Paying For in Traditional Solar Installs?
Installed price is more than labor
You're often paying for:
•Lead generation + sales commissions
•Truck rolls + scheduling overhead
•Markups and change orders
•Financing fees baked into pricing
•"Padding" for uncertainty in design and permitting
The uncomfortable truth
•Many tasks on a roof crew are mechanical: measuring, mounting, fastening, sealing. Important work—just not all "electrician-only" work.
A better deal for hands-on homeowners
If you're capable and safety-minded, DIY can shift money away from overhead and into:
•Better equipment
•A cleaner design
•Proper permitting support
Next step: Compare your installed quote to equipment cost + design/permitting support and see where the gap really is.