Quick answer

A practical checklist for comparing solar sales claims, financing, installation duties, warranties, utility assumptions, and cancellation terms before signing.

Read the transaction as one package

A residential solar transaction may involve several separate documents: the sales agreement, installation agreement, loan or lease, electronic-signature record, warranty, utility-interconnection materials, and tax or rebate disclosures. Read them together. A promise in a presentation may not appear in the contract that controls the parties’ obligations.

Do not assume every sale has the same cancellation period

Some sales made at a consumer’s home or another location away from the seller’s regular place of business may fall within the Federal Trade Commission’s Cooling-Off Rule, but coverage and exceptions depend on the transaction. 16 C.F.R. §§ 429.0–.3 (2026). Do not assume a three-day cancellation right applies—or that it is the only deadline—without reviewing the documents and current law.

Compare the price, financing, roof, and warranties

Before signing, identify the cash price and financed cost, interest and dealer fees, lien or security-interest terms, projected utility savings, responsibility for roof repairs, equipment and labor warranties, system monitoring, maintenance, transfer or sale-of-home terms, and who bears the risk if tax incentives or utility credits differ from the sales estimate.

Preserve the sales and installation record

If a dispute develops, preserve the complete electronic-signature trail, advertisements, texts, emails, recorded calls, utility bills, financing records, installation photographs, permits, inspections, roof reports, warranty requests, and every version of the proposal. Contacting a lawyer does not stop a cancellation period, limitations period, payment obligation, or court deadline.

Practical next steps

  • Download every contract and disclosure before an electronic-signature link expires.
  • Compare the cash price with the total financed cost and identify dealer fees or liens.
  • Confirm who is responsible for roof condition, permits, interconnection, monitoring, and removal or reinstallation.
  • Treat savings, tax incentives, and utility-credit projections as assumptions that must be verified independently.

Primary sources