The roof
Wired for solar and a battery, whenever you decide
We do the electrical side. We don't sell or install solar panels.
If you might add solar someday, the cheapest time to get ready is while the walls and the panel are already open for something else. We run conduit from the panel area to the roof, set the panel up with room and a disconnect, and, if you want a battery, add a small subpanel for the circuits you'd keep on in an outage. When you pick a solar installer, they start from a house that is ready for them.
Conduit from the panel area to the roof
A panel with space and a disconnect for solar
A subpanel for the circuits you want kept on in an outage
Not included: panels, inverters or batteries themselves
What changes the cost
What moves the price of solar-ready work
It is mostly the path from the panel to the roof, and how many circuits you want backed up.
The conduit path
An exterior run is simple. A path through the walls or a flat roof's parapet takes planning.
Roof type
Flat, tile, shingle and metal each have their own way of getting a pipe through the roof without leaks.
Which circuits to back up
A refrigerator and a few lights is a small subpanel. A whole kitchen and the furnace blower is a bigger one.
Panel capacity
Solar and a battery add to what the panel is asked to do, so this is where the panel stop comes first.
No prices on this page: they depend on your house. How we write them is on the pricing page.
How it goes
Getting ready, start to finish
- 01
Step 1: Walk-through
We look at the roof, the panel and the path between them, and ask what you'd keep on in an outage.
- 02
Step 2: Written plan
The conduit, the panel changes and the optional subpanel, and what your future installer will need from us.
- 03
Step 3: Work day
We run and seal the conduit, set the panel and cap the roof penetration.
- 04
Step 4: Inspection and handoff
The inspector signs off, and we give you a sheet with the conduit path and the panel layout for your installer.
Permits and rules
Conduit and panel work is permitted electrical work, and we pull the permit. Solar itself has its own permit and utility interconnection, which your solar installer handles.
We leave incentive and rebate amounts out, since programs change. Your utility and the state post what is open; we give you the paperwork they ask for.
Questions about this room
Do you recommend a solar installer?
We'd rather you compare a few and ask for references. We'll give your installer what they need from the electrical side.
Is a battery worth it?
That depends on how often the power goes out and what you want kept on. We won't promise a payback; we'll help you list what matters.
What about the monsoon?
Roof work waits for dry days, and in July through September we book it around the afternoon storms.
Can I do the conduit now and solar in a few years?
Yes, that's the common plan. We cap and label the conduit so it's easy to find.
Thinking about solar someday?
We'll get the house ready and leave the rest to you.