Plan review backlog
Some jurisdictions run four to six weeks in summer. We file same-week and escalate, but we can't jump the queue.
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- Our Process
Seven steps from first call to switch-on
No mystery, no radio silence. Here is exactly what happens, who does it, how long it takes, and what we need from you at each stage.
The process
Median project: 7–11 weeks
About four of those weeks are other people. Your city's plan reviewer and your utility's interconnection desk. We can't speed them up. We can tell you exactly where your job sits, every week, without you having to ask.
Our reporting promise: you get a status update every
Friday from the moment you sign until the day your system is energized, even the weeks where
the update is “still waiting on the city.”
01
Free solar quote
2–4 business days · No cost, no obligation
Send us a recent utility bill and your address. We pull twelve months of usage, model your roof in Aurora with real shade analysis, and build a system design with production estimates and pricing on all four payment structures. A solar specialist near you walks through the quote by video call or in person, whichever you prefer.
You provide: a recent bill and about 30 minutes.
02
Agreement & financing
1–3 days
If you decide to proceed, you sign electronically and, if you're financing, complete a credit application with the lender you chose. We don't take a deposit until after the site survey confirms the design.
You provide: signature, and lender paperwork if applicable.
03
Site survey
Within 7 days · ~45 minutes on site
A local site specialist measures the roof, photographs every plane, inspects rafters in the attic, opens your main panel to check bus rating and breaker space, and confirms conduit routing. Roughly 15% of designs get adjusted at this stage, we'd rather find it now than on install day.
You provide: access to the attic, panel and roof.
04
Engineering & permitting
2–5 weeks · The slow part
Final CAD plan set, structural calculations, PE stamp where required. We file with your building department and simultaneously submit the utility interconnection application. HOA submittals go out in parallel if you have one.
You provide: nothing. This is entirely on us.
05
Installation
1–3 days on site
Our crew arrives between 6:30 and 7:30am. Racking and modules first, then electrical: conduit, inverter, disconnects and the point of interconnection. Power is off for two to four hours on the electrical day. We clean the site and magnet-sweep the driveway before leaving.
You provide: driveway access and a few hours without power.
06
Inspection & PTO
1–4 weeks · Also not up to us
City or county inspector signs off, then the utility processes permission to operate and, in most markets, swaps your meter for a bidirectional one. Legally your system stays off until PTO lands. A rule that exists for good reasons and frustrates everyone anyway.
You provide: access on inspection day.
07
Switch-on & handover
Same week as PTO
We come back out, energize the system with you there, verify every module is reporting, set up your monitoring app, and walk you through what normal looks like so you'll recognize abnormal. You get an as-built document pack: equipment serials, plan set, warranties and permits.
Then: 25 years of us being the number you call.
What could go wrong
The four things that delay projects
We'd rather you hear them from us now than be surprised in week six.
Main panel surprises
An undersized or obsolete panel discovered at survey means a change order. We quote it before proceeding, never after.
Utility interconnection
Especially for larger residential and any commercial system. Some utilities require a study; those take weeks.
HOA architectural review
Usually 30 days by statute in our states. We file day one, but a monthly-meeting HOA can still cost you four weeks.
Process FAQ
Questions about how it runs
Yes, for about 45 minutes. We need interior access to your electrical panel and usually the attic, and it's the best chance to ask our engineer the questions a salesperson couldn't answer.
We do, in every jurisdiction. That includes the building permit, the electrical permit, HOA architectural submittals where required, and the utility interconnection application. You sign a couple of forms; we do the standing in line.
Median 7–11 weeks from signature to switch-on. The variability is almost entirely permitting and utility PTO. Some cities turn a permit around in three days; others take five weeks. We publish current average timelines by city for our customers, and we update you weekly whether there's news or not.
Until we submit for permit, yes, easily. After permit submittal a change means a revision and often a resubmittal, which adds two to four weeks. Adding a battery later is always possible, we wire for it by default.
Clear, local, no-pressure
Start with a local installer
The quote is free. Send a recent utility bill and your ZIP code, and a Mr. Legit Solar specialist near you will explain the installation options without pressure.
Check my project
Ask us a question first
Your project is reviewed by a person, not routed to a lead marketplace.