Hiring a Contractor
Credentials
To comply with state and local building codes, your contractor must have a CCB license. Ask the contractors you are considering for their number.
References
- Request references and photos of previous work.
- Ask how many projects they have completed in Illinos
- Get the names of owners whose systems are similar to the one they are proposing for you.
- Call these references and ask if they would use the contractor for future work.
Ask who will actually be doing the work. Long-term employees? Subcontractors? It is common for solar contractors to hire subcontractors to perform some or all of an installation. Verify that any subcontractors have experience or training installing solar energy systems.
Explain if your home has any unusual features, such as specialty roofing.
If you are considering both Solar Water Heating and Solar Electric (PV) you may want to consider a contractor who can install the systems simultaneously.
Ask Solar Ambassadors if they would recommend their contractor.
Typical Terms & Warranties
Typically a Solar Water Heating installation will have an all inclusive 2 year warranty by the installer. In addition, various components including the collector, the pumps, expansion tanks, storage tank, and other components may have 1 year (smaller items) to 10 year warranties. Your installer should be able to provide warrantee information on all the major components in your system.