Solar companies in California: how to find, compare and verify an installer

Find solar companies near you: 140 California city guides

A search for “solar installers near me” is really a question about your utility, your permit office and the companies that work in your area. Each city guide below covers those local details: which utility or community choice aggregator bills the account, what the local permit process asks for, and what to check in a quote there. Pick the closest city. If yours is not listed, start with the nearest one in the same county, then confirm your own utility and permit office.

The utility named next to each city is the one that city’s guide records. Some cities are split between utilities, so check the provider printed on your own bill.

Searching by county or region instead of a city? Start with Orange County solar companies by city, Bay Area solar companies, San Mateo County solar companies, Riverside County, where the utility changes by city, High Desert solar companies, Kern County: PG&E and SCE areas, Coachella Valley solar companies: SCE or IID by city or Ventura County solar companies and permit offices.

Want the price side first? The solar cost guides by city cover what goes into a quote in 57 cities, and the statewide guide to solar panels in California covers cost, sizing and the current billing rules.

Solar installers near me: three state tools that list who works in your area

Search “solar companies near me” and Google usually leads with a map of nearby businesses. The map gives you names, not whether a company holds the right license or has finished jobs on your street. The CPUC’s consumer guide points homeowners to better starting lists, and each one takes a few minutes.

1. Recent projects by ZIP code. The CPUC’s California DG Statistics site has a Find an Installer search. Type a ZIP code, city or county and it returns solar and storage projects interconnected in the last 24 months, with a cost per watt for each. Read the fine print: it covers only PG&E, SCE and SDG&E territory, the costs are “self-reported by applicants” with no further verification, and cost per watt is figured on the system’s AC capacity, while most quotes price the panels’ DC rating (CPUC DGStats, checked September 23, 2026). Use it to see which companies are active near you, not as a price you are owed.
2. Licensed contractors by city. The CPUC guide tells homeowners to use the CSLB’s contractor search, enter their city and pick one of three license classifications: C-46 Solar, C-10 Electrical or B General Building (CPUC, checked September 23, 2026). The CSLB’s county-by-county contractor list does the same as a spreadsheet.
3. Neighbors with a year of bills. The same guide suggests asking friends and neighbors who had solar installed at least a year ago whether they would use the company again, and why. A year covers a full cycle of summer surplus and winter shortfall, which is when estimates meet reality.

Take two or three names from any of these, run each through the license check below, and ask each for a quote built on the same checklist. Star ratings on a map can suggest questions to ask; they do not replace the contract or a current license lookup.

How to choose a solar company in California

The CPUC’s consumer guide gives the short version: get bids from at least three qualified solar providers, compare them and ask questions (CPUC, Solar Consumer Protection Guide, version 4, checked September 23, 2026). The steps below turn that into a routine you can run on any company, including ones this site has never reviewed.

1. Start from your bill, not the sales pitch. Note your utility, your rate plan and twelve months of usage. PG&E, SCE and SDG&E customers who applied to interconnect on or after April 15, 2023 take service on the Net Billing Tariff, which credits exported power at values from the CPUC’s Avoided Cost Calculator, usually lower than what you pay to import (CPUC, checked September 23, 2026). City-run utilities such as LADWP and SMUD set their own rules. A quote built on the wrong tariff is a wrong quote.
2. Collect three written bids. Ask every bidder for the same things: system size in kilowatts, panel and inverter models, a roof layout, monthly production after shading, the cash price, and the remaining utility bill. The checklist further down lists every line to request, and the guide to getting and comparing solar quotes covers where to ask and what each quote must come with.
3. Find out who will actually do the work. The company that knocks on your door, runs an online ad or calls you may be a sales organization, a lead generator or a financier. Ask for the legal name and license number of the company that will install the system and the one that will service it.
4. Verify the license and the salesperson. Look both up at the CSLB before a second meeting. The next section shows how.
5. Read the contract’s front page. California requires a solar energy system disclosure document on the front or cover page of every residential solar contract, showing the total cost and payments including financing, how to complain and your cancellation rights, written in the language used in the sales presentation (CSLB, checked September 23, 2026).
6. Choose how to pay last. Compare the cash price first, then the loan, lease or PPA built on the same system. Our comparison of cash, loan, lease and PPA terms shows what changes with each.

What separates a good solar bid from a weak one

Not the price by itself. The CPUC’s guide says the cheapest bid is not necessarily the best option, and that “a very low bid may indicate that a solar provider is trying to cut corners” (CPUC, checked September 23, 2026). The differences that matter show up in how the bid was built.

Sizing, savings-estimate and subcontractor points: CPUC Solar Consumer Protection Guide, version 4. Payment and schedule rules: CSLB industry bulletin #20-22 (November 17, 2020). Both checked September 23, 2026.

One more test from the CPUC guide: ask each finalist for three customer references whose systems have been running for at least a year, then ask those owners who showed up when something needed fixing.

How to verify a solar installer’s license

The CSLB’s Check a License tool searches five ways: by contractor license number, business name, the name of a person on the license, a Home Improvement Salesperson (HIS) registration number, or a salesperson’s name. HIS numbers end in the letters “SP.” The database is offline from 8 p.m. Sunday to 6 a.m. Monday for maintenance (CSLB, checked September 23, 2026).

What to look for on the record:

• The right classification. The CSLB defines a C-46 Solar contractor as one who “installs, modifies, maintains, and repairs thermal and photovoltaic solar energy systems.” A C-10 Electrical contractor’s scope also names “solar photovoltaic cells.” Either can be appropriate for rooftop solar.
• An active status and a bond. A license does not issue without a $25,000 contractor bond and proof of workers’ compensation coverage or a valid exemption (CSLB, checked September 23, 2026).
• A matching name. The business name on the license must match the name on your contract. A similar name is not the same license.
• The salesperson, too. Anyone who solicits, sells, negotiates or executes home improvement contracts for a licensed contractor must register with the CSLB as a Home Improvement Salesperson (CSLB, checked September 23, 2026).

The full walkthrough, including the bond’s limits and the cancellation statutes, is in our guide on verifying a California solar contractor before you sign. If you only want to know what a licensed installer is and how to find one, start with finding a licensed solar installer.

Checking a solar company’s track record

A license check tells you a company may do the work. A record check tells you how it has done it. The CPUC’s guide suggests finding out how long a company has been in business and how many systems it has installed, and reading reviews on more than one site, “since some websites may not be neutral” (CPUC, checked September 23, 2026). Four places to look:

• The CSLB record itself. The CSLB describes its lookup as a way to verify license information “including complaint disclosure,” so read past the word “active” (CSLB, checked September 23, 2026).
• Court and bankruptcy filings. Several residential solar companies have filed for bankruptcy in recent years. Our page on solar companies in bankruptcy court and on the CSLB record lists the federal cases and how to search for one yourself.
• Better Business Bureau complaints, not the badge. Read the complaints and how the company answered them. BBB accreditation is a program the business pays for: the BBB states that it “charges a fee for BBB Accreditation” (BBB, checked September 23, 2026).
• Recent local jobs. The DGStats installer search above shows whether a company has interconnected projects near you in the last two years.

The bond, the complaint process and the cancellation statutes are covered step by step in the full contractor verification guide.

Accredited, certified or licensed: what each label means

Only one of these labels is required by law in California, and it is the license. The others are voluntary, which does not make them worthless. It means you have to know what each one measured.

So when a company calls itself an “accredited solar installer” in California, ask which of these it means and who holds it. If the answer is NABCEP, get the certified person’s name and whether that person will design or install your system; NABCEP publishes a directory of board-certified professionals. The CPUC guide treats a company that employs NABCEP-certified installers as “a good sign.” None of these labels replaces the license lookup (CPUC, NABCEP and BBB, checked September 23, 2026).

Installer, broker or lead generator: who are you dealing with?

Many companies that advertise as “solar providers” or “solar services” do not install anything. The CSLB drew the line in a 2020 industry bulletin. Lead generators and solar brokers may “serve as a referral source for licensed contractors, provide contractor contact information to prospective customers, and set up appointments.” They may not quote or offer a system, and they may not solicit, negotiate or sell contracts without the proper license or registration. The bulletin also states that installing a solar energy product is a “home improvement,” which only a licensed contractor can do (CSLB, checked September 23, 2026).

You will also meet “solar dealers” and “solar power suppliers.” In solar lending, the dealer is the company that sells the system and arranges the loan, whether or not its own crew puts it on the roof. The CFPB found that solar salespeople, installers and lenders often have agreements with each other, so sales, installation and financing can blend into one conversation (CFPB, Issue Spotlight: Solar Financing, August 7, 2024). Two questions from the CPUC’s list sort this out quickly: is the salesperson your employee, and will you subcontract the installation to another company? For what the arrangement can add to a loan, see how solar dealer fees work.

This site sits on the referral side of that line. California Rate Relief is a referral service. We are not a licensed contractor. How we are paid is on how we make money. For what a solar broker does and when using one makes sense, see what a solar broker is in California.

Who regulates solar companies in California?

PACE deserves a warning of its own. DFPI notes that the payments are added to your annual property tax bill and that PACE contracts “are signed financing agreements that are difficult to void” (DFPI, checked September 23, 2026). For the red flags in a solar contract itself, read the solar contract terms to question before signing.

National solar companies or a local installer?

Size tells you less than it seems. A national brand may sell mostly leases and power purchase agreements, and some work through local dealers, so the crew on your roof and the company that answers a service call may be different businesses. A small local installer may do everything in-house but carry less financing choice. Neither is automatically better. What matters is written in the contract: who installs, who services, what the warranty covers for your payment type, and what happens if the company stops operating.

That last point is not hypothetical: solar installers do go out of business, and the contract decides what you are left holding. Our guide to what survives when a solar installer goes bankrupt explains which warranties and contracts continue, and checking a company’s court and license record lists the residential solar bankruptcies on the federal docket.

Top-rated solar companies: how to read the lists and reviews

Lists of the “top,” “best” or “top rated” solar companies measure different things, and none of them measures your roof. Before you lean on one, ask three questions about it:

• What was counted? Installation volume rewards the biggest sellers, star averages reward whoever collects the most reviews, and editorial picks reflect whatever the editor weighted. A company can top one list and miss another.
• Who paid for it? Some publishers earn money from the companies they list. Ask. This site is one of those businesses: California Rate Relief is compensated by a solar provider when a homeowner we refer signs an agreement, which is why the reviews here are alphabetical and unranked.
• Where and when? A national ranking says little about the crew that serves your county this year. The DGStats search above is the closest thing to a neutral local view, because it comes from utility interconnection records rather than marketing.

For reviews, the CPUC’s advice is to check several sites and look for a consistent picture. Read the one- and two-star reviews from the last year and the company’s replies: slow service visits, roof leaks at mounting points and billing surprises are the complaints that tell you what owning the system with that company would be like.

Solar roofing companies: who can do the roof and the panels?

A new roof and a solar system are two trades in California’s license system. The CSLB’s C-39 Roofing classification covers products that “seal, waterproof and weatherproof structures” and does not mention solar. The C-46 Solar classification lets its holder do other building trades only “when required to install a thermal or photovoltaic solar energy system” (CSLB, checked September 23, 2026). A general building contractor holding a B license can coordinate both through licensed subcontractors. So when one company sells you “roof plus solar,” ask which license covers each part of the job and look up both.

Order matters too. The CPUC’s guide says that if you plan to replace your roof soon, you should do it before the solar goes on, and it suggests asking who will do the roof work, what their license number is, what roof warranty comes with it, and roughly what it would cost to remove and reinstall the panels for a future roof job (CPUC, checked September 23, 2026). Our guides to whether your roof is ready for solar and “free roof replacement” solar offers cover the rest.

Solar company reviews and comparisons on this site

These reviews check what each company publishes about itself against public records: license numbers at the CSLB, court filings and the company’s own contract terms. The list is alphabetical and unranked. Inclusion does not mean a referral agreement exists with any of them. The full index is on the California solar company reviews page.

• Ameco Solar review: Los Angeles-area solar and roofing company
• Baker Electric / Baker Home Energy review: two San Diego entities with separate license numbers
• Elevation Solar review: what the contract says
• Empire Solar review: which entity you would actually hire
• Freedom Forever review: licenses, financing and its 2026 bankruptcy filing
• LA Solar Group review: in-house panels and a court-record check
• Momentum Solar review: whether it serves California
• New Day Solar review: Murrieta-based installer
• Option One Solar review: Apple Valley installer and its warranty terms
• Palmetto review: LightReach financing and the court record
• Powur review: a sales-network model and its complaint record
• Semper Solaris review: California solar, roofing and HVAC company
• Solar Optimum review: lawsuits, ratings and warranty
• Sullivan Solar Power review: a defunct San Diego installer and what owners can do
• Sunergy Solar review: ownership focus and reported delays
• Sunlux Solar review: warranty terms and the CSLB check
• Sunnova review: whether it is still in business
• SunPower review: the Complete Solaria rebrand
• Sunrun review: leases, PPAs and company status
• Tesla Solar review: panels, Powerwall and service

Head-to-head comparisons

• Sunrun vs SunPower
• Sunrun vs Tesla Solar
• Sunnova vs Sunrun
• Enphase vs SolarEdge inverters
• Sunrun lease vs PPA
• How a Sunrun buyout is calculated

Shopping for equipment rather than an installer? The solar panel brand reviews cover the modules themselves, and the home battery guide covers storage sizing and incentives.

Looking for SolarCity? It is part of Tesla. SolarCity’s own SEC filing records that it became a wholly owned subsidiary of Tesla on November 21, 2016, and Tesla’s support pages move former MySolarCity customers to a Tesla Account (SEC; Tesla, checked September 23, 2026). The Tesla Solar review covers what that company sells and services today. If you were searching for solar in California City, the Kern County town, the California City solar cost guide covers its utility and permit office.

Commercial and industrial (C&I) solar companies

“C&I” is industry shorthand for commercial and industrial customers: offices, warehouses, farms, schools and other businesses. Those projects are bought differently from a home system. Many run through an engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) firm, or a developer that may own the system and sell you the power. The license classes are the same (C-46, C-10 or B), but the home-sale rules on this page, such as salesperson registration and the solar disclosure document required on a residential solar contract, are written for homes (CSLB, checked September 23, 2026).

For a business project, start with commercial solar companies and EPCs in California, then how a solar developer differs from an installer and what commercial systems cost per watt.

Put the quotes on the same basis

A smaller monthly payment can hide a longer contract, less equipment or a larger remaining electric bill. Ask each bidder to fill the same gaps.

Can you install solar yourself in California?

The law allows it in limited cases. The owner-builder exemption in Business and Professions Code section 7044 covers owners who do the work themselves, or through their own employees paid wages, on a structure not intended for sale. For a principal residence the CSLB lists three conditions: the work is done before any sale, you lived in the home for the 12 months before the work is completed, and you have used the exemption on no more than two structures in any three-year period (CSLB, checked September 23, 2026). The CSLB also warns homeowners to be wary of unlicensed “consultants” who suggest owner-builder status as a way to save money. You still need the building permit and inspection, and your utility must approve the interconnection before the system is switched on.

How to become a solar contractor or start a solar company

The license comes first. To sit for a CSLB exam you need at least four years of journey-level experience in the classification, and up to three of those years can be credited from technical training, apprenticeship or education; at least one year must be practical experience (CSLB, checked September 23, 2026). The application processing fee is $450. Once you pass, the license issues after you file a $25,000 contractor bond, show workers’ compensation coverage or an exemption, and pay an initial license fee of $200 for a sole owner or $350 for other business types (CSLB, checked September 23, 2026). Anyone selling for you needs an HIS registration. The details are in our guide to the California solar contractor license.

The questions that come after choosing a company

• What the system should cost: solar panel cost and sizing in California, or run a quote through the bill and quote calculator.
• How the export credit works under current rules: NEM 2.0 versus the Net Billing Tariff.
• Which incentives still apply in 2026: California solar incentives and the federal credit.
• How long the process takes: the solar installation timeline from contract to switch-on.
• Sales tactics to walk away from: door-to-door solar sales and dealer fees hidden in financing.
• The official tools behind all of this, in one list: California solar resources.
• How to collect bids that line up: getting three comparable solar quotes.