How to Choose a Solar Installer in California
Short answer: check the company before the price. On the CSLB license lookup, confirm an active license with a classification that covers solar — C‑46 Solar or C‑10 Electrical; a general contractor with only a B license may not take a solar-only job unless it subcontracts it to one — plus the bond and workers’ comp. Then check what California makes the contract say: the solar disclosure on the cover page, the insurance notices, a down payment of no more than $1,000 or 10%, and, in SCE, PG&E and SDG&E territory, your signature on the CPUC’s consumer guide. Last, find out who stands behind the workmanship warranty.
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- Solar PV is licensed work under the C‑46 Solar or C‑10 Electrical classification. A B general contractor can include it in a multi-trade project, but a solar-only contract needs the specialty license or a licensed subcontractor.
- The CSLB record shows status, classifications, the $25,000 bond and workers’ comp; the salesperson must hold a home improvement salesperson registration, checked on the same lookup.
- The contract must carry the solar disclosure on its cover page and notices saying whether the company carries liability and workers’ comp insurance. A down payment above $1,000 or 10% is not allowed.
- Equipment warranties come from manufacturers and often exclude labor; the workmanship warranty is only as good as the installer behind it.
The installer check: what to verify and the rule behind it
| Check | Where | The rule |
|---|---|---|
| Active license | CSLB license lookup | Status should read Active; the business name should match the contract |
| A classification that covers solar | Same record | C‑46 Solar or C‑10 Electrical; a B-only contractor needs one of them or a licensed subcontractor for a solar-only job; C‑39 if roofing is part of the work |
| Bond | Same record | $25,000 contractor’s bond, required for an active license |
| Workers’ comp | Same record, and the contract | The contract must state whether the company has no employees and is exempt, or carries workers’ comp for all employees |
| Liability insurance | The contract | A required notice says whether the company carries commercial general liability insurance and gives the insurer’s name and phone to check it |
| Salesperson | CSLB lookup, by name | Anyone selling for a contractor must be a registered home improvement salesperson |
| Solar disclosure | The contract’s cover page | Total cost and payments including financing, where to complain and your cancellation right, in 16-point bold type |
| CPUC consumer guide | Before you sign | In PG&E, SCE and SDG&E territory, your initials and signature are collected on the guide; LADWP is not covered |
| Payments | The contract | Down payment no more than $1,000 or 10%, whichever is less; later payments may not run ahead of the work |
| Right to cancel | The contract | Signed away from the seller’s office: until midnight of the third business day after you receive a signed, dated copy, the fifth if you are 65 or older |
| Complaints | CSLB complaint page | Where to take a dispute with a licensed contractor — and where to report an unlicensed one |
Sources: CSLB C‑46 · CSLB classifications · B&P §7057 · §7071.6 · §7153 · §7159 · §7169 · CPUC · CSLB contracts · Civil Code §1689.6.
Which license covers solar — C‑46, C‑10 or B
C‑46 Solar: a solar contractor “installs, modifies, maintains, and repairs thermal and photovoltaic solar energy systems” and may not take on other building trades except when required to install the system (CSLB). C‑10 Electrical: an electrical contractor’s work expressly includes “solar photovoltaic cells” (CSLB). B General Building: may take a prime contract that needs at least two unrelated trades, but for a single-trade job it must hold the specialty classification or subcontract to an appropriately licensed contractor (B&P §7057). C‑39 Roofing matters when the roof itself is being replaced or repaired — see choosing a roofing contractor. There is no single required combination; the license on the contract has to cover every trade the job includes.
Six questions to ask before you sign
Who is on my roof?
Your employees or a subcontractor? If a sub, which licensed company, and who supervises the work.
Who do I call in year five?
The name of the company that answers a leak or a failed microinverter — and whether that changes if the job was subcontracted.
What does the workmanship warranty cover?
Its length, and whether roof penetrations and leaks are included. Get it in writing.
Where does the savings number come from?
The rate, usage and export assumptions behind the estimate. CSLB tells consumers to get savings and production claims in writing.
What does the loan or lease allow?
CSLB warns about clauses that let a company place a lien or make all payments due at once after a missed payment, and about escalators in PPAs.
Who handles permits and PTO?
The contract must say who obtains the permits; ask who files the utility application too.
Source: CSLB Solar Smart.
Two warranties, two different backers
Equipment warranties come from the manufacturers and can be long: Enphase warrants its IQ8 and IQ9 microinverters for 25 years, and SolarEdge its inverters for 12 years and power optimizers for 25 (Enphase, SolarEdge). They do not all pay for the labor to swap a failed part: SolarEdge’s warranty excludes labor unless agreed in writing, and Enphase reimburses labor only through a separate program for replacements in the first two years (Enphase labor program). The workmanship warranty — mounting, flashing, wiring — comes from the installer alone, which makes the company’s staying power part of what you are buying. The four warranty types are compared in solar warranties explained, and what happens when an installer closes is in your installer went out of business.
Red flags, and what the law says about them
- “Half down, half on completion.” On a California home improvement contract the down payment is capped at $1,000 or 10% of the price, whichever is less, with no exception for special-order materials (CSLB).
- A contract without the solar disclosure on its front page, or without the insurance notices (§7169, §7159).
- A salesperson you cannot find on the CSLB lookup — selling home improvements without registration is a misdemeanor (§7153).
- Savings promised out loud but not written into the proposal.
More warning signs, with how to check each, are in solar quote red flags; once a company passes, compare the numbers with the quote checklist.
One record, three classifications
Cali Energy’s license, CSLB #1032379 (Northridge), carries B, C‑10 and C‑39: solar under the electrical classification, roofing under its own, and the general classification for multi-trade projects. Check it — or any installer — on the CSLB lookup before you sign.
Frequently asked
How do I check if a solar installer is licensed in California?
Search the CSLB license lookup by license number or business name. Confirm the status is Active, the name matches your contract, the classifications include C‑46 Solar or C‑10 Electrical (or a B license with a licensed solar subcontractor), and the bond and workers’ comp are current. Look up the salesperson’s registration the same way.
What license does a solar installer need in California?
Solar PV is covered by the C‑46 Solar classification and by C‑10 Electrical, whose scope includes solar photovoltaic cells. A B general building contractor may take a multi-trade project that includes solar, but for a solar-only contract it must hold the specialty classification or subcontract the work to a licensed contractor (B&P §7057).
What is a C-46 license?
The CSLB’s Solar classification. A C‑46 contractor installs, modifies, maintains and repairs thermal and photovoltaic solar energy systems, and may not perform other building trades except when required to install the system. Roof replacement, for example, needs a C‑39 or a B on a multi-trade project.
Do solar installers have to carry insurance in California?
Workers’ comp is required for employees, and the contract must say either that the company has no employees and is exempt or that it covers all employees. For liability insurance, the contract must include a notice stating whether the company carries commercial general liability insurance, with the insurer’s name and a phone number to check it (B&P §7159). Every active license also needs a $25,000 bond.
Is it better to use in-house crews or subcontractors for solar?
Both can do good work; what matters is accountability. Ask who will be on the roof, the licensed company behind them if they are subcontractors, and whose name is on the workmanship warranty you will call on later.
Who honors the solar warranty if something breaks?
The manufacturer covers the equipment — Enphase microinverters for 25 years, SolarEdge inverters for 12 — but labor to replace a part is not always included. The installer alone backs the workmanship: mounting, flashing and wiring. Get its length and coverage in writing.
Can I cancel a solar contract after signing?
Yes, if you signed away from the seller’s place of business: until midnight of the third business day after you receive a signed, dated copy of the contract, or the fifth if you are 65 or older (Civil Code §1689.6). The solar disclosure on the contract’s cover page states the right.
Related reading
Sources & methodology
Figures on this page come from the primary sources below and, where noted, from Cali Energy calculations using the stated assumptions. Rates, incentives, and program terms change; each was verified September 29, 2026.
- CSLB — Check a license (license lookup)
- CSLB — C-46 Solar classification
- CSLB — Description of classifications (C-10 includes solar photovoltaic cells)
- CSLB — Solar Smart consumer information (disclosure document, written claims, lien and acceleration clauses)
- CSLB — Home improvement contracts (down payment cap, payments)
- CSLB — Filing a complaint
- Business and Professions Code §7057 — general building contractor limits
- Business and Professions Code §7071.6 — $25,000 bond
- Business and Professions Code §7153 — home improvement salesperson registration
- Business and Professions Code §7159 — contract notices (commercial general liability, workers’ compensation)
- Business and Professions Code §7169 — solar energy system disclosure document
- Civil Code §1689.6 — right to cancel
- CPUC — California Solar Consumer Protection Guide
- Enphase — US limited warranty, IQ microinverters
- Enphase — Labor Reimbursement Program (effective February 1, 2026)
- SolarEdge — Limited Product Warranty, January 2026
Talk to a licensed local installer
Check CSLB #1032379 on the state lookup, then get an itemized proposal with the disclosure, insurance notices and warranty terms in writing — installed by our own crew. No pressure.
Get a free estimatePrepared by Cali Energy, September 29, 2026. This article is for general educational purposes only and is not legal, tax, financial, engineering, or utility advice. Rates, incentives, codes, permit requirements, equipment specifications, prices, and program terms may change; figures and timelines are estimates, not guarantees. Confirm current requirements with the applicable utility, AHJ, program administrator, manufacturer, or a licensed professional. See our Content Disclaimer. Cali Energy · 19201 Parthenia St, Unit E, Northridge, CA 91324 · CSLB #1032379 (B, C-10, C-39)