Compare solar quotes transparently

A single quote tells you little about the market: it only shows what one company proposes, at a given moment, based on its own reading of your request. Contacting at least three companies lets you compare not just prices but the scope of work proposed, and it reveals which assumptions differ between professionals: brand of materials, quantities assumed, timelines, warranties.

The number of quotes matters less than their quality. A detailed, dated quote issued after a site visit is worth more than five estimates given over the phone without anyone seeing the property. Set aside time to meet each company, ask questions, and confirm a visit actually took place before the document was drawn up.

Two quotes can only be compared if they cover the same scope of work. Check that each document describes precisely the nature of the works, the materials used with their references, and the quantities involved, rather than vague wording such as "supply and installation according to standard practice" with no further detail.

Get written confirmation of items that are often omitted and that change the final price: removal of waste and rubble, provision of scaffolding or any required protection, administrative steps such as a municipal permit or a grid connection request, and reinstatement of the site once work is finished. A lower quote that leaves these items out is not actually lower, it is incomplete.

Finally, ask for the warranties covering materials and workmanship, and for the proposed payment schedule. A schedule that follows actual progress on site, with the balance paid after acceptance of the works, protects both parties better than full payment in advance.

A purely verbal offer, with no written and dated document, commits you to nothing but also protects you from nothing: if a disagreement arises, there is no record of what was agreed. Always insist on a written quote before ordering materials or starting any work.

A deposit that is disproportionate to the scale of the work, a discount valid only if you sign immediately, or pressure to decide within the day are warning signs, not opportunities. A serious company gives you time to compare offers.

Also check that the company holds a business authorisation (autorisation d'établissement) for the trade concerned. Its absence is not a minor administrative point: it affects insurance cover and the overall reliability of the work. Our company profiles include the public information available on this.

Work carried out in a property used as a home may, depending on the nature of the work and how the property is used, qualify for a reduced housing VAT rate distinct from the standard rate. The rate applied is not a bookkeeping detail: it must appear on the quote and then on the invoice, and it can noticeably change the final amount between two offers that apply different rates.

Do not hesitate to ask each company explicitly which VAT rate it applies to your project and on what basis. A company experienced with residential work will answer this question directly.

Comparing quotes is only the first step: acceptance of the works, at the end of the job, is when you formally confirm that what was delivered matches what was agreed. Take the time to check every item against the original quote and note any reservation in writing, even a minor one.

Reservations recorded at acceptance protect your position if a defect is discovered later: they establish a date and a precise description of the issue. Keep a copy of the quote, the invoice and the acceptance record; these documents form your file in case of a later dispute.