How To Read a Solar Proposal Line by Line in Tampa Bay
A solar proposal is usually three or four pages, and most Tampa Bay homeowners read the monthly payment and the savings graph and skip the rest. The rest is where the proposal is honest or is not. This is what each line on a Fused Solar and Roofing proposal means, what it should say, and the question to ask when a competitor's proposal does not have it. Two proposals with the same payment can describe very different systems, and the lines below are how to tell. Fused Solar and Roofing is a licensed roofing (CCC1331058), electrical (EC13014750), and building contractor (CBC1252064), all three in-house.
1. The system: panels, watts, and the production estimate
The first line is the system itself: how many panels, what wattage, and the total in kilowatts. Fused's standard is JA Solar 440W bifacial, so a 20-panel system is 8.8 kW and a 26-panel system is 11.44 kW. Next to it is the expected annual production in kilowatt-hours and the share of the home's annual usage that covers, from the homeowner's twelve months of bills. Fused shows production by roof plane, so a west or north plane's contribution is visible rather than averaged into a south-facing number.
The question to ask: where did the usage number come from, and is the production shown by plane? A proposal built from one bill or from the roof's capacity has the sizing backwards.
🔑 Key Takeaway: Panels, kilowatts, kilowatt-hours, and the share of usage covered, with production by plane. If any of those is missing, the design was not done.
2. The price: per watt and the adders
Fused prices at $1.85 per watt installed for a single-story, standard-pitch shingle roof, and the proposal shows that base and then each adder on its own line: two-story, steep pitch, tile or metal roof, a panel upgrade to REC, an electrical panel change, a battery, a ground mount. A homeowner can see what the roof shape is costing and what their choices are costing. A proposal with one total and no breakdown cannot be compared to anything.
The question to ask: what is the base per-watt price, and what are the adders, by name?
The adders are not padding; a two-story, 8/12 hip roof in Wesley Chapel costs more to install on than a single-story gable in Largo, and the proposal should say so in dollars rather than hide it in a higher per-watt rate. What the homeowner should not see is a per-watt number that changes with no named reason.
3. The equipment, by brand and model
Panel brand and model. Inverter type and brand, and why that type for this roof: a string inverter on one open plane, microinverters or optimizers on a multi-plane or partly shaded array. Mounting system, which for Fused is K2 Systems hurricane-rated flashed mounts. Battery brand and model if included. Fused is certified with Enphase, SolarEdge, Tesla, Generac, Fronius, and SMA and chooses the inverter for the roof rather than selling one brand.
💡 Pro Tip: A proposal that says "tier one panels" or "premium inverter" without a model number is leaving room to substitute. Ask for the model numbers in writing.
4. The warranties, all of them
There are at least four, and the proposal should list each with its term and who stands behind it. The panel manufacturer's production and product warranties. The inverter manufacturer's warranty. The installer's workmanship warranty, which for Fused is ten years. And the roof penetration warranty, which for Fused is a written 25-year no-leak guarantee under its own roofing license. Fused Solar and Roofing is a licensed roofing (CCC1331058), electrical (EC13014750), and building contractor (CBC1252064), all three in-house. That last one is the one most proposals do not have, because most solar companies do not hold a roofing license to write it.
If your roof ever needs replacing with solar on it, who is allowed to remove and reinstall the panels, and why, is covered in our guide at https://fusedsolarandroofing.com/post/who-can-remove-reinstall-solar-florida
5. The roof, if it is in the proposal
On a roof with fewer than ten years left, a Fused proposal shows the roof replacement as its own line next to the solar, quoted after measuring and inspecting the roof, with the GAF system and warranty level stated. On a roof that is fine, the proposal says so and the homeowner knows the roof was looked at. A solar proposal on a fifteen-year-old roof that says nothing about the roof has skipped the most expensive question in the project.
⚠️ Warning: If the roof is over twelve years old and the proposal does not mention it, ask who inspected it and what they saw. The answer is usually that nobody did.
6. The financing
The cash price and the financed price, the lender, the term, the rate, and the monthly payment. Fused finances through Climate First Bank, over thirty years when the roof and solar are together with the roof at most 45 percent of the project, and the bank's fees are set by the bank based on the homeowner's credit rather than advertised on the proposal. Fused does not offer leases, and the proposal does not include a lease or a power purchase agreement as an option, because both make a home harder to sell and escalate yearly.
The question to ask of any proposal: is this a loan, a lease, or a PPA, and what happens when I sell the house?
7. Permits, interconnection, and timeline
Who pulls the permit and under which license. Who files the utility interconnection and when the system can be turned on. The expected timeline, which for Fused is six to eight weeks from contract to a producing system, most of it permit review and the utility's step, with one to two days on the roof. If the home is in a deed-restricted community, who prepares the association application. Fused does all of it and the proposal says so; a proposal that leaves the permit or the utility to the homeowner is leaving them the hard part.
8. The exclusions and the small print
What is not included: tree work, roof repairs discovered during the install, electrical work beyond what is quoted, association fees. How changes are priced if the install finds something unexpected. The deposit and payment schedule. The cancellation terms. Fused lists exclusions in plain words so the homeowner is not surprised, and prices any change as a separate approved line before the work. A proposal with no exclusions section is one that will grow without a conversation.
🔑 Key Takeaway: System with production by plane, base price plus named adders, equipment by model, four warranties with who backs them, the roof addressed, financing without a lease, permits and utility handled, exclusions in writing. Eight lines. Compare the lines, not the payment.
Want a proposal that answers all eight on the first page? Request a free solar quote at https://fusedsolarandroofing.com/solar-installation
Frequently Asked Questions
What should a solar proposal include?
The system in panels and kilowatts with annual production by roof plane and the share of usage covered; the base price per watt and each adder by name; equipment by brand and model; the panel, inverter, workmanship, and roof penetration warranties with who backs each; the roof's condition; financing terms; who handles permits and interconnection; and the exclusions.
How do I compare two solar quotes?
Line by line, not by payment: same panel count and wattage, same production method, adders named, model numbers listed, all four warranties stated, roof addressed, loan versus lease, permits and utility included, exclusions written. The lower number that leaves lines out costs more later.
What is a fair price per watt for solar in Tampa Bay?
Fused prices at $1.85 per watt installed for a single-story, standard-pitch shingle roof, with two-story, steep-pitch, and roof-type adders shown separately. A 20-panel, 8.8 kW system is $16,280.
What warranties should come with a solar installation?
The panel manufacturer's, the inverter manufacturer's, the installer's workmanship warranty, and a roof penetration warranty. Fused's are ten years on workmanship and a written 25-year no-leak guarantee on every penetration under its roofing license.
Should my solar proposal mention my roof?
Yes, if the roof is over about twelve years old. A Fused proposal states the roof's condition and, if it has fewer than ten years left, quotes the roof and solar together.
Does Fused offer solar leases?
No. Fused finances through Climate First Bank or the homeowner self-funds. Leases and power purchase agreements make a home harder to sell and escalate yearly.
Fused Solar and Roofing has installed solar across Hillsborough, Pinellas, Pasco, and Manatee counties since 2007, with the roof and the solar handled by its own licensed in-house crews. Request a free solar quote at https://fusedsolarandroofing.com/solar-installation
Fused Solar and Roofing holds Florida roofing (CCC1331058), electrical (EC13014750), and building (CBC1252064) licenses, all three in-house, and has served Hillsborough, Pinellas, Pasco, and Manatee counties since 2007. Fused Solar and Roofing is an EnergySage Elite Installer with a 5.0/5 rating and 21+ verified reviews, independent verification, earned not purchased. Request a free solar quote at https://fusedsolarandroofing.com/solar-installation
