Buying solar
Questions to ask a solar company before you sign in Nevada
Twelve questions for any Las Vegas solar seller, each tied to something Nevada law already requires in the contract, so a straight answer is easy to check.
Ask questions whose answers are already required to be in writing. Nevada's solar statutes, NRS 598.9801 to 598.9822, spell out what a purchase, lease, power purchase agreement and solar loan must contain, so every question below points at a page or a clause. A seller who is straight with you can show you each answer on paper in a few minutes.
Bring this list to the table. You do not need to be an expert, and you do not need to accept "we will get to that later".
Before anything else
1. "What is your licence number, and what is the monetary limit on it?"
The State Contractors Board's first tip for anyone approached by a solar salesperson is to ask for the contractor's name and licence number before engaging in discussions, then verify the status is Active. NRS 624.875 requires the licence number and the monetary limit to be written in every residential solar contract, so the answer is not a favour. Check it yourself in about a minute with how to check a solar contractor's licence.
2. "Are you the company that will install it, and are you an employee of that company?"
The Board lists as a red flag a salesperson who says they "hire" or "work with" a local licensed contractor. On a purchase, NRS 598.9813 makes the cover page disclose whether the person who first presented the agreement is an employee of the company, whether the company keeps a physical office in Nevada where its employees work, and whether it has at least one vehicle registered in Nevada. Ask them to point to those lines.
3. "Did anyone pay for my name?"
If the company paid for the lead or referral that brought the agreement to you, the purchase cover page has to state the amount. It is a fair question and it tells you how the sale started.
About the money
4. "Is this a purchase, a loan, a lease or a power purchase agreement?"
They are four different contracts with four different owners of the equipment, and the answer changes every other answer on this page. Prepaid, lease, loan or cash sets out who owns what under each.
5. "What is the total cost, and what is due at signing?"
The purchase cover page must show the total cost of the system and the amounts due at signing and at completion. NRS 598.982185 caps the initial deposit at $1,000 or 10 percent of the contract price, whichever is less, and bars the company from taking any other payment for the installation until the utility grants permission to connect. Divide the total by the system size to get a price per watt you can compare between quotes; what solar costs in Las Vegas explains why that is the only figure that compares.
6. "Does the payment go up, and when?"
On a lease or a power purchase agreement, ask for the escalator. The power purchase cover page under NRS 598.9816 has to state the rate of any increase in the payments and the date of the first increase. Multiply it out over the whole term before you decide the first year payment is the price.
7. "Where is the savings figure you just told me written down?"
A number said out loud is not a term. NRS 598.982186 bars putting a material term in marketing materials that is not in the agreement itself. And any agreement that refers to the utility's price of electricity must print, in 12 point type under NRS 598.9819, that actual utility rates may go up or down and actual savings may vary. The power purchase cover page must also explain that you will always receive a power bill while you are connected to the grid.
If a figure mattered to your decision and it is not in the agreement, ask for it to be added or do not sign. Is solar worth it in Las Vegas walks through the factors that decide the real figure for your roof.
8. "Does your price assume a tax credit or a public incentive?"
The purchase cover page must show the estimated value of any incentives included in the total cost. Any marketing that mentions an incentive, rebate or tax credit must recommend you consult an independent tax professional, under NRS 598.982186 subsection 2. The same section makes it deceptive to imply the seller takes part in a public incentive scheme run by a government agency unless that agency authorised the claim in writing. If someone implies they are with the state or the utility, ask for that authorisation. What the federal solar tax credit is worth in 2026 sets out what changed.
About what you are actually getting
9. "What does it produce in year one, and what happens if it falls short?"
Estimated first year production is a required cover page item on a purchase, a lease and a power purchase agreement. On a purchase, NRS 598.9814 subsection 22 then requires the agreement to set out the company's duties if the system misses that estimate, including taking the actions needed to make it the following year. Ask to see that clause, and ask how the estimate was worked out.
10. "Show me the warranties."
NRS 598.9821 sets floors. The installation and the roof penetrations carry an express written warranty that expires no earlier than 10 years after installation. On a purchase, collectors and storage carry at least 10 years and inverters at least 7, either from the installer or passed through from the manufacturer. Ask which it is, because a pass through warranty depends on a manufacturer, and a direct one depends on the installer still being in business. When your installer goes out of business is what the difference looks like later.
About getting out, and moving on
11. "How do I cancel, and where do I send it?"
NRS 598.98216 lets you cancel in writing, without penalty, until midnight of the third business day after signing, or the tenth business day if you are 60 or older. A purchase cover page must print the email address to send it to. If you are financing, the loan is a separate agreement and needs its own notice. Your rights under a Nevada solar contract has every clock and every exception.
Ask about the recording too. On a purchase or a power purchase agreement, NRS 598.98213 requires the company to confirm your identity, read you the cover page and record the conversation, at signing or within 48 hours, and it may not start the installation until that recording exists. It keeps the recording for at least 5 years after final inspection, and you can ask for a copy.
12. "What happens if I sell the house?"
This is the question homeowners most often wish they had asked. Nevada makes the answer part of the contract:
- A lease must describe all your options on a sale or transfer of the property, including whether the obligations may be transferred to the buyer, the conditions of any transfer and the process to pay off what is owed (NRS 598.9811 subsection 19, in the version in force through December 31 2027).
- A power purchase agreement must describe the same (NRS 598.9817 subsection 15).
- A solar loan signed under the section added in 2025 must describe your options on a sale, including whether the loan may transfer to your buyer and the payoff process (NRS 598.98211 subsection 2, paragraph (e)).
Read that clause now, and ask whether a lender, lessor or provider will file a fixture filing against the property. Who owns my solar panels explains what that filing is and how to find it later.
One more, for the person at your door
If the visit is about a system you already have, and the offer is to take over its warranty or monitoring, read the warranty takeover pitch before you sign anything.
We are a licensed Nevada electrical contractor, not a law firm, and this page describes the statutes on the date at the top; it is not legal advice. We will answer all twelve of these about our own quotes, in writing.
Questions people ask us
What is the first question to ask a solar salesperson in Nevada?
Ask for the contractor's name and licence number, then check it on the State Contractors Board search before you talk price. The Board lists that as its first tip. Nevada requires the licence number and the monetary limit on every residential solar contract, so an honest seller has both ready.
Do I get a copy of the recorded confirmation call?
Yes, if you ask. On a purchase or a power purchase agreement, NRS 598.98213 requires the company to read you the cover page and record it at signing or within 48 hours. It keeps the recording at least 5 years after final inspection, and must hand it over within 10 business days of your written request.
Can a salesperson promise me a lower bill?
They can estimate, but the estimate has to be in the agreement. Nevada bars putting a material term in marketing materials that is not in the contract, and any agreement that mentions utility prices must carry the line that actual utility rates may go up or down and actual savings may vary. Ask where your number is written.
What should I ask about selling my house later?
Ask to see the clause that describes your options on a sale. Nevada requires a lease, a power purchase agreement and, since 2025, a solar loan to describe whether the obligation can transfer to your buyer, the conditions of any transfer and how to pay it off. Read that clause before signing, not at escrow.
How much can a solar company ask for up front in Nevada?
No more than $1,000 or 10 percent of the contract price, whichever is less, as an initial deposit. NRS 598.982185 then bars the company from accepting any other payment for the installation until the utility gives the system permission to connect. A request for more money at signing is a reason to stop.
Is it a problem if the seller mentions a tax credit or a state scheme?
Nevada requires any marketing that mentions an incentive, rebate or tax credit to recommend you consult an independent tax professional. It is also deceptive to imply the seller takes part in a public incentive scheme unless the agency running it has authorised that in writing. Ask for the written authorisation.
Where these numbers come from
- Nevada State Contractors Board, Residential Solar consumer page: quick tips if approached by a solar salesperson and common red flags checked 2026-09-28
- NRS 598.98216, rescission within 3 business days, 10 business days at 60 or older, and 3 business days after survey results; NRS 598.98213, the recorded confirmation of the cover page, kept not less than 5 years checked 2026-09-28
- NRS 598.9813, purchase agreement cover page, including total cost, estimated first year production, the amount paid for a lead or referral, the Nevada office and vehicle disclosures and the Recovery Fund notice; NRS 598.9809 and NRS 598.9816, the lease and power purchase agreement cover pages, including the rate of any payment increase checked 2026-09-28
- NRS 598.9814 subsection 22, duties if a purchased system misses its estimated first year production, and NRS 598.9821, the express warranty floors checked 2026-09-28
- NRS 598.9811 subsection 19 (version effective through December 31 2027), NRS 598.9817 subsection 15 and NRS 598.98211 subsection 2 paragraph (e), the options on a sale or transfer of the property for a lease, a power purchase agreement and a solar loan checked 2026-09-28
- NRS 598.9819, the utility rates disclosure in 12 point font; NRS 598.982185, the deposit cap and no further payment before permission to operate; NRS 598.982186, marketing terms, public incentive claims and the independent tax professional statement at subsection 2 checked 2026-09-28
- NRS 624.875, the contractor's licence number and monetary limit required in every residential photovoltaic contract checked 2026-09-28
Actual utility rates may go up or down and actual savings may vary. Every figure on this page is an estimate based on the sources listed below, not a promise about your home.
This page describes federal tax law as we read it on the checked-on date. It is not tax advice. Consult an independent tax professional about your own return before you rely on any credit.
We recheck this page quarterly. Last checked 2026-09-28. If a number here has moved, tell us and we will fix it the same week.