Solar Bait-and-Switch: 6 Things That Quietly Change Between Signing and Install
The proposal you signed and the system you get are not always the same. Here are six switches that happen between contract and install — and the contract clauses that let you catch them.
Most solar consumer-protection advice focuses on the pitch. But some of the costliest surprises happen *after* you sign, in the gap between the glossy proposal and the system that actually lands on your roof. These are not always scams — sometimes they are "value engineering" to protect the installer''s margin — but they cost you real production, money, or warranty. Here are six switches to watch, and how to lock your contract down against them.
## 1. The panel model gets downgraded
You were shown premium panels (say, REC or QCells). The contract says "or equivalent." At install, cheaper panels appear. "Equivalent" is doing heavy lifting there. **Fix:** require the exact panel make, model, and wattage in the contract, and strike or tightly define "or equivalent" (e.g., "equal or greater wattage AND equal or longer warranty, with written notice and your approval").
## 2. The system shrinks
The proposal promised 11.2 kW. The installed system is 9.8 kW because "the roof couldn''t fit the layout" or "the design changed." Your production — and your savings math — just dropped, often without a price reduction. **Fix:** contract should specify total system size (kW DC), panel count, and a **production guarantee** in kWh/year. If size drops, price drops proportionally.
## 3. The inverter swaps to a cheaper architecture
You expected microinverters; you got a basic string inverter. On a shaded or multi-plane roof, that can cut production and shorten the inverter warranty (see our inverter guide). **Fix:** name the inverter make, model, and warranty term in the contract.
## 4. The dealer fee / price creeps via "change orders"
After signing, "unexpected" adders appear — electrical panel upgrade, structural reinforcement, trenching. Some are legitimately discovered on site; some are margin recovery. **Fix:** require that any change order be itemized, justified, and approved by you in writing *before* work proceeds, and cap or disclose likely adders up front.
## 5. The production estimate quietly assumed a clean roof
The savings projection used full-sun modeling, ignoring your trees. After install you find you produce 15% less than promised. **Fix:** require the solar-access/TSRF percentage and a production guarantee; tie compensation to missing it.
## 6. The timeline (and your loan) starts before the system does
You begin paying the loan while the system sits dark awaiting PTO for weeks (see our interconnection guide). **Fix:** negotiate payment deferral until Permission to Operate, in writing.
## The master move: read the contract, not the proposal
The glossy proposal is marketing. The **contract** is the only enforceable document — and the two often disagree. Before you sign:
- Confirm the **exact equipment** (panel + inverter make/model/wattage/warranty) matches what you were shown.
- Confirm **system size (kW), panel count, and a kWh production guarantee.**
- Confirm **total price and dealer fee**, with a change-order approval clause.
- Confirm **who holds the workmanship warranty and for how long.**
- Confirm the **cancellation/rescission window** (Florida contracts typically include one).
If the salesperson resists putting what they promised into the contract, that is your answer about whether they intended to deliver it.
## FAQ
**Is equipment substitution always a scam?**
No — supply issues happen. The problem is unilateral downgrades hidden behind "or equivalent." Require written notice and your approval, with equal-or-better terms.
**What if the installed system is smaller than promised?**
If your contract specified the size and a production guarantee, you have leverage for a price reduction or remediation. If it only said "approximately," you have far less. That is why specifics matter.
**I already signed and noticed a change. What can I do?**
Check your contract''s rescission window immediately, document the discrepancy against the signed contract, and raise it in writing before install proceeds. A second opinion before you''re past the cancellation window is worth a lot.
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*Before install day, send me your signed contract and the original proposal. I will line them up side by side and flag every place they disagree — for free. Catching a switch before the panels go up is far easier than after.*
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