Why I Charge $0 to Review Your Solar Quote (And How I Actually Get Paid)
Trust requires transparency. Here's exactly how my model works, where my income comes from, and why it's structurally impossible for me to recommend overpriced solar.
I get this question on every other call: "If you're reviewing my quote for free, what's the catch?"
Fair question. Here's the complete breakdown of how Solarfying actually works, top to bottom. No spin.
## What I do
When a homeowner sends me their solar quote from any installer — Sunnova, Sunrun, Tesla, doesn't matter — I read it line by line, compare it to current fair-market pricing in your state, and tell you exactly what's padded.
If the quote's fair, I tell you to sign it. If it's not, I either:
1. Help you negotiate the installer down to market price, OR
2. Connect you with a vetted local installer at fair-market pricing
You never pay me a dollar. The homeowner's out-of-pocket cost is $0 for the review, $0 for the second-opinion installer connection, $0 for the negotiation help.
## Where my income comes from
When I connect a homeowner with one of my vetted installers and they close the deal, the installer pays me a referral fee. Industry standard is $0.10–$0.40 per watt installed depending on the deal complexity.
For an 8kW system, that's $800–$3,200 to me, paid by the installer at install completion.
## Why this structure is the opposite of every commissioned solar rep you've talked to
The traditional door-to-door solar rep gets paid as a **percentage of system price**. The more they sell you, the more they make. If they convince you to upgrade from a 24-panel system to a 32-panel system, their commission goes up 33%. If they upsell you a battery you don't really need, more commission. If they push the lease over the loan, more commission. Every incentive points toward "sell more, sell bigger, sell expensive."
Mine works backwards. I get paid a **flat fee per watt** by my installer network. Whether the system costs $22,000 or $32,000, my fee is the same. If I recommend an inflated quote and you sign it, the installer gets the extra $10K. I get nothing extra — and I've permanently torched my reputation as "the broker who finds markups."
So there's a structural reason I can't recommend overpriced systems. It's not that I'm especially virtuous. It's that my entire business model depends on the opposite outcome.
## What this means for you
When I tell you a Sunnova quote has $7,400 of markup, I have zero financial incentive to lie. I make the same amount whether you go with my recommended installer at fair price OR I help you negotiate Sunnova down.
When I tell you a Tesla Solar quote is actually fair and to sign it, I'm sending you to a competitor who pays me nothing. I just helped you save the time of getting a second opinion you didn't need.
The model is: every interaction has to leave the homeowner better off, or the model doesn't work.
## What's the catch then
The catch is I'm one person. I can only review ~30 quotes a week max. So if you sent me a quote, I'll get back to you within 24 hours — but I can't turn it around in 10 minutes like an installer's sales rep can.
The other catch is I only operate in Florida + 6 Tier-1 states currently (TX, CA, NJ, NY, MA, IL). If you're outside those, I'll tell you upfront and recommend a local broker if I know one.
That's it. Send me your quote: [solarfying.com/review](https://solarfying.com/review).
🧮 Got a solar quote? Use our free Solar Quote Calculator to instantly check whether your price per watt is fair for your state — then get a free, independent review before you sign.