THE SHORT ANSWER
A pre-closing solar review should identify observed equipment and records without promising ownership, warranty transfer, future bills or remaining service life.
Resolve ownership first
Ask the seller, title professional and any lender or third-party owner whether the equipment is purchased, financed, leased or under a power-purchase agreement. A technician can document equipment but should not give a legal conclusion about title or contract transfer.
Collect the official project file
Request contract, permits, final inspections, utility approval, recent bills, monitoring access, equipment schedule and service history. DOE recommends retaining system, installer and warranty information. [1] Missing records should be listed explicitly, not recreated from a sales brochure.
Inspect with defined limits
Ask the provider to state whether the visit covers visible condition, monitoring, production, roof interaction, electrical testing or all of these. Record weather and system state during testing. Do not advertise the result as a home inspection or guaranteed lifespan unless contracted as such.
Check warranty transfer terms
Gather product serials, purchase date and current owner evidence. FTC warranty guidance makes transfer rights, remedies and exclusions dependent on written terms. [2] Ask the warrantor directly; do not assume a transferable home automatically means transferable coverage.
Create the buyer handoff
Before closing, assign who completes account, utility, monitoring and service-contact changes. Save the signed transfer or payoff evidence separately. Establish a post-closing production baseline and maintenance contact if the original installer is unavailable.
Before your next conversation
- Determine equipment ownership and obligations.
- Collect permits, utility and monitoring records.
- Define the inspection scope.
- Confirm each warranty transfer directly.
Primary sources
- U.S. Department of Energy: Homeowner’s Guide to Going Solar
Primary source reviewed September 10, 2026. A field diagnosis, warranty decision, permit or utility action remains specific to the installed system and property.
- Federal Trade Commission: Businessperson’s Guide to Federal Warranty Law
Primary source reviewed September 10, 2026. A field diagnosis, warranty decision, permit or utility action remains specific to the installed system and property.
Planning examples and questions are Origin’s editorial guidance, not a property-specific diagnosis, engineering design, tax determination or promise of savings. Manufacturer and utility references do not imply an affiliation with Origin.
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