FindSolar.caBetween signing a solar contract and watching your meter run backward sits a process most homeowners have never seen described end to end. Knowing the sequence does two things: it sets honest expectations about timing, and it makes the one dangerous shortcut, installing before approval, easy to recognize and refuse.
The sequence, start to finish
First, final design: the site visit confirms the preliminary layout against your actual roof, service panel and shading. Second, applications: the installer files for utility interconnection approval and pulls the electrical permit, and nothing physical should happen until the utility says yes; our approval guide covers why that gate exists and what can slow it. Third, installation itself, typically a few days of racking, panels, wiring and inverter work. Fourth, inspection: the electrical authority reviews the work. Fifth, the utility finishes its part, often swapping in a bidirectional meter, and issues its authorization to operate. Only then does the system legally switch on.
Where the calendar actually goes
Homeowners budget weeks for the install and are then surprised that the project takes a season. The physical work is the short part; applications, utility review, inspection scheduling and meter work are where the weeks live, and their pace varies by utility, season and local grid conditions. A good installer quotes the whole timeline, files complete applications, and tells you which stage the project is in without being asked. Chasing paperwork is their job; knowing the map is yours.
The shortcut to refuse
An installer who wants panels on the roof before interconnection approval is transferring risk to you: if the utility requires changes, a smaller system or a study, the hardware is already bought and mounted. Approval-before-installation is the professional sequence. Treat pressure to invert it, usually framed as beating a deadline or a price increase, as the red flag it is; our red flags guide keeps it company with the others.
Commissioning day and the file you keep
When the system goes live, collect the closing package: as-built design, permit and inspection records, utility authorization, warranty certificates, monitoring app access, and the commissioning report with tested output. Ten minutes of collation while everyone is friendly; it becomes your first-bill reference, your warranty claims kit, and part of your home's resale file.
Questions homeowners ask
What happens after I sign a solar contract?
Final on-site design, then the paperwork phase: utility interconnection application and electrical permit. Installation follows approval, inspection follows installation, the utility completes metering, and its authorization turns the system on. Signature to switch-on commonly spans a season, most of it paperwork rather than ladders.
How long does utility approval usually take?
Anywhere from about a week to a couple of months, varying by utility, season, system size and how complete the application was. Installers working your territory weekly know the current pace cold, which makes their estimate, with the utility named, a fair thing to request in writing.
Can the installer put panels on my roof before the utility approves the project?
They should not, and you should refuse the offer. If approval comes back conditioned, a smaller size, equipment changes or a study, hardware already on the roof becomes your problem. Approval first is the professional sequence; urgency arguments against it serve the installer's calendar, not yours.
Who gets the electrical permit and books the inspection?
The installer, in any normal arrangement, and your contract should say so explicitly: permits pulled under their qualification, inspection booked and passed by them, utility filings theirs too. Your role is receiving copies. If a contract leaves permits vague or to you, that is a rewrite before signing.
When can I legally turn my solar system on?
After the electrical inspection has passed and your utility has completed its interconnection steps, including any meter change, and issued its authorization to operate. Flipping the system on before that authorization violates the interconnection rules your agreement is built on. Your installer should mark the moment for you formally.
What documents should I receive when the job is complete?
The as-built design, electrical permit and inspection record, utility authorization, registered warranty certificates, equipment serial numbers, monitoring access and the commissioning report. Collect them into one file the week the system goes live; it is your claims kit, your bill-checking baseline and part of your resale package.