Why Palmetto’s warranty depends on how you pay
Palmetto sells solar two ways. Its LightReach lease and PPA plans carry its strongest promises. Cash and loan buyers get shorter ones.
With LightReach, Palmetto’s finance company owns the panels. You pay each month, either for the panels or for the power they make. That second kind is called a power purchase agreement, or PPA. If you pay cash or take a loan, you own the panels instead.
- Workmanship25 years
- Roof leaks10 years
- Production guarantee90% of estimate
- You payMonthly
- Workmanship10 years
- Roof leaks5 years
- Production guaranteeNot stated
- You payUp front or by loan
LightReach terms come from Palmetto’s plans overview and performance guarantee. Buyer terms come from its warranty help page, which says terms may vary by state.
Workmanship warranties cover the labor of putting the system in. A production guarantee promises a share of the power your system should make. On LightReach, Palmetto promises 90% of its estimate. For buyers, we found no written production guarantee.
We score Palmetto on its LightReach terms, because they are its best written offer. If you plan to buy, ask for your warranty in writing for your state.
Lease or buy? Find the Palmetto path that fits you
Neither path is always better. The right one depends on what you want to own, how long you will stay and how you can pay.
Lease or buy? See which Palmetto path fits you.
Answer three questions. We will show the trade-offs for your answers. This is not a price quote or financial advice.
On a lease or PPA, you don’t own the system. That can make a home sale harder, and most plans raise the payment a little each year. When you buy, you own the system and keep any value it adds to your home.
Palmetto’s 72: a clean record, held back by who installs
Palmetto earned full marks for its legal record and its time in business. Using partner installers cost it all 12 points in that area.
Palmetto missed 28 points in all. The biggest share, 12, came from who installs. It lost 6 more for certifications. We found no NABCEP-certified installer on staff, which is the top installer credential, and no equipment-maker certification. It lost 5 for not showing loan fees, 3 because no outside company backs its warranty and 2 because its main BBB file has no grade.
Every company is scored on the same formula, from public records only. No company pays us. Ads never change a score.
Who installs Palmetto systems? Local partners
Palmetto’s process pages say local partner companies do the installing. Palmetto calls them Build Partners.
Its help pages describe a “network of certified installers.” So Palmetto sells and finances the system, and another company puts it on your roof. One older FAQ says Palmetto installs under its Energy Plan, but its current process pages name partners.
This can work well, but it adds a handoff. If something leaks, you want to know who fixes it. Before you sign, ask for your installer’s company name and license number. Also ask whether Palmetto or the installer handles repairs.
Palmetto posts a price. Here’s what it tells you
For an 8.91 kW system in Texas, Palmetto posts an estimate of $25,222 cash, or $114 a month on a lease. That works out to about $2.83 a watt.
That is rare. Most solar companies won’t share any price before a sales visit. Palmetto’s Texas page shows a sample cash price and a sample lease payment for the same system. It says these are estimates, not your contract price.
How does $2.83 compare? It sits near the top of the posted prices we track. Our price estimator puts Palmetto next to Tesla, Project Solar and others for your system size.
One thing Palmetto does not show is loan fees. That cost it 5 points. Also, the 30% federal tax credit for buyers ended on December 31, 2025. Palmetto’s current pages say so, which earned it the 4 points for honest tax-credit claims.
Palmetto posts estimates for 30 states. Here they are side by side, from its own state pages marked “Updated: October 2026.” They come from its pricing model, not signed contracts, and the cash price is before any state incentive.
Cheapest per watt: Florida at $2.69. Highest: Rhode Island at $3.24.
348 complaints in three years: billing tops the list
We read the 30 newest complaints on Palmetto’s main BBB file. Palmetto answered all 30. Billing problems came up most.
These complaints run from July 20 to September 22, 2026. Here is how often the top problems came up:
Times each problem came up in the 30 newest complaints. One complaint can raise more than one problem.
One homeowner got past-due notices and late fees even though automatic payments were running. Another said calls about a weak system went unanswered for a month. A third was told bills woudl nearly vanish, but says they now pay about double.
Complaints only lower a score in our formula when the BBB flags a pattern. Palmetto’s main file has no such flag. Still, check your billing setup in the first few months.
Two BBB files, two different pictures
Palmetto’s main BBB file, in Charlotte, has no letter grade. A separate file in Phoenix shows an F, for not answering 3 complaints.
The Better Business Bureau gives grades by location. Palmetto’s main file is not rated. That earns it 3 of 5 BBB points in our formula, the same as any company with no grade. The Phoenix file is separate. Its F is for unanswered complaints, not for a finding of wrongdoing. We score the main file and show the other so you have the full picture.
27 states and an active Texas license
Palmetto sells solar in 27 states. Its Texas license is active.
Palmetto lists these states:
- Arizona
- California
- Colorado
- Connecticut
- Florida
- Georgia
- Illinois
- Indiana
- Kansas
- Kentucky
- Maine
- Maryland
- Massachusetts
- Michigan
- New Hampshire
- New Jersey
- New York
- North Carolina
- Ohio
- Oklahoma
- Oregon
- Pennsylvania
- Rhode Island
- South Carolina
- Texas
- Vermont
- Virginia
In Texas, Palmetto Solar, LLC holds license EC-34752, active through September 16, 2027. That puts it in our Texas ranking, 10th of 20. Since the partner company does your install, also check that company’s license on your state board’s website.
Questions to ask before you pick a Palmetto plan
These questions fit whichever path you choose.
- Which warranty comes with my plan? Lease and buyer terms differ. Get yours in writing for your state.
- Who will install my system? Get the partner company’s name and license number.
- How much does my payment rise each year? On a lease or PPA, ask for the exact yearly increase.
- What happens if I sell my home? Ask how a lease moves to the buyer, or what owning adds at sale time.
- What are the loan fees? If you finance, ask for every fee on paper.
Palmetto questions, answered
Short answers about Palmetto’s plans, prices and warranty.
Is Palmetto Solar legit?
Yes. It has an active Texas license, no lawsuits or state actions in five years and a posted price. Our formula gives it 72 out of 100.
What is Palmetto LightReach?
LightReach is Palmetto’s lease and PPA plan. Palmetto’s finance company owns the panels, and you pay monthly for them or for their power.
What warranty does Palmetto offer?
It depends on how you pay. LightReach plans get 25 years of workmanship, 10 years on roof leaks and a 90% production guarantee. Buyers get 10 years of workmanship and 5 years on roof leaks.
Does Palmetto guarantee production?
On LightReach plans, yes: 90% of its estimate. For cash or loan buyers, we found no written production guarantee.
How much does Palmetto solar cost?
Its Texas page shows an estimate of $25,222 cash, or $114 a month on a lease, for an 8.91 kW system. That is about $2.83 a watt.
Does Palmetto install its own systems?
No. Local partner companies, which Palmetto calls Build Partners, do the installing.
Why does Palmetto have an F on the BBB?
The F is on a separate Phoenix file, for not answering 3 complaints. Palmetto’s main BBB file, in Charlotte, has no grade.
Is Palmetto licensed in Texas?
Yes. Palmetto Solar, LLC holds Texas license EC-34752, active through September 16, 2027.
Sources and updates
Sources (12)
- Palmetto, Solar energy plans overview: 25-year workmanship and 10-year roof warranty on LightReach plans.
- Palmetto, Performance guarantee: 90% of the estimate on LightReach plans.
- Palmetto, Warranties: what you need to know: 10-year workmanship and 5-year roof penetration warranty for buyers; terms may vary by state.
- Palmetto, Texas page: an estimate of $25,222 cash, or $114 a month on a lease, for an 8.91 kW system.
- Palmetto, Customer journey: contract signing to PTO: local partner installers.
- Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation, License EC-34752: Palmetto Solar, LLC, active through September 16, 2027, checked October 6, 2026.
- Better Business Bureau (nonprofit), Palmetto Solar, Charlotte profile: not rated, checked October 6, 2026.
- Better Business Bureau (nonprofit), Palmetto Solar, Phoenix profile: F for unanswered complaints.
- Better Business Bureau (nonprofit), Palmetto Solar complaints: 348 complaints in three years; we read the 30 newest, July 20 to September 22, 2026.
- Solar Power World (trade publication), Palmetto Solar contractor profile: founded in 2010.
- NABCEP, the solar certification board, Certified professionals directory: no Palmetto installation professionals listed as of October 6, 2026.
- Palmetto, State solar cost pages: cash and lease estimates for 30 states, each marked Updated: October 2026.
Changelog · last updated October 7, 2026 · 1 update
- October 7, 2026: Published, with Palmetto’s score of 72 out of 100, a lease-versus-buy comparison and a plan picker.
How to cite this page: The Day Company review team, “Palmetto review: your warranty depends on how you pay.,” The Day Company, updated October 7, 2026, https://theday.company/solar-reviews/palmetto-solar.
Palmetto pays us nothing. We earn nothing if you sign with it. Its prices and plan terms change, so get yours in writing before you sign.