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National · 27 statesSolar installer reviewRecords checked Oct 2026

Tesla solar review: you can see the price first. Here’s the rest of the story.

Most solar companies hide the price until a salesperson is at your table. Tesla puts its price online. We checked that price, the warranty and the court record. Here is what you are really buying.

Updated 9 min readBy The Day Company review team · How we score
T-16 in TexasOur Texas ranking
$2.67/WPosted Texas average
10 yearsWhole-system warranty
Short answer

Yes, if you want a fair price you can check yourself. Tesla scores 63 out of 100 on our formula, which uses only public records. That puts it tied for 16th of 20 in our Texas ranking. Tesla posts a Texas price of about $2.67 a watt. Its warranty covers the whole system for 10 years, roof leaks too. It lost points for a $6.08 million settlement, an active BBB complaint alert, other installers in some areas and no promise about how much power you will get.

Tesla solar: key factsChecked October 7, 2026
  • Score63 of 100. Tied for 16th of 20 in Texas.
  • PriceAbout $2.67 a watt in Texas, for systems of 8 kW or more (Tesla data, October 3, 2025). An 8 kW system is about $21,360 before incentives.
  • Warranty10 years on the whole system, roof leaks included. Tesla does the repair work. Panels have their own 25-year warranty.
  • OutputNo production guarantee. Tesla does not promise how much power you will make.
  • InstallerTesla crews in some areas. Tesla Certified Installers in others. Tesla does not list which is which.
  • Legal recordPaid $6.08 million in 2023 to settle a class action. It had raised Solar Roof prices on signed contracts in 2021.
  • LicenseTexas license EC-33536, active through April 17, 2027.
  • Footprint27 states plus Washington, D.C., on its financing list.

Built on public data from Tesla’s own price, warranty and installer pages, the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation, federal court records reported by CNBC, NABCEP and the Better Business Bureau. Checked October 2026.

01 · Price

What does Tesla charge for solar panels?

Tesla posts a Texas price of about $2.67 a watt for systems of 8 kW or more. So an 8 kW system costs about $21,360 before incentives.

Most solar companies won’t tell you a price until you meet. Tesla is different. You can design a system on its website and see a price first. You don’t have to give anyone your phone number.

Is $2.67 a good price? We compared it with every company we review that posts a price. Tesla is in the middle. Three companies post lower prices, and two companies post higher ones.

Suntria$2.15Project Solar$2.35Solstice$2.50Tesla$2.67Palmetto$2.83Native$3.00
Price per watt for an 8 kW system, before incentives. Each price comes from the company’s own website, checked in October 2026. Palmetto’s is worked out from its posted Texas estimate. Project Solar’s is its 8 to 10 kW price.
Price estimator

What would Tesla charge for your size?

Slide to your system size. We use each company’s own posted price. You see Tesla next to the others before anyone calls you.

$21,360Tesla, at its posted $2.67 a watt, before incentives
CompanySame size, posted price
Suntria$17,200
Project Solar$18,810
Solstice$20,000
Tesla$21,360
Palmetto$22,640
Native$24,000

Estimates only. Roof shape, shading, batteries and local permits change real quotes. Project Solar’s figure uses its own size tiers plus a $10 fee.

One more thing changes the math. The 30% federal tax credit for people who buy solar ended on December 31, 2025. If a quote still takes it off your price, the quote is out of date.

Here are the same prices by system size:

Posted solar prices by system size, before incentives
Company6 kW8 kW10 kW12 kW
Suntria$12,900$17,200$21,500$25,800
Project Solar$14,410$18,810$22,510$25,810
Solstice$15,000$20,000$25,000$30,000
Tesla$16,020$21,360$26,700$32,040
Palmetto$16,980$22,640$28,300$33,960
Native$18,000$24,000$30,000$36,000

Tesla also posts average prices for these states (systems of 8 kW and up, Tesla data updated October 3, 2025):

Tesla posted solar prices by state
StatePrice per watt8 kW system
Arizona$2.54$20,320
California$2.83$22,640
Connecticut$3.01$24,080
Florida$2.56$20,480
Hawaii$2.90$23,200
Massachusetts$3.45$27,600
New York$2.98$23,840
Texas$2.67$21,360
02 · The score

How Tesla scored 63 out of 100

A court case and a BBB complaint alert cost Tesla the most points. It earned all 15 points for showing its price.

The Solar Roof case cost Tesla 10 points for its legal record, and an active BBB alert about a pattern of complaints cost 8 more. It cost 4 more for contract terms, because it was about raising prices after people signed. Tesla lost 6 points because other companies install in some areas. It lost 4 for having no production guarantee, 3 because no outside company backs its warranty and 2 because its solar business has no BBB grade.

Tesla’s points in each category
Complaints, lawsuits and state actions
12 of 30
Contract and warranty terms
14 of 25
Price transparency
15 of 15
Who installs
6 of 12
Time in business
7 of 7
Certifications
6 of 6
BBB rating
3 of 5
How Tesla earned each point
CategoryPointsThe record behind it
Complaints, lawsuits and state actions12 of 30Lawsuits, settlements and class actions (minus 10 each): 1 found
Investigation demands alone (minus 5 each): 0 found
BBB complaint-pattern alert (minus 8): Yes
Contract and warranty terms14 of 25Workmanship warranty (up to 7): 10 years
Equipment warranties in writing (4): Yes
No court claims about fees or contracts (4): Yes, in a counted action
Written production guarantee (4): No
Roof-leak warranty (up to 3): 10 years
Warranty backup if the company closes (3): None stated
Price transparency15 of 15Its own published prices (6): Yes
Loan and dealer fees shown up front (5): Yes
Tax-credit claims match current law (4): Yes
Who installs6 of 12Own crews 12, mixed 6, partners only or not stated 0: Own crews and partners
Time in business7 of 7Years in business (up to 7): 23 years
Certifications6 of 6NABCEP-certified installer on staff (4): Yes
Equipment-maker certification (2): Installs its own Tesla equipment
BBB rating3 of 5BBB letter grade: NR

Every company gets the same 100-point formula. We use public records only. No company pays us, and ads never change a score.

03 · Warranty

What Tesla’s warranty covers, and what it leaves out

If you buy, Tesla covers the whole system for 10 years. That includes the parts that hold it to your roof, and any leaks. Tesla does the repair work itself.

A workmanship warranty covers the install work. Tesla’s goes further. It also covers the panels, the inverter and the racking. The panels have a second warranty, for 25 years. Tesla updated that one in June 2026.

There are two gaps. First, the warranty got shorter. An older Tesla contract from 2019 promised 20 years on install work. Today it is 10. Second, Tesla has no production guarantee. That is a promise about how much power your panels will make. Tesla says it makes no such promise beyond the warranty.

Ask this: if Tesla stopped selling solar, who would fix your system? Tesla does not name an insurance company or any other company that would take over. Few installers do. That is why we give 3 points to a company that puts a backup in writing. How we score warranty backup.
04 · Who installs

Will a Tesla crew install your panels?

It depends on where you live. In some areas, Tesla’s own crews install. In others, Tesla Certified Installers do the job.

Tesla’s help page says Certified Installers work “in areas where Tesla does not directly install.” It does not say which areas those are. So two neighbors in different towns could buy the same system and get different crews.

That matters. The installer drills into your roof and wires your home. Before you pay a deposit, ask Tesla in writing who will install your system. Get the company’s name and license number. In our formula, this split costs Tesla 6 of 12 points.

05 · Legal record

The Solar Roof price hike that cost Tesla $6.08 million

In 2021, Tesla raised Solar Roof prices for people who had already signed. Owners sued together in a class action. Tesla settled in 2023.

The case is caled Amans v. Tesla. It was filed in federal court in California. CNBC, a news outlet, reported that more than 6,300 customers canceled. Tesla agreed to pay $6.08 million.

Solar Roof is Tesla’s solar shingle, not its regular panels. We still count the case, because it is about how Tesla priced and sold solar. Our formula takes 10 points for a class-action settlement over solar sales in the last five years.

We found no other lawsuits or state actions over Tesla’s solar sales in that time. The lesson is simple. Get your final price in writing. Then read what the contract says about price changes.

06 · Complaints

Tesla’s BBB file: a complaint alert, and what solar owners say

The BBB has an active alert on Tesla for a pattern of complaints, and it names solar repairs. In the 30 newest solar complaints we read, slow replies came up 22 times.

Tesla’s BBB profile covers the whole company, cars included. It is not rated and not accredited. In 2026 the BBB opened a review of a pattern of complaints: repair delays, hard-to-reach support, warranty disputes and billing problems. It names solar equipment repairs and solar support. Our formula takes 8 points for an active pattern alert.

We read the 30 newest solar complaints, from May 5 to June 26, 2026. Slow or no replies came up 22 times. Systems not working came up 15 times, and warranty or repair problems 13 times. One owner said panels on a ten-year-old lease stopped in June, and the first repair visit offered was in September. Tesla answered 26 of the 30.

Complaints are customers’ accounts, not findings. The BBB profile mixes car and solar complaints, so we read each one to pick out the solar ones.

07 · Where it sells

Where Tesla sells solar, and where it’s licensed

Tesla’s financing list names 27 states plus Washington, D.C. Its license in Texas, the first state we check, is active.

Tesla does not post one list of where it installs. Its financing list is the closest thing:

  • Arizona
  • California
  • Colorado
  • Connecticut
  • Delaware
  • Florida
  • Georgia
  • Hawaii
  • Illinois
  • Maryland
  • Massachusetts
  • New Hampshire
  • New Jersey
  • New Mexico
  • Nevada
  • New York
  • North Carolina
  • Oregon
  • Pennsylvania
  • Rhode Island
  • South Carolina
  • Texas
  • Utah
  • Vermont
  • Virginia
  • Washington
  • Wisconsin
  • Washington, D.C.

In Texas, Tesla Energy Operations holds license EC-33536. It is active through April 17, 2027. That puts Tesla in our Texas ranking, tied for 16th of 20. We add other states as our guides for them go live. In any state, you can look up an installer’s license on the state board’s website.

08 · Before you order

Five questions to settle before you click Order

Tesla makes it easy to order online. That is why it pays to slow down first.

  1. Who will install my system? A Tesla crew or a Certified Installer? Get the name and license number in writing.
  2. Is my price locked? Ask what the contract says about price changes after you sign.
  3. What does the warranty cover on my roof? Ask about your roof type. Ask who pays if a leak shows up in year eight.
  4. What happens after year 10? The panels have a 25-year warranty. Ask who handles service calls and what they cost.
  5. Does the quote leave out the old tax credit? The 30% credit for buyers ended on December 31, 2025. A quote that still uses it is wrong.
09 · Questions

Tesla solar questions, answered straight

Short, sourced answers to what people search most about Tesla solar.

Is Tesla solar worth it in 2026?

For many people, yes. Tesla scores 63 out of 100 on our formula. It posts its price online. Its warranty covers the whole system for 10 years, roof leaks too. The downsides are other installers in some areas and no production guarantee.

How much do Tesla solar panels cost?

Tesla posts a Texas price of about $2.67 a watt for systems of 8 kW or more. An 8 kW system is about $21,360 before incentives. The price Tesla shows for your address is the one that counts.

Does Tesla install its own solar panels?

Sometimes. Tesla crews install in some areas. Tesla Certified Installers work in others. Tesla does not list which is which, so ask before you pay a deposit.

What does Tesla’s solar warranty cover?

If you buy, Tesla covers the whole system for 10 years. That includes the roof mounting and leaks. Tesla does the repair work. The panels also have a 25-year warranty.

Does Tesla guarantee how much power my panels will make?

No. Tesla has no production guarantee. It says it makes no promise about power beyond its warranty.

What was the Tesla Solar Roof lawsuit about?

In 2021, Tesla raised Solar Roof prices for people who had already signed. Owners sued in a class action called Amans v. Tesla. Tesla settled for $6.08 million in 2023.

Can I still get the 30% solar tax credit with Tesla?

Not if you buy. The federal credit for buyers ended on December 31, 2025. If you lease, Tesla owns the system. Ask how any incentives show up in your monthly price.

Is Tesla licensed to install solar?

In Texas, yes. Tesla Energy Operations holds license EC-33536, active through April 17, 2027. In other states, check the state licensing board’s website.

Which states does Tesla sell solar in?

Its financing list names 27 states plus Washington, D.C. Tesla does not post a separate list of where it installs.

Sources

Sources and updates

Sources (16)
Changelog · last updated October 7, 2026 · 1 update
  • October 7, 2026: Published, with Tesla’s score of 63 out of 100, a posted-price comparison and a size-based price estimator.

How to cite this page: The Day Company review team, “Tesla solar review: you can see the price first. Here’s the rest of the story.,” The Day Company, updated October 7, 2026, https://theday.company/solar-reviews/tesla-solar.

Tesla doesn’t pay us. We earn nothing if you buy from it. Prices change often. The price Tesla shows for your address is the one that counts.