By the Templateez Team · July 2026

Solar Panel Intake Forms: Determine Feasibility Before You Get on the Roof

Solar installation is unlike any other trade. In most trades, the question is "how do we do this job?" In solar, the first question is "should we do this job at all?" A north-facing roof covered in shade from mature oaks, with 20-year-old shingles that need replacing next year, is not a good solar candidate. Finding that out during a site visit that you scheduled, drove to, and spent an hour at is a waste of everyone's time. A good intake form finds it out before you leave the office.

Ownership and Property Basics

The very first question on a solar intake form should be: does the customer own the property? This isn't optional. Renters generally can't install solar panels. It requires roof modifications, electrical work, utility interconnection agreements, and long-term commitments that only a property owner can authorize. If the answer is "I rent," the conversation is over before it starts. Your intake form catches this immediately instead of wasting a phone call discovering it halfway through.

After ownership, capture the basics: property address, year built, property type (single-family, multi-family, commercial). Then get into the details that matter specifically for solar: roof type (asphalt shingle, tile, metal, flat/membrane), approximate roof age, and current roof condition. A roof that needs replacement in the next five years is a problem for solar, because you'll have to remove the panels, replace the roof, and reinstall the panels — at significant additional cost. Better to replace the roof first, then install solar.

Roof Characteristics: The Make-or-Break Details

Solar panels need sun. That sounds obvious, but the details determine feasibility. Your intake form should ask about roof orientation: which direction does the main roof face? South-facing roofs are ideal in the Northern Hemisphere. East and west-facing roofs still work, with somewhat reduced production. North-facing roofs are generally poor candidates. If the customer doesn't know which direction their roof faces, that's fine — it'll be determined during the site assessment. But many homeowners do know, and it's useful pre-screening.

Roof pitch matters too. Standard residential pitches (4/12 to 8/12) work well for solar. Very steep roofs or very flat roofs require different mounting systems and may affect production. And shading is the big question: are there trees, neighboring buildings, chimneys, or other structures that cast shadows on the roof during any part of the day? Shading on even a portion of a solar array can significantly reduce the output of the entire system, depending on the panel technology and inverter configuration.

Your intake form can't determine exact shading — that's what the site assessment is for. But it can flag obvious issues. "Three mature oak trees directly south of the house" is a red flag that your site assessment might confirm makes the project non-viable. Knowing that before you schedule the site visit saves you the trip.

Current Energy Usage

Solar system sizing is based on energy consumption. Your intake form should ask: what's the average monthly electric bill? Better yet: what was the total annual kWh usage? (This is on the electric bill or available from the utility.) Who is the utility provider? What rate plan is the customer on — flat rate, tiered, or time-of-use?

Rate structure matters because it directly affects the financial case for solar. A customer on a time-of-use plan who uses a lot of electricity during peak hours has a stronger financial case for solar than one on a flat rate, because solar produces the most power during peak-rate hours. Your intake form doesn't need to do the financial analysis — that happens during the proposal phase — but it needs to collect the inputs.

Ask whether the customer expects their energy usage to change. Are they buying an electric vehicle? Adding a pool? Building an addition? Planning to install a hot tub? These additions can significantly increase electrical demand, and the solar system should be sized to accommodate them. A system that perfectly offsets today's usage but doesn't account for the EV the customer is buying next month will underperform from day one.

Current Electrical System

Solar installation involves significant electrical work, and your intake form needs to capture the home's current electrical setup. What's the main panel amperage — 100-amp, 150-amp, 200-amp? Older homes with 100-amp panels often need a panel upgrade to accommodate a solar system, which adds cost to the project. Is there existing solar or battery storage on the property? If so, the new system may need to integrate with or replace the existing one.

These details help your estimator provide an accurate quote. A solar proposal that doesn't account for a $3,000 panel upgrade is going to have an unpleasant surprise at contract time.

Project Goals and Financing

People go solar for different reasons, and those reasons affect system design. Some customers want to offset 100% of their electric bill. Some want partial offset — enough to make a dent without the upfront cost of a full system. Some want battery backup for power outages. Some are motivated by EV charging. Some want to go completely off-grid (which is rare in suburban areas but not unheard of). Your intake form should capture what the customer is trying to achieve so the system design matches the goal.

Financing is equally important. Solar systems range from $15,000 to $40,000+ depending on size, and how the customer plans to pay for it changes the entire transaction. Cash purchase, solar loan, lease, or power purchase agreement (PPA) are the main options. Each has different implications for ownership, tax credit eligibility, and long-term savings. The federal Investment Tax Credit (ITC) is significant — currently 30% of system cost — but it only applies if the customer owns the system (purchase or loan), not if they lease it. Your intake form should ask how the customer plans to finance the project so your sales team can present the right options.

HOA, Permits, and Utility Interconnection

Solar installation is one of the most permit-intensive residential projects. Your intake form should ask: is the property in an HOA? If so, many states have solar access laws that prevent HOAs from outright banning solar, but HOAs can still impose restrictions on panel placement, visibility from the street, and aesthetics. Has the customer checked with their HOA?

Is the property in a historic district? Historic districts often have additional restrictions on roof modifications and visible equipment. Local building permits are required in virtually every jurisdiction, and some municipalities have specific solar permit requirements. Utility interconnection — the agreement that lets you connect the solar system to the grid and sell back excess power — varies by utility and needs to be filed before the system is activated.

Your intake form doesn't need to resolve these issues, but it needs to identify which ones apply. A project in an HOA historic district with a restrictive utility is going to take longer and require more paperwork than a project in an unrestricted suburban neighborhood with a solar-friendly utility. Knowing that at intake sets realistic expectations for timeline.

Site Assessment Scheduling

Every solar project requires an in-person site assessment — a technician needs to physically inspect the roof, measure dimensions, assess shading with specialized equipment, evaluate the electrical panel, and verify structural adequacy. Your intake form should capture the customer's availability for the site assessment and any access requirements (locked gate, dogs in the yard, need to schedule around work hours).

The intake form is really a pre-qualification tool. By the time you schedule a site assessment, you should already know that the customer owns the property, the roof is in reasonable condition, there aren't obvious deal-breakers like north-facing orientation with heavy shade, and the customer has a realistic expectation of cost and financing. That qualification step is what makes your sales pipeline efficient instead of full of dead-end appointments.

Our Solar Panel Installation intake set covers all of these topics. For related trades, check out our electrical services intake guide or our general contractor intake guide, and browse the full form catalog.