SolarCleaningBossPro Blog — Running a Solar Cleaning Business

Pricing Solar Panel Cleaning for Profit: Per Panel, Minimums and Add-Ons

Pricing is where most solar cleaning companies quietly lose money. Not because their price per panel is wildly off, but because the small stuff gets given away: the second story, the steep back roof, the long hose run, the bird droppings that took twice as long. A good price list covers all of it, and a good system makes sure every quote uses it.

Get Your Prices Into the System First

If you are moving from another system, Switching Your Solar Cleaning Business to New Software Without Losing a Customer walks through rebuilding your service list as part of the move. This article is about what goes on that list.

The examples below are only examples. Your market, drive times, labor and insurance costs set your real numbers. What matters is the structure, because the structure is what stops you from giving work away.

Per Panel Plus a Minimum

Most solar cleaners charge per panel. It is easy for customers to understand and it scales with the work. A company might charge $6 a panel, for example.

Per panel alone fails on small systems. Eight panels at a per-panel price may not cover the drive, the setup and the cleanup. That is what a minimum charge is for. A minimum of $120, as an example, means every stop pays for the truck to show up. Customers rarely argue with a minimum when it is on the quote from the start.

Add-Ons for Height and Difficulty

A 24-panel array on a low-pitch single-story roof and a 24-panel array on a steep three-story roof are not the same job. Price the difference:

• Story add-on. An amount for a second story and more for a third, covering ladder time and roof safety setup.
• Steep-pitch add-on. Steep roofs take longer to set up and work safely.
• Access. Long hose runs, no nearby spigot, or carrying gear through a house can justify a note on the quote.

In SolarCleaningBossPro, story and steep-pitch add-ons live on your service list beside the per-panel price, so every estimate includes them when they apply. The address keeps its stories and pitch, so the next quote for that house is right without anyone re-measuring.

Price Extras as Extras

Bird proofing, critter guards and inspections are separate services. Price them separately:

• Bird proofing is often priced per panel, since the material and time scale with the array.
• Critter guards may be priced per job or by the length of the array edge.
• Inspections are usually a flat fee for a visual check with photos and notes.

More on these in Bird Proofing and Critter Guards: Add-On Services for a Solar Cleaning Business. The key is that an extra the tech does on site should never stay off the invoice.

Pricing Recurring Plans

Recurring customers are the most valuable customers you have. Some owners offer a small discount for twice-a-year or quarterly plans to encourage sign-ups. Others keep the same per-visit price and sell the plan on convenience: “You never have to remember to call us.”

Either way, the plan price should still clear your costs on every visit. A deep discount on a plan you cannot profitably service is just a slower way to lose money.

For commercial arrays and carports, quote each site on its own panels and access, and for owners with many buildings consider monthly account billing so they get one statement covering every site.

Check Your Prices Against Your Costs

Once or twice a year, sit down with your numbers. What does an hour of truck time cost you, including fuel, insurance, equipment wear and labor? How long does an average home take, door to door? If the average job does not leave a healthy margin after those costs, raise prices or tighten your minimum.

Signs your prices are too low: you are busy every day and still tight on cash, you never say no to a job, and customers accept every quote without a question. A few people saying no is normal. Everybody saying yes usually means you are cheap.

When you raise prices, give recurring customers notice by text, keep the message short, and explain it plainly. Most stay.

Quote the Same Way Every Time

The whole point of a price list is consistency. In SolarCleaningBossPro, estimates are built from your service list, the customer approves online, and the approved estimate becomes the scheduled job. Whoever quotes, the price follows the same rules. Plans are $59, $89 and $199 per month. For every owner's guide, visit the solar cleaning business software page.