How pricing works
We do not publish a price list. Off-grid jobs differ too much, and a number without the site behind it would mislead you. Here is how the number is made.
What decides the price
Most jobs here are priced by how far the work is from the road and the power, more than by the size of the building.
How far the site is from the road and from the nearest pole
Trenching through rock, roots or ground that freezes
How many sources feed the place: panels, a battery, a back-up
The loads you want to run: well pump, shop tools, electric heat
Permit and inspection fees, which differ by county
What the estimate includes, and what it doesn't
The estimate is written and names what it covers: labor, wire, boxes, the panel and disconnects. It also names what it leaves out.
Left out unless the estimate says otherwise: trenching, drywall repair, painting
Panels, batteries and inverters are listed by line, whether we buy them or you do
Permit fees are passed through at cost, on their own line
What happens at the visit
A site visit is how we see the land, the framing and the road. We walk the route the wire will take and look at where the sun reaches in winter.
The visit has a fee, stated before we drive out, because the drive can be long
If you hire us, the visit fee comes off the work
We do not price a whole-house system on the spot; the drawing comes first
What the design fee covers
For a whole-house or off-grid system we draw the one-line diagram and a load worksheet first. That drawing is the design fee.
One sheet: sources, switches, breakers and loads, with wire sizes
You keep the drawing, and your inspector gets a copy
The fee is credited to the work if you hire us to build it
Materials and who buys them
You can buy panels, batteries and an inverter yourself. We tell you before you order if a part is one we're not willing to install.
We write the list of parts with sizes and ratings
Lead times for batteries can be long, so we ask early
Anything you supply is listed on the estimate as owner-supplied
How and when you pay
A deposit comes before we order materials. Progress payments follow the rough-in and the final inspection, and the balance is due when the work is done.
Check, card or bank transfer
No financing offered through us
Each payment is tied to a stage written on the estimate
Hours
Weekday hours, and what to do after them
We are two people who work weekdays from 7 a.m. to 4 p.m. There is no night line, and we do not do after-hours work.
If you smell burning, see sparks or find a hot or scorched panel or outlet, call 911 for a fire, and if it is safe, turn off the breaker. Call us when the office opens.
Questions about the number
Is the site visit free?
No. The visit has a fee, stated before we drive out, and it comes off the work if you hire us.
How long is an estimate good for?
The estimate says how long. Prices for batteries and wire move, so we keep it short.
Do you offer financing?
No. Payments are tied to stages and written on the estimate.
Get the number started
A site visit is how a number begins.