How to Manage Solar Site Surveys and Quotations

In rooftop solar, most installation-day problems were created during the survey. A missed water tank on the roof, a structure height that was not measured, a meter room far from the roof — each becomes extra cost, extra time or an unhappy customer. A disciplined survey and a quotation built directly from it prevent most of them.

This guide gives a practical survey checklist and a process for turning findings into an accurate, itemised quotation.

Before the visit

• Collect recent electricity bills (photos are enough) and the sanctioned load.
• Confirm the type of system the customer is interested in — on-grid, off-grid or hybrid.
• Ask for roof access and someone who can show the meter and main board.
• Assign the survey to a specific person with a date, so it is not "whoever is free".

The site survey checklist

Roof

• Roof type and condition — RCC, metal sheet, tiles; any leakage or planned repair
• Usable shadow-free area, after excluding water tanks, stairs, parapets and other obstructions
• Orientation and shading from nearby buildings, trees or towers through the day
• Required structure type and height; access for material lifting

Electrical

• Meter and main distribution board location
• Inverter mounting location — ventilated, protected, near the board
• Cable route and approximate length for DC and AC runs
• Earthing arrangement and space for earth pits
• Battery location if off-grid or hybrid

Customer

• Daytime vs night-time consumption pattern
• Budget expectations and timeline
• Any preferences on panel or inverter brands

Take photographs of the roof from several angles, the meter and the board. Record the outcome of the visit — interested, needs revised option, not feasible.

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From survey to system size

Use the consumption data and usable roof area to size the system, and note your assumptions on the quotation — expected generation varies with location, orientation and shading. Avoid promising exact savings; explain them as estimates.

Building the quotation

Itemise it, even if you also show a package total:

• Solar panels — make, type, wattage and quantity
• Inverter — make, type and capacity; batteries if applicable
• Mounting structure — type and height
• DC and AC cable, connectors, junction boxes, protection devices
• Earthing and lightning protection, as required
• Installation, commissioning and transport
• GST per line with HSN/SAC
• Warranty — panel, inverter and workmanship
• Payment schedule — advance, on delivery, on commissioning
• Exclusions — civil work, extra structure height, net-meter charges
• Validity — component prices change

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GST treatment for solar systems depends on how the supply is structured and changes from time to time — confirm with your chartered accountant.

Offer two options

A standard and a premium configuration — different panel technology or inverter brand — moves the conversation away from comparing your total with a cheaper competitor's total, and towards what the customer actually gets.

After sending the quotation

1. Set a follow-up date — two or three days later.
2. Offer to walk through the quotation on a call.
3. Keep revisions in the same quotation record rather than sending loose messages.
4. On acceptance, collect the advance and create the installation project.

The next steps are covered in how to manage solar installation projects.

How ServiceKhata360 supports surveys and quotations

In ServiceKhata360, a survey can be recorded as a sales visit with check-in, purpose and outcome, or scheduled as a work assignment of type Inspection for a technician. Estimates are built from your item catalogue with HSN/SAC, GST slabs, discounts and round-off, can carry serial numbers per line, and convert into an invoice when accepted. Leads move into estimates with Convert to Estimate, so customer details are never re-typed.

See sales visit tracking and estimates and invoices, or the complete solar installer workflow.