Most solar quotes show a single headline price. The honest ones break down everything that price includes — and flag what it does not. Here are the costs that cheaper quotes tend to leave out, so you can compare like for like. For the full picture, pair this with our solar panel cost UK guide.
Costs that should be in the quote (but often are not)
- Scaffolding. A real line item — typically £400–£700 for a domestic install, more for awkward access, terraces with no rear lane, or three-storey homes. A quote with no scaffolding line is either absorbing it (fine) or hiding it (not).
- DNO application. Connecting to the grid needs a notification (G98) or, for larger systems, an application (G99). Usually included, but on a constrained network you can face export limitation or a connection cost — worth asking up front.
- Consumer unit / fuse board upgrade. If your board is old or full, it may need upgrading to add the solar circuit safely — £300–£600. Surprisingly common on older homes and easy to miss.
- Optimisers for shading. If part of your roof is shaded, power optimisers (or micro-inverters) recover the loss — but they add £300–£700. A cheap quote that ignores shading will simply underperform.
- Bird-proofing. Near trees or in pigeon territory, mesh around the array edges (£200–£500) prevents nesting that fouls panels and cabling. Optional, but cheaper fitted at install than retrofitted.
The one genuine long-term cost
Solar has no fuel cost and modern systems are near maintenance-free, so ongoing costs are low. The one real future cost is the inverter — it reaches end-of-life at around 10–12 years, and replacement runs £800–£1,500 (see inverter replacement cost). Plan for it. Better still, when it comes, treat it as the moment to go hybrid and battery-ready — the same spend that buys a like-for-like swap can make your system ready for a battery retrofit.
Costs people wrongly worry about
- Roof damage / leaks — with MCS-certified mounting and flashing, properly installed solar does not cause leaks; workmanship warranties cover it.
- Cleaning subscriptions — you do not need a contract; rain does most of the work (see our honest take on service contracts vs upgrades).
- Insurance hikes — most home insurers cover roof-mounted solar with no premium change; just notify them.
How to compare quotes fairly
Compare on total fitted price, panel and inverter tier (and their warranty lengths), whether shading is addressed, and MCS certification — not the headline number. The cheapest quote is often the one that left the most out. Remember 0% VAT applies to solar and battery until 31 March 2027, so any quote adding VAT on a domestic install is wrong.
Get a transparent, fixed-price quote
We quote every line up front — panels, inverter, scaffolding, DNO, any board work — with no surprises on install day, and 0% VAT applied correctly. Get a free survey on 0800 099 6606, or model the numbers with our solar and battery installation team.