Texas Solar Problem Document Checklist
The contracts, loan papers, photos, messages and bills to gather when a solar sale, installation, loan or lease has gone wrong.
Texas solar sales and financing
Gather the records. Keep the originals.
Tick off what you have. Note what is missing. Bring it all to a free consultation.
- 12 record groups
- Timeline log
- Print-friendly
Start with what you signed, who you pay, and what changed, then add photos, messages, bills and permits in date order. You do not need everything to ask for help. The point is a record that shows what happened, in what order, and which papers prove it.
How to use this checklist
- Tick each box as you find the record. Write “missing” beside anything you cannot find.
- Keep your originals. Work from copies, and keep the date information on every photo and message.
- Fill in the logs near the end, in date order. Short notes are fine.
- Ask the companies in writing for missing papers. Keep a copy of each request.
- Bring the checklist and copies to your consultation. If you want to compare the papers against what you were told, see my guide to what to check in solar contract and loan papers.
Where records come from
Records pile up at each stage of a solar project. If you are stuck, think about which stage a missing paper would have come from.
The checklist: 12 groups of records
This list is about gathering records. It does not say what any record means or whether any company did anything wrong.
Sales papers
What you were shown and what you signed at the start.
- Sales contract, every page, including signature pages and attachments
- Proposal, quote, design drawings and equipment list
- Any savings, bill or production estimate you were shown
- Change orders or revised designs, each version
- Brochures, ads, web pages or screenshots you relied on
- Any cancellation notice or cancellation form you received
- E-signature record or confirmation email
- Name, phone, email and business card of each salesperson
Loan, lease or power purchase papers
The financing papers may come from a different company than the seller.
- Loan agreement, promissory note and every disclosure page
- Lease or power purchase agreement, with rate and payment schedule
- Any sheet showing the amount financed, interest rate, number of payments and total of payments
- Credit application copy, if you have it
- Letters about a transfer of your loan or of who collects payments
- Payoff statements or buyout quotes
- Any promotional payment terms in writing
Completion and commissioning papers
What you accepted, and when the system was first turned on.
- Completion, acceptance or commissioning certificate you signed
- Installer close-out package, manuals and any punch list
- Date the system was first turned on and date your first payment was due
- Monitoring app account, login email and screenshots
Photos and video
Date-stamped images of the equipment and any problem.
- Each side of the roof, with panels and mounts visible
- Inverter, battery, meter and electrical panel, with labels and serial numbers readable
- Roof penetrations, wiring runs and any leak or stain
- Interior damage, if any
- Photos from before the installation, if you have them
- Screenshots of your monitoring app showing output over time
Communications
Everything said between you and any company involved.
- Texts, emails, chat messages and letters with the seller, installer, lender and servicer
- Voicemails, with date and number noted
- Your call notes: date, time, person, company, what was said
- Any written complaint you made and any reply
- Messages from social media or ads that you relied on
Payments and bills
Proof of what you paid and what your power bills show.
- Proof of deposit or down payment
- Every loan, lease or power purchase statement
- Bank or card records for each payment
- Electric bills from before and after the system was turned on
- Any refund, credit or reimbursement promised in writing
- Late notices, collection letters or credit report entries about the account
Permits, inspections and utility papers
City or county and utility approvals, with dates.
- Permit application and permit numbers
- Inspection results, including any failed or re-inspection notes
- Electric utility interconnection application and permission-to-operate letter
- Billing plan or net-metering papers from your electric utility
- Homeowners association approval letters, if any
Warranty papers
Who promises what, and how to make a claim.
- Panel, inverter, battery and workmanship warranties
- Roof penetration or roof warranty papers
- Warranty registration confirmations
- Any warranty claim you made, with date and reply
- Manufacturer names, model numbers and serial numbers
Lien, UCC and title search results
Public-record filings that may be tied to your address or the equipment.
- Results of any UCC or fixture-filing search
- Title commitment, title search or closing papers that mention a filing
- Deed of trust or mortgage papers, if your loan papers mention your home
- Any lien notice from the seller, installer or a subcontractor
- Release, payoff or satisfaction letters
Seller and installer information
Who each paper names, and whether the names match.
- Legal business names shown on the contract, invoice, permit and loan
- License or registration numbers printed on any document
- Phone, email, website and address for each company
- Names of the salesperson, installer, project manager and subcontractors
- Any notice that a company changed names, was sold or closed
Homeowners insurance papers
How the system fits into your home policy.
- Declarations page and endorsements
- Letters to or from your insurer about the system
- Any estimate or report about roof leaks or damage near the system
If you bought a home with solar already installed
Papers that may have come from the earlier owner.
- Closing file and seller disclosures
- The earlier owner’s solar contract, loan or lease, if you can get it
- Any transfer paperwork for the loan, lease or power purchase agreement
- Who holds the monitoring account login
Timeline, contact and payment logs
Write one line per event, in date order. Use the right-hand column to point to the paper or photo that shows it.
| Date | What happened | Who was involved | Paper or photo that shows it | Follow-up needed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Date and time | How (call, text, email, in person) | Person and company | What was said or asked | Reply promised by |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Date | Paid to | Amount | How paid | Receipt or statement kept? |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Safety and privacy
- Safety first. Do not climb on the roof or open electrical equipment to take photos. If you see smoke, burning smells, sparks or exposed wiring, stay clear and call 911.
- Keep, do not discard. Do not throw away paperwork or removed parts until you have asked a lawyer or the company concerned how they should be kept.
- Protect your information. Share copies, not originals. Consider covering account, card and identification numbers when sharing beyond a lawyer or the company concerned, and do not post your papers online.
Solar document checklist FAQ
Do I need every document before I call?
No. Bring what you have and tell me what is missing. Many people start with only a contract, a loan statement or a few messages, and the missing papers can usually be requested in writing. My consultation is always free.
How do I get papers I never received?
Ask the seller, the installer, the lender and the company sending your statements, in writing, for complete copies of everything you signed, including change orders and the e-signature record. Your city or county permit office and your electric utility may also have permit, inspection and interconnection records for your address. Keep a dated copy of each request.
How should I keep photos, messages and notes?
Keep the originals untouched and work from copies. Keep date and time information with each photo and message, take screenshots of app screens and web pages, and back everything up in a second place. Write notes of phone calls the same day, with the date, the person and what was said.
Should I send my original papers to anyone?
Send copies and keep your originals. Before you share copies beyond a lawyer or the company concerned, consider covering account, card and identification numbers, and do not post your papers online.
What if I bought a home that already had solar?
Gather the seller's solar papers if you can get them, along with your closing file, any title commitment or title search that mentions a filing, utility records, and the login for the monitoring account. Ask the seller, the title company and the company named on the papers for what is missing, and compare the names on each.
Does this list work for a storm damage insurance claim?
Some of it does, but insurance claims have their own record needs. For storm and property damage claims, see my Texas claim documentation checklist.
Related guides
Before I practiced law, I spent years on the property side of insurance claims. I was previously licensed and worked as a public adjuster, roofing contractor, home inspector and contractor, and I inspected and estimated large residential and commercial properties with many buildings. I also served as an appraiser, an umpire and a retained witness in first-party insurance disputes. I never worked for an insurance company.
Today I'm an attorney licensed in Texas and Alabama. I'm also a Florida mediator, but I don't practice Florida law. Every case is different, and no result can be promised.
Disclaimer. General information, not legal advice. Contacting us does not create an attorney-client relationship. Responsible attorney: Michael P. Bowman, Austin, Texas. This checklist is a general organizing tool. It is not an opinion about any company, contract or loan, and it does not promise any result. Michael P. Bowman is licensed to practice law in Texas and Alabama only, and this page does not address the law of any other state. The firm’s office is in Austin, Texas; the firm does not have a bona fide office in Alabama. Law Office of Michael P. Bowman PLLC, 7903 Entrada Cove, Austin, TX 78730. Questions? Call (512) 352-9937 or visit www.claimattorney.com.
