Our Installer Vetting Process | Energy Pros
Our Installer Network

How we vet our installer network.

Anyone can call themselves a "vetted" installer network. We thought you should know what we actually check, why we check it, and how we keep installers accountable after they're in the network. This page walks through our full process.

The seven things we check before any installer joins

1. State contractor licensing

Every state requires solar and roofing contractors to hold specific licenses. We verify each installer's license is active, in good standing, and covers the work types they offer. We re-verify annually.

2. General liability insurance

$1 million minimum general liability coverage. If something goes wrong during your installation — damaged property, injured neighbor, fire — the installer's insurance covers it, not yours. We verify the policy is active and the coverage is sufficient.

3. Workers' compensation insurance

If a crew member falls off your roof, workers' comp covers their medical care — not your homeowners insurance. We verify every installer carries active workers' comp coverage for all employees and 1099 contractors on their jobs.

4. BBB rating (A or better)

Better Business Bureau ratings aren't perfect, but they're a useful filter. We require A or better. We also review actual complaints — what they were about, how the company responded, whether they were resolved. Patterns matter more than the letter grade.

5. Manufacturer certifications

For solar: certifications from at least one major panel manufacturer (LG, Q Cells, Panasonic, Silfab, Mission Solar, etc.) and at least one major inverter manufacturer (Enphase, SolarEdge, Tesla, etc.). For roofing: certifications from at least one major shingle manufacturer (GAF Master Elite, CertainTeed SELECT ShingleMaster, Owens Corning Platinum Preferred). These certifications mean the manufacturer has trained, vetted, and authorized the installer to use their products with extended warranty coverage.

6. Track record

Minimum 5 years in business. Minimum 500 completed installations (for solar) or 1,000 completed roofs (for roofing). Multiple verifiable references we can call. We typically reject companies under 5 years old or with sparse work history — not because they're necessarily bad, but because there's not enough data to predict their reliability.

7. Complaint and litigation history

We check public records for lawsuits, judgments, and bankruptcy filings against the company and its principals. Active or recent legal issues can disqualify a company from the network. We also check state contractor board records for license suspensions or disciplinary actions.

What we do after they're in the network

Customer feedback monitoring

Every Energy Pros referral generates a follow-up: did the installer call you back promptly? Was the quote what you expected? Did the work happen on schedule? Were there surprises? We aggregate this data and use it to score installer performance.

Quarterly re-verification

Licenses, insurance, and BBB ratings can change. We re-verify every installer's credentials every 90 days. Lapsed insurance, license suspension, or BBB rating drop triggers immediate network review.

Complaint escalation

If a homeowner has a bad experience with a network installer and can't resolve it directly, we get involved. We've mediated dozens of situations — usually getting them resolved fairly quickly because installers know their network status depends on it.

Network removal

Persistent quality issues result in removal from the network. The criteria: more than 3 unresolved complaints in a 6-month window, license or insurance lapses not promptly resolved, or evidence of systematic misrepresentation to homeowners.

What "A-rated" actually means in our context

When we describe our installers as "A-rated," we're referring to: A-or-better BBB rating combined with passing all seven of our vetting criteria. It's a specific, verifiable bar — not a marketing label. If an installer in our network ever stops meeting this standard, they're removed.

For installers reading this
If you're an installer who meets our vetting criteria and want to discuss joining the network, contact us at the email on our contact page. We have specific intake quarters and only add capacity in markets where homeowner demand exceeds existing network coverage.

Ready to get matched?

Free, no obligation. About 2 minutes to see if you qualify for $0-down solar or roofing through our vetted installer network.