Most homeowners do not know whether the company they called is the company installing their panels. The broker vs installer distinction shows up as real dollars in system cost, warranty coverage, and accountability when something goes wrong.
By Solar Installers Near Me Research Team • Published
Direct answer
A solar installer employs the crews that physically install panels on your roof, pulls permits under their own contractor license, and carries direct warranty responsibility for the work. A solar broker is a sales organization that quotes you a system, then subcontracts the installation to a local company -- adding a markup you never see. The distinction directly affects your system cost, your warranty accountability, and who is responsible when something goes wrong. Source: CFPB Issue Spotlight on Solar Financing, 2025.
Key facts
Brokers mark up system prices 10 to 40% and subcontract the work. You pay the markup invisibly.
The broker fee is separate from the dealer fee on a solar loan. You can pay both at once.
On a $28,000 system with a 15% broker markup and 25% dealer fee, actual value delivered is roughly $20,000 and you finance $35,000.
To find out who is actually doing the work: ask for the contractor's license number that appears on your permit.
When a national brand goes bankrupt, the warranty you were sold may become a claim against the bankruptcy estate.
How each model works
Solar Installer
DirectSolar Broker
MiddlemanThree verification steps
Require a direct yes or no. "We work with our network of local partners" is a brokering arrangement. A direct installer says yes -- and can name the crew lead, the installation supervisor, and the NABCEP credentials they hold.
This is a public record in every state. A direct installer gives you a specific number immediately. A broker may not know it -- because someone else is pulling the permit. Look up the number on your state contractor board's website. Verify it is active, in the right trade category, and in the installer's name (not a third party's).
If the answer involves a manufacturer warranty claim, a third-party warranty company, or a customer service line for the national brand -- and not the installation crew itself -- the accountability chain is already fragmented. A direct installer gives you a direct answer: their service department. Their crew installed it; their service department fixes it.
The national brand problem
Several of the largest solar brands in the US are essentially national brokering operations. They generate consumer interest through heavy advertising, then subcontract installations to regional companies. You pay the national brand's markup; a smaller local company does the technical work.
When a national brand fails -- and several notable ones have, including Mosaic and Sunnova's Chapter 11 filings in mid-2026 -- the warranty coverage they advertised becomes a claim against a bankruptcy estate. The installer who did the physical work on your roof may have a different warranty position entirely. The brand you signed with is gone; the local installer may or may not honor the original warranty.
The practical question before signing: whose warranty are you actually relying on? The national brand's name on the contract, or the company that physically installed the equipment? Know that answer before signing.
Accuracy note
Mosaic and Sunnova Chapter 11 status as of mid-2026. Verify current lender and brand status before making any financing decision. Lender status can change through restructuring or sale.
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