When people ask how long a solar installation takes, they are usually asking for a number. We understand why. A contract, a deposit, and a quiet stretch of months is a stressful combination.
From signing to a working system, a typical solar installation in Lee or Collier County takes about 1 to 3 months. The biggest variable is usually the utility provider’s schedule for PTO — permission to turn on, also called power to turn on — which has to come through before the system can be activated. That range is typical, not a guaranteed date for every home.
What we can do is walk through the real steps after you sign, name the places a project commonly waits, and say plainly what you should hear from us while you wait.
Start with the roof, not only the panels
Solar does not sit on an abstract surface. It sits on your roof. If that roof is near the end of its useful life, or if it already needs repair, the honest sequence is to deal with the roof first. Installing a new array on a roof that will soon need to come off is a costly way to do the work twice.
A thorough inspection — walking the roof when it is safe, looking in the attic when it is accessible, and documenting the conditions with photos — should happen before anyone talks as if the panels were the only project. See https://www.kellyroofing.com/roof-inspection-naples/ and https://www.kellyroofing.com/services/solar/.
Kelly Roofing is a Tesla-certified installer of Powerwall and Tesla solar panels. We service existing Tesla Solar Roof systems, but we no longer sell Solar Roof as a current product. If you already have a Solar Roof and need service, we can talk about that. If you are planning a new array, we will talk about panels, the roof under them, and, if you want battery storage, Powerwall. For a wider background piece, see https://www.kellyroofing.com/blog/is-solar-worth-it-in-florida/ and https://www.kellyroofing.com/services/replacement/solar-panels/.
The steps after you sign
The details vary, but a typical project moves through some version of these steps. Several of them involve people outside our office, which is one reason a calendar date is hard to guarantee.
- A written scope. You should know what is being installed, what is happening to the roof, and what is not included.
- Design and engineering. The array has to fit the roof you have, the structure under it, and the applicable requirements.
- Permitting in Lee or Collier County. We pull permits for work that requires them. Review time is not something we control.
- Utility approval. Your electric utility has its own application and review. This step is a common place for a project to wait.
- Equipment and scheduling. Materials have to be on hand, and the work has to be scheduled around weather and the other steps above.
- Installation on the existing home or building.
- Inspections, then PTO (permission to turn on) from the utility, and activation, so the system is actually working — not only present on the roof.
If the roof also needs repair or replacement, that work has its own sequence, and it belongs in the same written plan. Approximate published ranges for a roof replacement, when that is needed, are about $5 per square foot for shingle and $10–$15 per square foot for tile, metal, and flat roofs. Those are ranges, not a solar price and not a bid. See https://www.kellyroofing.com/roof-replacement-cost-naples-fl/.
Where projects wait — and what you should hear from us
The long pauses, when they happen, are often in permitting, utility review — including the wait for PTO — or equipment lead time, not in the days a crew is on the roof. That is not a consolation if no one has told you what is going on. If those reviews run long, or if the roof itself also needs work, the timeline can land at the later end of the 1-to-3-month range.
You should receive a realistic sequence of steps at the start, and regular updates after that. You should not be left waiting for news after a deposit has been paid. If a timeline changes, you should hear it from us, with a reason, and with a name you can call.
We are a family company, and we would rather be direct about timing than promise a date we cannot keep. If we fall short of that standard on a project, the answer is to say so, fix the communication, and finish the work — not to pretend every job is short.
What this article does not claim
The approved typical range, from signing to a working system, is about 1 to 3 months, depending on the utility provider’s schedule for PTO. We will not promise a shorter date than that range, and we will tell you if your project is likely to land later because of the roof, permitting, or the utility.
We also do not promise a utility-bill result, a payback period, or a particular incentive in this article. Those depend on your usage, your utility, and programs that change. If they belong in your estimate, they should be written there, with their sources, not implied here.
Kelly Roofing serves Lee and Collier counties only. We work on existing homes and buildings. We do not do new construction. If you are outside Lee or Collier County, we cannot take the installation.
Ask us for a sequence, not only a starting date
If you are considering solar on an existing home in Lee or Collier County, call (239) 435-0014 for a free estimate, or request one at https://www.kellyroofing.com/request-estimate/. Hablamos español. Ask us to walk through the roof, the array, and the steps after you sign — including the ones that are not in our hands — so you know what the wait is actually for.
