If you are buying an East Valley home with solar, get a solar panel inspection before you close. A standard home inspection rarely tests the system, so a dedicated inspection is how you learn whether the panels are actually producing what they should.
AZ Solar Maintenance inspects solar systems for buyers across Mesa, Gilbert, Chandler, Queen Creek, and the rest of the East Valley. Here is what the inspection covers and how to fit it into your escrow timeline.
Why a regular home inspection is not enough
A general home inspector looks at the house. The solar array usually gets a glance from the ground, if that.
You can close on a home where the system looks fine on the roof and is not producing what it should. A failed panel, a dead string, or an inverter fault can cut output without shutting the system off, so nothing looks wrong from inside the house.
What a solar inspection checks
A solar panel inspection from AZ Solar Maintenance covers the parts that decide whether the system is really working:
- Panels and racking - visual condition, mounting hardware, cracks, or wear
- Flashings - water intrusion risk at the mounts
- Wiring and connectors - loose or damaged connections
- Inverter - current status
- Production - output compared against what the system's own history shows it should be making
Everything is documented in a photo report you keep.
Questions to ask the seller
Before or alongside the inspection, ask the seller for:
1. Who installed the system, and whether that company is still in business
2. The inverter brand and access to the monitoring app
3. Recent utility bills, including any true-up statements
4. Any repairs, roof work, or storm damage since the install
5. The age of the roof under the panels
Missing answers are not a dealbreaker. They are a reason to inspect.
When the original installer is gone
Plenty of East Valley homes have systems from installers that are no longer in business. That does not stop an inspection. You do not need the original company to have the system checked, and AZ Solar Maintenance works across all major panel, racking, and inverter brands.
The roof under the panels matters too
A roof near the end of its life under a solar array means the panels will have to come off for the re-roof. Knowing the system's condition now gives you a baseline to compare against after that work, so any change is clear either way.
If the array went up during Arizona's solar boom, read your solar panels are 10 years old - is your roof next? before you sign.
Fitting the inspection into escrow
Book it as early in your inspection period as you can. AZ Solar Maintenance quotes inspections flat and the same day from the property address, with no site visit needed to get a price. Send the address and any system details the seller has shared.
The photo report is formatted to work for a real estate transaction, so you can share it with your agent and use it in conversations with the seller.
If the system is not producing
You get a plain account of what was found, documented with photos. What you do with that information - a repair request, a conversation with the seller, or a different decision on the house - is up to you and your agent.
After you move in
Once the home is yours, keep an eye on production. Solar monitoring connects to the system's existing platform in most cases and has a person follow up when output drops. Dusty or spotted glass is handled with solar panel cleaning.
FAQ
Does a solar inspection replace my home inspection? No. It adds a check of the solar system that a general home inspection usually skips.
Can you inspect if the seller does not know who installed it? Yes. Not knowing the installer does not stop the inspection.
Will I get something in writing? Yes. You get a photo report with a written summary of what was found on each component.
Next step
Send the property address and any system details through the contact page for a flat, same-day inspection quote from AZ Solar Maintenance.