A Los Angeles homeowner shopping for rooftop solar got a Tesla quote that topped $60,000 once roof work and an electrical-panel upgrade were added.
They took to Reddit's r/TeslaSolar community to ask, "Is this a reasonable quote for Los Angeles?"
Here's what to know
The homeowner laid out the details in the Reddit post, explaining that the updated estimate covered a 13.44-kilowatt system, $17,470 in roof work, and a $4,130 upgrade to the main electrical panel.
The original poster, a customer of the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power, asked whether the total was typical for Los Angeles and whether splitting the work among different contractors might lower the cost.
OP also questioned whether the potential $530.64 monthly payment would be worth it over the next 15 years. Some commenters clearly agreed, with one writing, "Seems high for a system with no battery backup."
Replies largely debated whether tacking on battery storage to a proposed solar array makes sense under LADWP. One commenter said "you don't need batteries with LADWP" because exported solar earns better credit there than with SCE, but another Angeleno called their Powerwall "Definitely worth having" after living through a 24-hour outage during fires. This same commenter added, "Plus the VPP earns me back a couple of hundred each year."
Taken together, the comments highlighted a familiar decision for city homeowners: whether to prioritize lower utility bills or spend more for outage protection. Some people pointed to LADWP's billing setup as a reason batteries may be unnecessary, while others argued backup storage still has value in Los Angeles because outages are part of life there.
What can be done?
One sensible way to evaluate a package like this is to price out the roofing, electrical, and solar portions separately instead of treating them as a single all-in proposal.
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Still, going solar is one of the best ways to save money on home energy, but this post shows why comparing bids matters. Homeowners can try EnergySage to get free solar installation estimates and compare quotes before signing a long-term loan. With EnergySage's help, the average person can save up to $10,000 on solar purchases and installations.
Homeowners curious about backup battery options can also explore EnergySage for information about home battery storage, including competitive installation estimates.
For more background, EnergySage's solar map shows the average cost of a home solar panel system by state, along with details on solar panel incentives for each state.
Where can I learn more?
These stories explore the same issues behind a pricey solar quote in Los Angeles, from what drives installation costs up to where homeowners can save.
More From EnergySage
💡Go deep on the latest news and trends shaping the residential solar landscape
• EnergySage experts have helped homeowners slash solar prices by $9,000 through competitive bidding.
• Tesla and IronRidge are rolling out a lower-cost rooftop mounting system to simplify installations.
• Tesla's newer inverter technology could save homeowners about $4,500 by reducing solar equipment costs.
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