A Southern California homeowner says their Tesla Powerwall installation stalled after the company rejected a proposed location for lacking a suitable foundation. That was in spite of the company previously telling them to wait for design specifications before pouring concrete.

Permitting had not yet begun after more than four weeks in design.

Here's what to know

They were planning to pair two Powerwall 3 batteries and three expansion units with their existing Enphase IQ7+ solar equipment, according to their account on Reddit.

Final concrete pad dimensions and clearance requirements were still pending when the installer told the homeowner on Oct. 10 to hold off on construction. According to the post, an advisor had confirmed the exterior location behind the front gate on Sept. 30.

A marked-up photo showing that gate location became the homeowner's response to another setback. On Oct. 12, the installer uploaded the previously rejected side-walkway layout.

According to the post, the installer responded with an apology and another referral to its design team.

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More background

Neither the garage nor the side walkway remained an option for the homeowner. The installer had raised an R302.6 fire-separation concern about the garage on Sept. 28–29, while equipment on the walkway would obstruct foot traffic.

The homeowner says their request for a dedicated concrete pad did not stop a replacement advisor from rejecting gravel and pavers as bases for stacked batteries. The rejection also returned to the garage issue, even though that location had already been ruled out.

Which submission date counted toward the installer's estimated 14-day design revision period remained unclear to the homeowner.

The homeowner asked: "How do I force an escalation out of this CAD loop?"

What can be done?

The thread offered no definitive answer on getting the delays resolved, though some posters had thoughts. The homeowner was weighing a phone request for a supervisor against emailing the installer's resolutions address in hopes of getting a senior designer assigned.

One poster said leveraging Tesla could work.

"Threaten to cancel," they instructed. "That's what I did. I was told I would lose the deposit. To which I said cheaper than dealing with delays. Then all of a sudden things moved along. Got installed two weeks ago."

A switch to an EP Cube system through a different installer brought lower costs and greater capacity, another commenter reported. Others in the discussion similarly recommended working with a local installer, and shared their successes.

"Went with an Indy, now have 4 in two stacks of two each," one commenter wrote.

For homeowners comparing equipment and installation providers, EasyHome can also help explore options for backup battery storage. Pairing solar with a battery allows homeowners to maximize savings and power their home with solar when the grid goes down.

Where can I learn more?

Other battery customers have reported similar disputes over where batteries can go and how long installation takes. 

• A Powerwall buyer was told batteries belong outside, though owners said local codes may allow garages.

• A solar customer says 100-degree heat stalled installation, leaving a new Powerwall at 2%.

• A Virginia homeowner says their solar project awaited permits for months, with no progress beyond submission.

• After a home purchase, an inspector ordered Powerwalls removed from the basement, the homeowner says.

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