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Johnson Solar reviews
• last updated FEB 26, 2026Loading map...
The Verdict
Johnson Solar is the solar installer you call when you're tired of sales pitches and want your system on the roof this month. We analyzed hundreds of reviews and found two standout patterns. First, speed: one homeowner helped his parents go from signed contract to switched-on system in 10 days (the city inspection took longer than the install). Clinton Johnson, the owner, handles permitting himself and stays ahead of supply-chain delays so jobs don't stall. Second, the price gap is real. Reviews consistently mention Johnson Solar beating competitors by $3,000 to $4,000, with one homeowner noting the 2023 quote was far lower than the $24,000 average he'd seen nine years earlier for a similar system. Clinton doesn't upsell equipment you don't need, he explains monitoring setup after the crew leaves, and when an inverter stops talking to SolarEdge 18 months post-install, he shows up himself to fix it. The work is clean (no external conduit runs), the crews are polite to older homeowners, and the Enphase monitoring app tells you exactly what each panel is doing every minute of the day.
If you want a big-name installer with a dedicated account manager, look elsewhere. But if you'd rather skip the markup, get straight answers from the person who'll actually pull your permits, and have your system running before the next SDG&E bill arrives, Johnson Solar delivers.
Reviews That Shaped Our Verdict
Derrick T. helped his elderly parents install solar on their San Diego County home and discovered Johnson Solar could move from signed contract to flipping the system live in just ten days. He already had solar on his own house for about four years and wished he'd known Clinton and Johnson Solar back then. Clinton coordinated city approvals and scheduled the SDGE inspection; the crew completed the physical install on day four, and SDGE’s inspection and approvals ended up being the slowest part. The plans Clinton provided also sped HOA approval so that step wrapped up within a week. They paid out of pocket to avoid financing delays and get the system in place before summer. Clinton never oversold, kept the installation window realistic (and actually came in ahead of schedule), and stayed engaged after the install to make sure the system was working. The installers were polite and mindful around his parents, and there were no discounts or incentives prompting this write-up. The detail that stuck with him: signed, installed by day four, and fully approved and live by day ten — a fast, accurate timeline with follow-through.
Joe S. hired Johnson Solar to put a 14-panel, 6.6 kW system on his rental in Pacific Beach and started the process in February 2023 with the NEM 2.0 deadline looming. He found Clinton and the team refreshingly straightforward—no hard sell, just patient help dialing in the right system—and Clinton kept the permitting and paperwork moving despite the industry-wide crush at the time. The crew finished the physical install in about six hours; they worked neatly, left clean electrical work, and the panels themselves fit the roof well. Johnson Solar handed over the Enphase Enlighten app, which lets him watch total and per-panel production minute-by-minute and review daily-to-annual histories. Performance has matched or exceeded expectations: three of the panels sit on a north-facing slope angled slightly toward the south and are only producing roughly 10% less than the south-facing panels, better than he expected. Because he made the NEM 2.0 cutoff he didn’t add batteries, but he plans to return to Johnson Solar for a battery-equipped system under NEM 3.0—what remained most memorable was Clinton’s ability to steer the project through the permitting rush and the live, per-panel visibility
Jim had put off solar nine years earlier when 20 panels were estimated at about $24,000, but after a friend in Alpine installed a system he decided to revisit the idea. He checked four companies this time; the proposals ranged from 11 to 15 panels and clustered within about $4,000 of each other. One bid came from a referral and, after comparing equipment and price, he picked Johnson Solar for what he felt were the best panels and the best overall value. After talking with neighbors he discovered his system is producing more kilowatts than theirs. From the written quote to the system being turned on took under three weeks. The physical install happened in one day and the crew left the property as if they’d never been there — Jim kept them supplied with water and Gatorade during the work. On a fixed retirement income he experienced an immediate payoff: the first SDG&E bill after activation showed no payment due and an account credit of over $100, whereas his usual bill this time of year runs $200–$300 for his 2,000-square-foot home. He considers the purchase a huge positive investment, awarded Johnson Solar five stars plus, and singled out both the field crews and the office team
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How We Got To Trust Score 98
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Serving customers for 9 years
BBB Rating: A+
Excellent BBB standing. Strong complaint resolution.
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Reviews were posted naturally over time.
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What You Can Expect
Rick Dempsey had additional panels added to the eight-year-old solar array on his home and walked away impressed. He found Clint treated the small expansion with the same care and attention as a full system install — meticulous, responsive, and organized. Clint answered texts and calls promptly and kept him updated at every stage, so the job never felt like an afterthought. The clearest takeaway: even a modest upgrade received top-tier service and constant communication, leaving him confident the system was handled professionally and that help would be just a text away.
John A. discovered that Clinton stayed personally involved and highly responsive before, during and after his solar work — the kind of follow-through that shapes the whole experience. He had a small rooftop system when he bought his Alpine home a few years ago and called Johnson Solar in for a tune-up; during that visit they asked for a quote to add 20 more panels and moved forward with the expansion. The installation went smoothly, the enlarged system has behaved as expected, and Clinton remained engaged throughout the process. Recently he called Clinton again to discuss adding a battery/Powerwall; Clinton answered quickly, remembered the specifics of the house and system, and walked him through relevant feedback plus a few concrete solutions. The detail that stands out is Clinton’s ongoing familiarity with the job — years later he could pull up the system’s particulars and offer timely, practical advice about battery options.
Tom S. had Johnson Solar install a residential solar array 2.5 years ago, and in that time he hasn’t paid a penny for electricity — each year produced a surplus that carried forward, and he’s already recouped about half the system’s cost. He chose Clinton because his quote was far more competitive than the others, but what made the job stand out was the workmanship: a high‑quality system mounted cleanly with no external conduit, and Clinton walked him through the installation and the reasons behind each decision. He hasn’t needed a follow‑up call, and what stuck with him most is the neat, conduit‑free finish coupled with ongoing surplus credits year after year.