So-Cal Solar reviews
• last updated FEB 26, 2026Loading map...
The Verdict
This company left customers with abandoned trenches, disconnected wiring, and legal nightmares. We found 11 reviews describing serious installation defects. One homeowner paid $56,000 upfront and waited four months for completion while the installer no-showed appointments, then slapped a lien on the house when they withheld final payment for underperforming panels. Another paid cash and discovered a 15-foot wire was never connected to the panels, resulting in a $3,000 first-year electric bill and an open trench that still hasn't been filled. Their California contractor's license was suspended at the time of multiple complaints. While some earlier reviews praised individual reps for professionalism, the pattern of warranty refusal, ghost appointments, and financial harm is too consistent to ignore. One reviewer is pursuing an attorney after being charged double their previous electric bill because 30 panels produce a third of promised output.
If you're looking at So-Cal Solar because of a low quote or a smooth sales pitch, walk away. The risk of paying upfront only to chase them for repairs, court-ordered refunds, or basic completion is not worth any potential savings.
Reviews That Shaped Our Verdict
Jean Mel Jean G. had a residential solar system installed in the fall of 2015 and quickly discovered several unresolved problems. Installers left a trench partially open — instead of properly backfilling they simply kicked dirt into it, and the trench remains exposed. They also neglected to attach a 10–15 foot cable to the panels. Her first-year electric bill climbed past $3,000, and when she reached out the company pointed to high usage rather than addressing the installation issues. More recently she spent about three weeks leaving messages about service and never received a return call. She paid cash for the system and now regrets that choice, feeling financing would have made it easier to pursue the company legally. The concrete takeaway for a buyer: physical installation defects (an open trench and a missing cable), a very large first-year bill, and unresponsive customer service after payment.
Lisa hired the company for a residential 30-panel solar installation and discovered the system produces less than a third of what she was promised, leaving her paying roughly twice as much on energy bills. She ended up chasing repairs: crews made appointments then left her waiting all day, phone calls went unanswered, and she visited the company’s office multiple times only to be given false assurances that technicians would come fix the problems. She estimates the production shortfall has cost her thousands and has engaged an attorney to seek either proper repairs or removal of the system. After she posted her experience on the company’s Facebook page, the company replied by blaming trees she does not own and claiming she agreed to handle them. The central takeaway that sticks: a 30-panel system delivering under one-third of promised output, combined with repeated no-shows and disputed explanations, pushed her into legal action.
Gina L. bought a combined solar-panel and pool-heating system for almost $58,000, handing over $56,000 up front after being told the job would finish in about a month. Instead, the installation stretched into four months of missed appointments: crews repeatedly didn’t show up without canceling, leaving her waiting for hours while calls produced promises to “get back to you” that never came. Frustrated, she withheld the final $2,000 that was due on completion and inspection. The installed pool heater turned into a mess—she ended up going to the manufacturer for repairs because So Cal Solar wouldn’t honor the warranty—and the solar panels never produced the output they had promised because they hadn’t been set up correctly. When she pressed for warranty work, the company refused to come back until she paid the last $2,000, so she held the retention and asked for a final walk-through and production numbers. Rather than fix the problems, the business put a mechanic’s lien on her home; she removed it through a court fight, won a judgment and was awarded money, but the company has not paid the court award. At the time she posted, the company’s California Contractors State License was
Platforms Monitored
Performance by Work Type
How We Got To Trust Score 49
No Red Flags
Unauthorized Activities
Passed screening
Misleading Claims
Passed screening
Background Check
Serving customers for 15 years
Among the longest-standing installers in the market.
BBB Rating
Not BBB rated.
Natural Review Patterns
Reviews were posted naturally over time.
Contractor License
License information could not be confirmed.
What You Can Expect
David S. has been chasing repairs and answers since last year after a rooftop solar installation left roof problems and a system that doesn’t deliver the expected output — output he was told would keep him from owing on his electricity at year end. He holds written documentation in which the company conceded they should not have put the panels up, yet his calls and emails to Todd and Xiomara went unanswered and follow‑up never materialized. After leaving numerous messages and waiting months for a fix, he learned the company now appears connected with Vibe Solar (vibesolar.com). Frustrated by the lack of remediation and the written admission, he filed a complaint with the Contractors State License Board (cslb.ca.gov).
Daniel C. discovered the company switched his account from monthly billing to an annual plan without his consent. After his panels began producing power, the installer told him to check the bottom-right of his energy bill to see his savings, but he found that number actually reflected what he would owe at year’s end. Averaging his bills, he ended up paying about $200 extra each month on top of what the panels generated, pushing his annual electricity cost past $1,000. He also uncovered a pattern where the business closes when complaints mount and reopens under a new name — a tactic he blames on weak oversight. The detail that stuck with him: the figure on the bill’s bottom-right was not a savings number but an end-of-year balance, and that misunderstanding cost him roughly a thousand dollars a year.
Mike bought his house a month before hiring So‑Cal Solar and ended up with a month-long installation that felt surprisingly personal. The project hit a couple of bumps while the crew waited on the correct panels, but the company kept him in the loop by phone and e‑mail, owned the delays and apologized when schedules shifted. He appreciated that steady communication more than anything — it turned what could have been a frustrating hold-up into a manageable pause. A standout for him was working with Matthew Klemmer. Matthew sat with him to walk through the payment breakdown and system details, answered every question on the spot, and framed the company’s edge as family ownership, strong warranties and one-on-one service. Because Matthew is local, Mike had quick, direct access when he needed it, and that responsiveness made a big difference. The paperwork and financing moved unusually fast: a loan approval in about ten minutes and the required documents in his inbox within an hour. The installers matched that fast, smooth service with warmth and care — they were thorough on the roof and chatty off the ladder, talking about family and life in a way that made the whole job feel like