The short answer
Qualify solar leads on six things: property ownership, roof condition and orientation, monthly electricity bill, shading, decision timeline, and whether everyone who has to sign is involved. Ask ownership and bill on the form, the rest on a short call, and never send a truck before all six are answered.
- 01Two questions on the form, four on the call. Long forms kill volume, short calls do not.
- 02The bill amount is the strongest single predictor of whether the job is worth a survey.
- 03A missing decision maker is the most common reason a good appointment produces nothing.
- 04Disqualify early and politely. A fast no is cheaper than a slow maybe.
An unqualified solar appointment costs more than the lead. There is a rep, a vehicle, a two hour round trip, a design, and the opportunity cost of the appointment slot. Getting six facts before that happens is the highest-return hour of process work in a solar company.
What makes a solar lead qualified?
| Qualifier | Ask it | Disqualifies when |
|---|---|---|
| Property ownership | On the form | Renting, or a landlord is not involved |
| Monthly electricity bill | On the form | Too low to produce a sensible payback |
| Roof age and material | On the call | Roof needs replacing first, or is unsuitable |
| Shading and orientation | On the call, verify remotely | Heavy shade with no workaround |
| Timeline | On the call | No intent inside 6 months, move to nurture |
| Decision makers | On the call | Co-owner or spouse will not attend |
What should go on the form, and what should not?
Every field you add reduces submissions. So the form carries only the two qualifiers that are quick to answer, unambiguous, and eliminate the largest share of waste: do you own the property, and roughly what is your monthly electricity bill. A bill range as buttons rather than a number field converts better and is accurate enough.
Everything else belongs on the call, where you can ask follow-ups and where a soft answer can be explored rather than rejected by a dropdown. More on form design in solar quote form best practices.
The qualification call
Five to seven minutes, and it happens within minutes of the enquiry, not the next day. The order matters, because the early questions are easy and build momentum while the awkward one about the co-owner comes after rapport exists.
- 01
Confirm what you already know
Restate the address and the bill range from the form. This is fast, it feels attentive, and it catches typos before they become a wasted visit.
- 02
Roof, then shade
How old is the roof, what is it made of, and is there anything large casting shade on it. If the roof needs replacing in two years, that is a conversation, not a rejection.
- 03
Motivation and timeline
Why now, and what would need to be true to go ahead this quarter. Someone who says they are just curious is not a disqualification, they are a nurture sequence.
- 04
The decision-maker question
Ask it plainly: is there anyone else who would need to be part of this decision. Then book the appointment at a time they can both attend. This single question removes most of the meetings that go nowhere.
How should you score a solar lead?
Resist building a 40 point scoring model. Three tiers is enough and it survives contact with a busy office.
- 01Book now. Owns the property, bill above your threshold, usable roof, timeline inside three months, decision makers available.
- 02Nurture. Qualified on property and roof but the timeline is further out, or the co-owner is unavailable this month. These go into a long sequence, not the bin. See solar lead nurturing.
- 03Decline politely. Renting with no landlord interest, unsuitable roof, or a bill that cannot produce a sensible payback. Say so kindly and quickly, and offer something useful.
Verify what you can without asking
- Satellite imagery gives you roof orientation, approximate area and obvious shading before anyone drives anywhere.
- Public property records can confirm ownership in most markets.
- The utility provider is usually derivable from the address, so do not ask for it.
- Previous enquiries from the same address tell you whether this is a repeat shopper.
Every fact you can verify is a question you do not have to ask, and every question you do not have to ask is a lead that stays warm.
Disqualify like you want the referral
A renter today is a homeowner in four years, and the neighbour of every renter is a homeowner now. Declining well costs nothing: explain why solar does not fit yet, give them the one thing that would change it, and ask if they know anyone with a suitable roof. A surprising number of referrals come out of calls that ended in a no.
Qualification is worthless without volume to filter
How to get more solar leadsStop reading, start booking
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Common questions
- What monthly bill makes solar worth it?
- It depends on your market's rates, incentives and install cost, so set the threshold from your own closed jobs rather than a rule of thumb. Look at the lowest bill among your last fifty profitable installs and use that as the floor.
- Should I qualify leads before or after booking the appointment?
- Before, always, but qualify on a call that happens within minutes rather than a form that happens instead of contact. Speed and qualification are not in conflict: the fast call is the qualification.
- How do I qualify a lead without annoying them?
- Frame every question as something that saves them time. Asking about roof age because you do not want to design a system that has to come off in two years is a service, and it sounds like one.
