Job costing for solar installers
On a solar job, the equipment is bought up front and the margin is made in the field: how fast racking and panels go on, how long the lift stays, and whether interconnection drags. JobFigure keeps equipment and field costs apart, so the job’s real progress isn’t hidden behind the panel invoice.
What solar installers track in JobFigure
- Equipment versus field costs. Panels and inverters, racking, and electrical materials each get a budget, separate from labour and rentals.
- Bid by the kilowatt. Line items can be priced per kW, per panel, or per square metre, and progress is logged against them.
- Permits and interconnection. Utility and permit fees post to the job, so a slow interconnection’s cost is visible.
- Crews on rooftops and ground mounts. Crews clock in on their phones at the site, and hours post to the job automatically.
Set up for solar from the first day
When you pick Solar as your trade, JobFigure loads these cost categories for budgets, receipts, and job costs. You can rename or add your own at any time.
- Panels & Inverters
- Labour
- Racking & Mounting
- Electrical Materials
- Permits & Interconnection
- Equipment Rental
- Fuel
- Subcontractor
- Other
Bid line items use the units solar actually bid in: kilowatts (KW), each (EA), square metres (m²), and lump sum (LS).
Example: what a solar job looks like mid-way
Ballasted racking and about 560 panels on a flat roof. The racking is done, the panels are about 60% set, and the electrical tie-in is still ahead.
| Cost category | Budget | Spent so far |
|---|---|---|
| Panels & Inverters | £134,400 | £134,400 |
| Racking & Mounting | £36,800 | £35,840 |
| Labour | £57,600 | £32,800 |
| Electrical Materials | £22,400 | £7,840 |
| Permits & Interconnection | £7,200 | £5,200 |
| Equipment Rental | £11,200 | £7,280 |
| Other | £4,800 | £1,360 |
| Total | £274,400 | £224,720 |
Panels and racking were bought up front, so they’re fully spent, as expected. Labour is 57% spent with the racking done and panels about 60% set, which is on pace. The lift rental, at 65%, is worth watching: it has to stay through the last 40% of the panels.
Invoices the UK way
Set your company to the United Kingdom and every quote and invoice carries VAT, with the domestic reverse charge when you work for a main contractor. Subcontractors can switch on CIS: enter the labour figure and the deduction comes off the labour only, alongside any retention. Prices are in pounds. More in our guide: CIS and the VAT reverse charge on subcontractor invoices.
Guides and tools for solar installers
CIS and the VAT reverse charge on subcontractor invoices
UK: what a subcontractor's invoice should show under CIS and the domestic reverse charge, with a worked example.
GuideJob costing for contractors: a step-by-step guide
What counts as a job cost, and a six-step system to know what every job made before it’s over.
GuideProfit margin vs. markup: the mistake that costs contractors money
The formulas, how to price for the margin you want, and a markup-to-margin chart.