Ask Solar Mike recommends checking warranty exclusions before comparing headline term lengths . Ask what event qualifies, which equipment is listed, whether diagnosis, labor, shipping, removal and reinstallation are included, what records you must keep, how ownership transfer works, and who controls the claim . If an answer is not in the written documents, do not treat it as covered .
Use this checklist beside our complete guide to reading a solar and battery warranty . If your proposal includes Tesla solar, keep the equipment list beside the system scope on our Tesla solar panels in Utah page . The goal is a line-by-line comparison, not a contest between the largest numbers on two proposals .
Why should exclusions come before the headline term ?
A warranty term tells you how long a coverage layer is scheduled to run . It does not, by itself, tell you what event triggers that coverage, what remedy follows, what documentation is required, or which party handles each step . Read every layer in three columns: the trigger, the remedy and the responsibility .
The trigger is the condition that starts a claim . The remedy is the action described in the written coverage . The responsibility column names who documents the issue, diagnoses it, authorizes the next step and completes the work . If one of those columns is blank, ask for the controlling language before signing .
Which exclusion questions should a Utah solar buyer ask ?
- What exactly triggers coverage? Ask for the written definition of a covered defect. Then ask who decides whether the issue is workmanship, an equipment condition, roof work, monitoring, or something outside the covered scope .
- Which components are named? Does the warranty schedule name every component in the proposal’s equipment list? Look for panels, mounting hardware, wiring, inverter, battery, gateway, disconnects, backup panel, monitoring hardware and any main-service work that appears in the design .
- Which work follows an accepted claim? Ask separately about diagnosis, labor, shipping, access, removal, reinstallation, testing and recommissioning. A replacement component is only one line in the full remedy .
- Where does roof coverage begin and end? Ask whether the language addresses only a penetration seal or also related roof work and interior effects. Ask how reroofing, roof repairs or moving the array would affect the written coverage .
- Which outside events or owner actions change the result? Request a yes-or-no answer for wind, hail, snow loading, fire, flood, pests, grid events, equipment relocation, third-party electrical work, internet disconnection and missed maintenance .
- What records must the homeowner keep? Ask about registration, commissioning records, photographs, maintenance records, app access, connectivity history and notice requirements. Put the required records in one folder at handoff .
- What happens when the home changes owners? Ask whether coverage follows the equipment, requires notice, requires a new registration or changes after a transfer. Request the exact section rather than relying on a verbal summary .
- Who owns the next step? Write down one contact, the evidence that contact requires, the escalation route and the document that controls the answer. A claim path should be usable by a future homeowner who was not present at the sale .
What coverage should you map to those questions ?
For an Ask Solar Mike proposal, build the exclusion checklist around each currently stated coverage layer :
- Workmanship: a 30-year workmanship warranty .
- System-level coverage: a 10-year bumper-to-bumper warranty from Ask Solar Mike .
- Roof penetrations: 10-year roof-penetration coverage .
- Manufacturer-claim support: no-cost labor for manufacturer-warranty repairs during the program term—25 years for solar and 10 years for the battery—and 24/7 monitoring during those terms .
- Installation damage: insured repair of installation damage to the home .
- Equipment: a 25-year solar-panel manufacturer warranty and a 10-year Tesla Powerwall 3 manufacturer warranty, with the Powerwall 3 inverter integrated under the battery warranty .
Those are headline terms . The complete exclusions and claim path should be reviewed in the controlling written documents before you rely on a specific remedy .
How should you separate workmanship from product coverage ?
For Ask Solar Mike, the 30-year workmanship warranty concerns whether the work was installed correctly; it is separate from the equipment warranty . Keep those two columns separate when you compare proposals .
For workmanship, ask what evidence establishes an installation issue, who inspects it, and what corrective work is included . For equipment, ask which written manufacturer condition applies, who opens the claim, and whether the remedy includes the work needed to remove, replace, reconnect and recommission the component .
Do the same for roof penetrations . Put the roof term on its own row, identify the covered area, and ask how the written language treats pre-existing roof conditions, later roof work and damage beyond the penetration itself . The contract section—not a headline—should answer each question .
What should you ask about Tesla Powerwall 3 ?
The Tesla Powerwall 3 manufacturer warranty is 10 years . Its inverter is integrated under that 10-year Powerwall 3 coverage, so it should not be presented as a separate 25-year inverter warranty .
Ask for the current manufacturer document and locate the coverage start, registration requirements, capacity-retention language, usage conditions and any cycle or throughput terms . Then ask who performs the first diagnosis, what remote monitoring can establish, when a site visit is needed, and how the battery is recommissioned after covered work . These questions force the proposal to connect the product document to a practical claim path .
What is Utah-specific about this review ?
For homes with 200A or 400A service, ask the equipment schedule to identify every gateway, backup panel and related electrical component . Ask Solar Mike designs for both service sizes, while the final backup architecture is confirmed at site verification and engineering . Your warranty worksheet should follow the final engineered scope, not an early sketch .
Ask which documents remain with the home after completion . Every Ask Solar Mike project includes a commissioning receipt, system-registration proof, monitoring handoff, homeowner ownership record, named escalation path and written change-order control . Store those records with the final design and warranty documents so the next person can identify the system and follow the stated process .
Ask Solar Mike is a Utah-licensed general contractor under DOPL license 14015846-5501 . License status is useful proof of identity, but it does not replace reading the exclusions, remedy and claim procedure in the documents for your project .
How can you compare two warranties without getting lost ?
Copy this worksheet once for each proposal . Do not combine coverage layers into one answer .
| Coverage layer | Trigger | Exclusions or conditions | Remedy | Required records | Claim contact |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Workmanship | What starts review? | What changes coverage ? | What work follows? | What proves the issue? | Who opens it? |
| Roof penetration | What area qualifies? | How is later roof work treated? | What area is repaired? | What inspection is needed? | Who coordinates it? |
| Solar panels | Which manufacturer condition applies? | What use or event is outside scope? | Repair or replacement? | Registration and test data? | Who files it? |
| Powerwall 3 | Which manufacturer condition applies? | What operating conditions matter? | What happens after diagnosis? | Registration, app and system data? | Who escalates it? |
| Monitoring and claim labor | What service event starts action? | What connectivity or access is required? | Remote or site response? | What system record is used? | Who owns follow-through? |
What else do solar buyers ask about warranty exclusions ?
What is the first exclusion to check ?
Start with any clause that separates the covered component from the work needed to diagnose, remove, reinstall and recommission it . Ask for a written answer across the entire remedy .
Does a longer warranty automatically cover more ?
No. Duration, scope, trigger, remedy and claim responsibility are separate fields . Compare all five before treating one term as stronger .
Is the Powerwall 3 inverter covered for 25 years ?
No. The Powerwall 3 inverter is integrated under the 10-year Powerwall 3 manufacturer warranty .
Should a verbal warranty answer count ?
Use the verbal answer to locate the controlling section, then keep the written document . If the section does not support the summary, ask for clarification before signing .
Which records should remain with the system ?
Keep the final design, equipment schedule, warranty documents and claim contacts together . Ask Solar Mike also provides commissioning, registration, monitoring handoff, ownership and escalation records, plus written change-order control .
Last reviewed: 2026-09-17 . Reviewed by Mike Morris, Founder, Ask Solar Mike .
