How to market solar panel cleaning on streets you already work

Start with homes that have panels near jobs you’ve booked. To market solar panel cleaning without mailing every house, mark nearby panel roofs before you print. Check roof access before quoting. Even with the same number of panels, a two-story tile roof takes different work from a single-story shingle roof.

Find the homes with panels

Look for arrays around your current jobs:

• Satellite view. Open the satellite layer of a map app over streets near your current jobs. Look for gridded rectangles on the roof and mark houses where you can see panels. Images can be out of date, and you may not be able to count every panel.
• Drive the streets. Check the marked houses from the curb before you knock. A back-roof array may be hidden, and roof access still needs checking before a firm quote.
• Installer yard signs. If you see one after an install, note the address and ask the owner what cleaning instructions the installer left. A new array may not need cleaning yet; check back only when there’s a reason to.

RouteLeads lists homes with panels in the area you pick, with approximate array size and age, so you can choose which addresses to check from the street.

Count panels and check roof access before you price

Price per panel, with a minimum. Set:

• A base per-panel rate for single-story roofs with easy access.
• A higher rate, or a flat add-on, for two-story roofs, steep pitches and tile.
• A trip minimum, so a small garage array still pays for the visit.

Example, at $8 a panel on a single story, $11 on two stories and a $120 minimum:

• 24 panels, single-story shingle: 24 × $8 = $192.
• The same 24 panels on a two-story roof: 24 × $11 = $264.
• 8 panels on a detached garage: 8 × $8 = $64, so the $120 minimum applies.

Divide each price by the job hours, including setup and added travel. In the example above, the two-story job takes 2 hours on site plus 15 minutes of driving. $264 ÷ 2.25 hours is about $117 an hour before expenses. Multiply the price per visit by the visits the owner books to find the year’s revenue from that customer. The calculator on the solar cleaning page uses your own price and visit count, but doesn’t subtract travel or equipment costs.

If you offer inspections or critter guard mesh, quote that work separately so the owner knows what cleaning covers. Check the panel maker’s cleaning instructions before the job. Where they allow it, use soft brushes and purified water.

Fit the pitch to the owner’s reason

Ask what prompted the call, then keep the quote on that job:

• If they track output, ask what they noticed in the monitoring app, and suggest comparing similar clear days before and after the cleaning. Don’t promise a gain.
• If the roof is steep or high, explain how you’ll work safely and what your insurance covers.
• If birds nest under the array, inspect before quoting mesh or removal.
• If they have an installer service contract, ask whether cleaning is already included.

With the owner’s permission, take a photo of one panel half cleaned. Use a clear job photo on your hanger instead of a stock image.

Reach panel homes without paying for every house

Every Door Direct Mail reaches every address on a carrier route, including houses without panels. Hangers take more time, but you can leave them only at the homes you marked. Hang each one on the door, never in the mailbox. The door hangers vs postcards guide compares the two by print, postage and walking time, and covers how to tell which card brought a call.

Trade referrals with gutter and window crews

Ask nearby gutter cleaners, window washers and roofers whether they clean panels. If not, agree on a flat fee for each paid cleaning they refer to you. Set it low enough that the job still clears your minimum. Send them gutter or window work owners ask you about. Mark the cards you give each partner, ask callers who sent them and pay the fee after the customer pays you.

If you already provide one of those services, add solar cleaning to the quote for any house with panels.

What to say at the door and when to come back

Open on the one thing a panel owner may already be watching:

“Hi, I’m with Bright Array Cleaning. Have you noticed the output dropping in your solar app lately?”

If they have, count the panels from the ground, check the roof access and give a price. If they don’t watch the app, ask whether they can see buildup from an upstairs window. Knock once more the next week you’re working nearby; a no ends the contact.

Choose a return date based on what you saw on the roof: pollen from overhead trees or dust from a gravel road, for example. If the panels were only lightly dirty, say so and let the owner call you. Agree on a date or reminder only if you expect dirt to build up again.