North Charleston
Solar Installers in North Charleston, SC
How to compare proposals and check licences. No rankings.
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Which licence covers each part of a North Charleston solar job
| Part of the job | Licence that covers it (SC LLR) |
|---|---|
| Panels and related components | "Solar Panel Installer" is a Residential Specialty registration with the Residential Builders Commission (SC LLR): fabricating, assembling, installing and replacing panels and related components. |
| Roof attachments | Roof mounting: a Residential Builder, a Residential Specialty Contractor with the Roofer classification, or a General Contractor with a roofing classification. |
| Wiring and connection | Wiring and connection: a Residential Builder, a licensed residential electrician, or a mechanical contractor with the electrical classification. |
| Structural roof upgrades | Structural roof upgrades: a Residential Builder, a Residential Specialty Contractor with the Carpenter classification, or a General Contractor with building or structural framing. |
SC LLR Residential Specialty Contractor registration package, retrieved 5 October 2026. The City of North Charleston asks for a copy of the contractor’s state licence with the permit application.
Look each licence up on SC LLR before you sign. How to verify a licence.
What kinds of installer work in North Charleston
You will meet three kinds. Local installers with their own crews, who design, permit and install. National or regional sales companies that sell the job and subcontract the install, sometimes to crews based outside the Lowcountry.
And electricians or roofers who add solar to their trade. None is better by type; what matters is who holds the workmanship warranty, who pulls the City permit and who comes back after a storm. Who actually installs your solar.
How a North Charleston installer should size and price your system
A sound proposal starts from your twelve months of bills and states which tariff it assumes.
On Dominion that is Rate 5 with the Solar Choice rider, where surplus banks within each price period and the November balance is paid at avoided cost, so an oversized array earns little for its last panels.
On Berkeley Electric it is the Renewable Surplus Rider at 6.03¢ per exported kWh, and the co-op caps size at your annual use ÷ 1,800.
Price should be broken into equipment, labour, permitting, roof or electrical work and any financing charge. The City permit is public and a few hundred dollars on a typical contract, so it should appear as a line. Worked examples: solar cost in North Charleston.
Quote-comparison checklist for North Charleston proposals
Dominion Solar Choice on Rate 5, or Berkeley Electric’s Renewable Surplus Rider. Not “net metering” for a new system.
Within 20 kW AC, and within Berkeley’s usage cap if it applies.
Panel and inverter make and model, battery if any, with each data sheet.
Both, on one page, so any dealer fee shows.
City building and electrical permits; Berkeley’s $150 application and $50 inspection where relevant.
Is the roof replaced first, and who pays to remove and reinstall panels later?
Panel product and output, inverter, battery, and workmanship, with who honours each.
Annual production, share used on site, and any utility rate escalator, with sources.
Spread over years at the $3,500 cap or half your liability, not as a first-year rebate.
Put two or three proposals side by side in the proposal analyzer.
Questions to ask a North Charleston installer
The licence holder on the permit is who the City holds responsible.
If not, the permit goes to Charleston or Dorchester County.
If so, who orders and pays for the elevation certificate the City may require?
Sealed drawings are required; the answer shows the engineer looked at your address.
Ask for response terms in writing.
Warranties and equipment on a North Charleston install
Panel product and output warranties come from the manufacturer; the workmanship warranty, which covers roof leaks and wiring faults, comes from the installer and is only as good as the company.
Salt air near the Cooper and Ashley rivers is a reason to ask whether racking and fasteners are rated for corrosive environments. Battery options are covered on battery storage in North Charleston and loans on solar financing in North Charleston.
Red flags in North Charleston solar sales
Utilities do not send installers door to door.
New systems get Solar Choice or the co-op rider, not legacy net metering.
§25D ended for homeowners after 2025.
Third-party power sales from your roof are not permitted in South Carolina.
until midnight of the third business day after signing, by written notice (SC Code §37-2-502). The Office of Regulatory Staff can fine sellers up to $2,500 per violation.
Return to the North Charleston solar hub, or the statewide guide on choosing a South Carolina installer.
Questions
Who are the best solar installers in North Charleston?
What licence does a solar installer need in North Charleston?
Can I cancel a solar contract signed at my door in North Charleston?
Should my North Charleston quote mention Dominion or Berkeley Electric?
Do North Charleston installers need a City business licence?
How many quotes should I get in North Charleston?
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