Rebuilding a house costs $150 to $350 per square foot in 2026, or about $135,000 to $525,000 for most homes....
Solar Estimating Services
Solar projects depend on accurate quantities and realistic pricing from the start. Acon Engineering prepares detailed estimates from your drawings, covering panels, inverters, racking, electrical components and labor. Using current local pricing and more than 15 years of estimating experience, we deliver clear, organized reports for contractors, installers and EPC firms.
★★★★★ 4.9 from 312 reviews
● 9,800 plans estimated
● Reply within 4 business hours
● Built for GCs, subs, developers
Trusted by 400 plus contractors and developers across the United States
Accurate Solar Estimates for Better Project Planning
A solar estimate involves much more than pricing panels. The total project cost also depends on racking systems, inverters, electrical components, conduit, labor, engineering, permitting, and utility interconnection requirements. Missing or underestimating any of these items can affect the overall project budget.ACON Engineering prepares detailed solar estimates from your drawings, measuring the complete system and pricing it to current local market rates. Our reports provide clear quantity takeoffs and cost breakdowns, helping contractors, installers, and EPC firms prepare reliable budgets and well supported bids.
Our Solar Estimating Services
Our estimating services support everything from early budgeting to final bid preparation, with pricing based on your drawings and current local market conditions.
Solar Material Takeoff
A complete material list built directly from your drawings, covering panels, racking, inverters, wiring, conduit, grounding, and mounting hardware. The quantities are organized in a clear format that simplifies purchasing, cost planning, and bid preparation.
Preliminary Solar Estimating
Early cost planning helps determine whether a project is financially viable before the design is finalized. The estimate reflects the available project information, giving owners and developers a realistic starting point for budgeting and decision making.
Solar Cost Estimation
A detailed breakdown of material, labor, equipment and installation costs based on the system design and project location. It gives contractors and developers a clearer understanding of the total investment before construction begins with greater confidence and planning accuracy.
Design & Schematic Estimating
As the layout changes, so does the project budget. This service keeps the estimate aligned with the latest design by accounting for panel layout, roof conditions, equipment selections and system revisions.
System Upgrade Estimating
Expanding an existing solar system requires more than adding new equipment. Existing capacity, compatibility and installation requirements are reviewed to produce a realistic budget before upgrade work begins.
Maintenance & O&M Estimating
Long term ownership costs deserve the same attention as installation costs. This service outlines the expected expenses for maintenance, equipment replacement, monitoring and battery upkeep, helping owners plan for the years ahead.
Solar Projects We Estimate
- Residential rooftop arrays
- Custom home solar
- Apartments
- Community solar
- Commercial rooftop systems
- Office buildings
- Retail centers
- Schools
- Off grid systems
- Universities
- Hospitals
- Medical facilities
- Hotels
- Warehouse
- Panel replacements and upgrades
- Manufacturing plants
- Cold storage facilities
- Hybrid systems
- Data centers
- Municipal buildings
- Ground mount arrays
- Canopy solar
- Carport
- Agricultural farms
- Utility scale solar farms
- Battery storage systems
- System expansions and repowers
What We Quantify in a Solar Takeoff
Solar panels · PV modules · Solar panel glass · Panel back sheets · DC inverters · AC inverters · Microinverters · Power optimizers · Mounting hardware · Mounting rails · Mounting brackets · Racking systems · Solar trackers · Tilt mounts · Panel spacers · Fasteners · Roof flashings · Sealants · Junction boxes · Combiner boxes · Combiner fuses · Disconnect switches · Charge controllers · Circuit breakers · Fuses · String boxes · Surge protection devices · Lightning arrestors · Electrical enclosures · Electrical junction covers · Inverter mounting kits · Wiring and cabling · PV connectors · Wire clips · Cable ties · Cable trays · Conduit and raceways · Conduit bends and fittings · Grounding rods · Busbars · Battery storage units · Monitoring systems · Safety labels
Solar Estimating Deliverables
You'll receive a complete solar estimating package with detailed takeoffs, cost breakdowns, editable Excel reports, and marked up plans. The deliverables are organized to simplify estimating, procurement, and bid preparation.
Want the full PDF in your inbox?
Get 3 redacted full sample sets covering takeoff, estimate, and schedule. No call required.
Our 4 Step Solar Estimating Process
The process is simple, and you stay informed at all four stages. You work with estimators who know solar work.
01
Send Your Plans
Upload your drawings, site plan, and specs in PDF, CAD, or DWG. Our team reviews the scope and sends you a quote.
02
PV Takeoff
We count the panels, inverters, racking, conduit, and balance-of-system from your plans and work out the labor hours.
03
Pricing
We price the hardware, labor, and soft costs to your local market, and set the number against cost per watt.
04
Review and Delivery
A senior estimator checks the figures. Then we deliver your estimate in Excel within 24 to 72 hours.
Industry Standard Solar Estimating Software
We cost your solar takeoffs in PlanSwift, mark up the plans in Bluebeam, and price the work with RSMeans and current market data. These are the tools solar and electrical estimators rely on.
Why Solar Contractors Choose ACON Engineering
Accurate solar estimates require more than counting panels. Our team looks at the complete system, local pricing and project requirements to deliver estimates that are detailed, practical and easy to review.
Complete System Takeoffs
Our takeoffs cover the full solar system, including panels, racking, inverters, wiring, conduit, grounding and mounting hardware. Small components are measured with the same attention as major equipment.
Experienced Estimators
Solar projects involve more than equipment costs. We include labor, permitting, engineering and utility interconnection requirements, giving you a realistic view of the total project cost from the beginning.
Code Compliant Estimates
Estimates are prepared with applicable project requirements in mind, including NEC, IBC, and structural design considerations where required. This helps keep the estimate aligned with the project's design and construction requirements.
Local Market Pricing
Material, labor and equipment costs are based on current local market rates. Cost per watt analysis is also included where appropriate, making it easier to compare system costs during budgeting and bidding.
15+ Years of Experience
With more than 15 years of construction estimating experience, our team prepares detailed reports that are organized, consistent and easy to review. Estimates are checked before delivery to help reduce omissions.
Projects of Every Size
Project costs change with system design, site conditions and installation requirements. Our estimates reflect those differences, giving contractors a detailed cost breakdown that matches the work being planned.
Calculate Your Solar Estimate Cost in 30 Seconds
Use our quick tool to get an estimated price for your solar estimating services. This gives you a fast baseline before you request an official quote from our team.
Step 1 · Choose Your Project Type
Pick the work you need estimated. We cover residential rooftop, commercial, industrial and utility scale solar.
Step 2 · Set Your System Size
Enter the system size in kilowatts, or the total square footage of the array. System size drives the scope and the cost per watt.
Step 3 · Select Your Required Scope
Pick what you need quantified. We cover the PV array, racking, electrical scope, and battery storage.
Estimated fee
$1,250
Turnaround · 3 business days
Final fee depends on plan complexity. No charge until you approve.
Solar Estimating Services Pricing
The rates match how you work. Pay a flat fee per project, or set up ongoing support, with no hidden costs. Order a single estimate, or keep an estimator on call across the design stages.
Single Project
For a contractor who needs one estimate for a specific stage.
From $750
- One complete estimate or takeoff
- Priced to current market rates
- 3 business day turnaround
- One round of revisions
- PDF and Excel deliverables
Bid partner
For teams estimating across the design stages.
$2,495 / mo
- Up to 6 projects per month
- 24 hour rush option included
- Two rounds of revisions
- Dedicated project lead
- Procore and Dropbox sync
Enterprise
For large teams that bid heavy volume and need a dedicated estimator.
Custom
- Unlimited projects
- SLA backed turnaround
- Custom format and templates
- Quarterly business reviews
Zero risk start. Not happy with your first deliverable? You pay nothing, full stop.
Trusted by Contractors and Developers Nationwide
Builders, developers, and subs across the United States.
ACON Engineering is great to work with. The team is hardworking, professional, and takes pride in their work. They respond quickly, communicate clearly, and keep every project moving smoothly from start to finish.
Acon Engineering is a trustworthy and professional firm. They consistently deliver on time and are excellent to work with throughout the process. Their estimates are clear, organized, and supported by detailed documentation.
It was a pleasure working with them. The team was professional, responsive, and easy to communicate with throughout the project. Their service was reliable, efficient, and delivered exactly what was promised.
Who We Work With
- Solar contractors
- Solar installers
- EPC firms
- Electrical contractors
- Electrical subcontractors
- General contractors
- Renewable energy developers
- Utility companies
- Architects
- Design firms
- Design firms
- Property owners
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
The full PV takeoff and the priced cost of the hardware, labor, and soft costs. That covers the panels, inverters, racking, wiring, and balance of the system, with the permits and interconnection accounted for, delivered in Excel by cost per watt.
Every takeoff comes off your plans and gets counted line by line, not scaled from a rule of thumb. Pricing runs on current market data, and a senior estimator reviews the file before it reaches you.
We estimate NEC 690 for solar PV, the IBC for building requirements, and ASCE 7 for the wind and structural loads an array carries. That keeps the scope aligned with what the inspection expects.
Yes. We quantify battery storage units, charge controllers and the electrical scope they add, for grid tied, hybrid and off grid systems. Owners and contractors get the full cost of the system as designed.
Yes. We estimate rooftop arrays, commercial rooftop and ground mount systems, and utility scale solar farms. The takeoff carries the same depth at any scale, priced to the system size.
Send the drawings, the site plan and the specs in PDF, CAD or DWG. Most estimates come back within 24 to 48 hours, with a rush option when a deadline is tight.
An estimator on payroll costs more than the takeoffs most solar firms need. Outsourcing gives you the same depth per project, so your crews stay on installs and you quote more work.
Get an Accurate Number for Your Next Solar Project
Solar margins live in the details most estimates skip. Send us your plans, and we will count the full system, price the hardware, labor, and soft costs to your market, and set it against cost per watt.
Insights
Field tested guides for builders who bid.
Long form playbooks our clients use to sharpen pricing, win more jobs, and protect margin.
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Solar Estimating Services Across the United States
ACON Engineering provides solar estimating services in all fifty states. We work with solar contractors, installers, EPC firms, and developers nationwide through a remote process. You upload your plans, and we return a detailed takeoff priced to your local market. Solar labor rates, permit fees, and interconnection costs change from one region and utility to the next, so each estimate reflects the real cost where the array is built.
States: California • Texas • Florida • New York • Pennsylvania • Illinois • Georgia • New Jersey • Arizona • Colorado • Michigan • Tennessee • North Carolina • Virginia • Washington • Massachusetts • Ohio • Minnesota • Louisiana • Missouri • Wisconsin • Nevada • South Carolina • Iowa • New Mexico • Wyoming
Major Cities: New York City, NY • Los Angeles, CA • Chicago, IL • Houston, TX • Dallas, TX • Austin, TX • San Francisco, CA • San Diego, CA • San Antonio, TX • Fort Worth, TX • Miami, FL • Orlando, FL • Atlanta, GA • Seattle, WA • Boston, MA • Washington, DC • Las Vegas, NV • Phoenix, AZ • Denver, CO • Raleigh, NC • Nashville, TN • Columbus, OH • Sacramento, CA • Sarasota, FL • Wichita, KS
