A good solar quote template does two jobs at once. It wins the customer, and it keeps you inside the rules. With UK rooftop installations hitting a record 267,032 in 2025 (pv magazine, 2025), most homeowners now compare several quotes side by side, and the clearest, most credible document usually takes the job. A vague quote loses work and can breach the consumer codes.
This guide sets out every field a compliant UK solar quote needs, from the MCS performance estimate to deposit limits and the 0% VAT treatment. Use it to build one reusable template that speeds up quoting without dropping the details that protect you when a customer, or a regulator, looks closely at what you sent.
Key Takeaways
- Lead with the performance estimate: MCS calculates annual generation as kWp multiplied by a Kk factor and a shading factor, landing within about 10% of real yield (MCS).
- Itemise the whole price: panels, inverter, battery, scaffolding, cables and labour all carry 0% VAT until 31 March 2027 (gov.uk).
- State the deposit clearly: RECC caps the initial deposit at 25% of the contract value (RECC).
- Quote realistic returns: a typical 4kW system costs around £6,500 with a six to nine year payback (FMB, 2026).
- Show the export income: Smart Export Guarantee tariffs range from about 4p to 25p per kWh by supplier (The Eco Experts, 2026).
What is a solar quote template, and why standardise it?
A solar quote template is a reusable document that captures every required field of a compliant quote in a fixed structure. Standardising it matters because buyers compare quotes closely in a record market of 1.85 million cumulative installs (MCS, 2025), and a consistent layout prevents the omissions that breach consumer codes.
A template does more than save time. It stops the small omissions, a missing generation estimate, an unclear deposit, an unsubstantiated saving, that lose trust or trigger a complaint. When every quote follows the same structure, your team produces consistent documents whether the surveyor is experienced or brand new to the job.
There is a sales benefit too. A tidy, complete quote signals a tidy, complete installer, and buyers who are gathering three or four documents notice the difference immediately. The template is quietly doing reputational work before you have said a word, which is worth remembering when a rushed one-page email feels like the faster option on a busy day.
What a compliant solar quote must include
At minimum: system size, components, total price, an annual generation estimate, deposit and payment terms, and the consumer code you work under. The RECC code governs quotations, contracts, deposits and cancellation, and members must cover all of it (RECC). Missing fields are the most common reason quotes get challenged later.
- System size and layout: total kWp, panel count and where the array sits on the roof.
- Components: panel, inverter and battery makes and models, with their warranties.
- Performance estimate: estimated annual generation in kWh, with the MCS method named.
- Full price: one itemised figure including 0% VAT and any battery or upgrade.
- Deposit and payments: the amount, the timing and how the deposit is protected.
- Consumer rights: the 14-day cooling-off period and the consumer code you follow.
Several of these fields depend on a proper site survey rather than a desktop guess. Our solar PV site survey guide covers the measurements a credible estimate rests on. State clearly which consumer code you follow too, because the HIES vs RECC comparison explains what each one commits you to.
How do you produce the MCS performance estimate?
You calculate annual generation as kWp multiplied by a Kk factor and a shading factor. The Kk value comes from MCS irradiance tables built on the European Commission's PVGIS dataset, split into 21 UK postcode zones by roof pitch and orientation (MCS). The postcode sets the zone.
The shading factor reflects near and far obstructions, ideally from a sun path assessment rather than a flat assumption. Done properly, the MCS method estimates annual yield within roughly 10% of the real figure, which is why customers and grant bodies trust it. Never inflate the estimate to win a job, because the performance estimate is a document the customer can hold you to (RECC model estimate).
If the design includes storage, size the battery to the home's evening and overnight load rather than the array, as our solar battery sizing guide sets out. An honest generation and self-consumption figure is the backbone of a quote that survives scrutiny from a careful buyer.
Show the customer where the estimate comes from. A short line naming the MCS method and the postcode zone turns a bare number into something credible, and it protects you if generation is questioned after handover. If the roof has more than one orientation, estimate each plane separately and add them, rather than averaging, because averaging hides the weaker aspect and overstates the total.
Presenting price and 0% VAT
Show one itemised, VAT-inclusive total. Solar panels, batteries, inverters, cables, scaffolding and labour all qualify for 0% VAT when supplied as a single installation contract until 31 March 2027, after which the rate is set to return to 5% (gov.uk). The relief covers the whole job.
Because the relief applies to the whole install as a single supply, your quote should present one combined price rather than splitting materials and labour (gov.uk). Standalone batteries added to an existing system have qualified since February 2024. Our 0% VAT on solar guide explains how to treat this on the invoice so the zero rate stands up to an HMRC check.
Ranges help customers judge value. A 4kW system around £6,500 and a 6kW system around £8,500 give useful anchors (FMB, 2026), but always quote the specific design in front of you rather than a headline figure lifted from a website.
Note the VAT deadline in the quote where it helps the decision. A customer weighing up whether to install now or later has a concrete reason to act, because the zero rate is time-limited. State it as a fact rather than pressure, and let the March 2027 cut-off speak for itself alongside the payback figure.
Deposit and payment terms to state in the quote
State a deposit no higher than 25% of the contract value, the payment schedule, and how the deposit is protected. RECC limits the initial deposit to 25%, with deposit and advance payment together capped at 60% (RECC). Spelling this out in the quote prevents disputes later on.
Members must insure the deposits and advance payments they take, so your quote should state that the deposit is protected and by whom (RECC). Tie later payments to clear milestones, and note that a cancelled deposit is refunded within 14 days. Clear terms here reassure cautious buyers and keep the whole sale within the code.
How do you show savings and export income credibly?
Base every figure on the customer's own usage and show your assumptions. In 2025 the ASA ruled several solar savings claims misleading because the basis was hidden, including bill reductions of up to £1,341 a year (ASA, 2025). Credible, specific numbers sell better than inflated ones.
Split the benefit into two honest parts: money saved by using your own solar, and money earned by exporting the surplus. Smart Export Guarantee tariffs run from about 4p to 25p per kWh depending on supplier (The Eco Experts, 2026), and our Smart Export Guarantee rates guide tracks the current best options. Present these as estimates tied to the household, not guarantees.
Self-consumption is the figure that moves the payback most, so make it explicit. A home that uses much of its generation during the day saves at the full import price, while exported units earn the lower SEG rate. Showing both a realistic self-consumption share and the export income, with your assumptions stated, gives a number the customer can trust and that will not embarrass you later.
Should you use a free template or proposal software?
A free PDF or spreadsheet template works for low volumes, while proposal software pays off as you scale. A static template captures the required fields but relies on manual entry, whereas software pulls survey, pricing and generation data into a consistent quote automatically. Both can be compliant if the fields are right.
A free solar proposal template, whether a PDF or a spreadsheet, is a sensible start. It keeps your fields consistent and costs nothing, but every figure is typed by hand, which is where errors and omissions creep in. If you also price heat pumps, the same discipline applies: itemise the heat loss assumptions, flow temperature and emitter changes rather than quoting a round number.
As volumes grow, software that builds the quote from your survey and price list saves time and cuts mistakes. Our digital proposal generator guide weighs the trade-offs for growing installers. The goal is one credible, compliant document you can produce fast and stand behind, and tools such as Reonic's Installer OS carry the survey, estimate and pricing into a single quote so nothing required gets missed.
Frequently asked questions
What should a solar quote include in the UK?
A compliant UK solar quote should show the system size in kWp, the panel, inverter and battery models, an estimated annual generation figure, the full itemised price including 0% VAT, deposit and payment terms, and the 14-day cooling-off right. Naming your consumer code and warranties adds the trust that wins the job.
Is a performance estimate legally required on a solar quote?
MCS-certified installations must give the customer a performance estimate produced by the MCS method (MCS), and consumer codes expect any generation claim to be evidenced. Even where it is not strictly mandatory, omitting or inflating it risks a misleading-claim challenge, so a site-specific estimate belongs on every quote.
Can I use a free solar proposal template?
Yes. A free PDF or spreadsheet template is fine, provided it captures every required field: system size, components, generation estimate, itemised price, VAT, deposit terms and cancellation rights. The main risk with free templates is manual error, so build in checks. Proposal software reduces that risk as your quote volume grows.
How much deposit can I ask for on a solar quote?
Under the RECC consumer code the initial deposit cannot exceed 25% of the contract value, and deposit plus advance payment together cannot exceed 60% (RECC). Your quote should state the deposit amount, the payment schedule and how the deposit is protected against the firm ceasing to trade.
Do I charge VAT on a solar installation quote?
Most domestic solar installations carry 0% VAT until 31 March 2027, covering panels, batteries, inverters and labour as a single supply (gov.uk). Your quote should show a VAT-inclusive total at the zero rate. From 1 April 2027 the rate is scheduled to return to 5%, so note the deadline where relevant.
