For a San Marcos solar-and-battery project, ask the contractor whether any electrical work needs an inspection before it is covered. A final inspection should not be the first time your household hears about the project’s inspection sequence.
This is especially useful when the proposal includes underground wiring or work inside walls. The required stages depend on the permitted design; not every rooftop solar or battery installation has the same construction sequence.
Ask about intermediate inspections
The city’s inspection guidance, checked October 24, 2026, describes inspections at critical construction stages. It lists underground electrical work among typical intermediate inspections and says all projects require a final inspection.
Ask the contractor to identify the stages that apply to your permit and who confirms clearance before subsequent work covers an inspected area. Do not infer that a booked final appointment settles earlier inspection requirements.
For example, suppose a hypothetical battery design includes an underground electrical route beneath a surface that will be restored. Ask how inspection, backfilling and restoration fit together before accepting the schedule. Leave the technical requirements and execution to the contractor and city.
Include coordination in the quoted scope
A qualifying no-upfront solar-plus-battery PPA can help eligible homeowners access equipment and professional installation without buying the system upfront. A useful proposal also explains how the provider coordinates the work around your home.
Our suggested contract questions are:
- Who schedules required inspections and follows up on corrections?
- Who coordinates separate electrical, excavation and surface-restoration crews?
- Which restoration work and inspection-related charges are included?
- Who provides written notice if a change affects cost, timing or the equipment scope?
Keep the answers with the proposal. These are planning questions, not a statement that every project needs excavation or multiple contractors. Our San Marcos guideline-scope article explains why requirements should be matched to the actual residential project.
The CPUC solar guide explains that a PPA provider owns the solar system and sells its electricity. Review ongoing energy payments, any escalator, contract length, battery ownership and fees, maintenance and transfer terms. Verify offer eligibility and excluded site work. No upfront purchase does not mean free electricity or guaranteed savings.
Keep your utility account in the project folder
Clean Energy Alliance’s FAQ identifies San Marcos among its service communities. For enrolled customers, CEA supplies generation while SDG&E continues electricity delivery, grid maintenance and billing. Confirm your own account’s arrangement and include remaining utility costs in the proposal comparison.
Construction inspection stages are separate from the utility’s operating-approval process. Our San Marcos Permission to Operate guide covers that later milestone. Ask the installer to explain when the system may operate and provide the approved operating instructions.
Preserve the backup priorities through construction
A completed construction stage does not establish battery runtime. PG&E’s general battery guidance explains that supported circuits, available energy and household demand determine backup capability.
Ask the installer to keep the final supported-load list consistent with your agreed priorities. Ordinary grid-tied solar alone generally does not provide outage power; backup needs compatible equipment, and recharging from solar requires suitable sunlight. Storage and output limits still apply after the inspections are complete.
Bring your proposed work scope and schedule to a West Coast Alternatives consultation to organize a San Marcos solar-and-battery plan with clear construction responsibilities.