Timing
When to Order a Solar Inspection During Escrow
Early in the inspection period — and why the default 17 days is tighter than it looks.
Order it in the first two or three days of the inspection contingency period. The California Residential Purchase Agreement defaults to 17 days for investigation, and that window has to absorb scheduling, the inspection, the report, and then any follow-up — quotes, a lease transfer enquiry, or a utility confirmation — before you can make a decision.
The 17 days aren’t 17 days
The RPA’s default investigation period is 17 days, and it’s negotiable. But the useful part of it is shorter than it looks. Scheduling takes a day or two. The inspection is on the calendar, not on demand. The report follows about 24 hours after the visit.
If the report surfaces something — and on an older system it often does — you then need pricing from a contractor, or a response from a finance company, or a written answer from the utility. Those parties don’t work to your contingency date. Ordering the inspection on day 12 leaves no room for the part that actually takes time.
A realistic timeline
- Days 1–2. Request the inspection. Give the contingency date.
- Days 2–3. Confirmation call, scope confirmed, date set.
- Days 3–6. Inspection performed; report about 24 hours later.
- Days 6–12. Follow-up: contractor pricing, lease transfer enquiries, utility confirmations.
- Days 12–17. Decide: proceed, request repairs, renegotiate, or withdraw.
Ordering it earlier still
Sellers can take the timing question off the table entirely by inspecting before listing. The same finding, discovered three weeks before a listing goes live, is a scheduling matter rather than a negotiation.
Weekends count
Contingency periods run on calendar days, not business days, which means weekends are burning clock. Our inspections run on weekends and requests are open around the clock — the office is open Monday to Friday, 9:00 AM to 6:00 PM, but the inspection calendar isn’t limited to it.
Sources
Contingency clock already running
The office is open Monday–Friday 9am–6pm, but inspections run on weekends and requests are open around the clock. We'll call to confirm the date and time.
Requesting an inspection isn't a confirmed appointment — we'll contact you to confirm timing.