Efficiency upgrades
Cool roofs and solar-ready re-roofing, insulation and dual-pane windows. A house that holds its temperature needs less cooling.
Solar and battery storage
Solar panels sized from your real bills
We check your roof first. Then our licensed solar partner designs the panels and battery around a year of your SCE or LADWP bills, pulls the permits, installs the system and handles the utility interconnection.
The job, step by step
From roof check to permission to operate
We do the roof check, our licensed solar partner does the rest, and our office keeps you posted the whole way. The work on your roof is the short part. Plan review, inspection and the utility's sign-off take up most of the calendar.
Roof check
We go up on the roof and into the attic before any design work starts. Age, condition, framing, shade and the main electrical panel all get a look.
System design
Our solar partner sizes the panels and the battery from your bills and anything you plan to add, like an EV or a heat pump. The layout works around vents, shade and the roof walkways the fire code requires.
City permits
The partner prepares the plans and pulls the building and electrical permits from your city or county.
Installation
The partner's crew puts the racking and panels on the roof, then the inverter, the battery and the wiring. Our office keeps you posted on the schedule.
Inspection
The city or county inspector checks the work against the approved plans and signs off.
Utility interconnection
The partner files the interconnection application with Southern California Edison or LADWP. The system goes live once the utility gives permission to operate, and you get a walkthrough of how it works.
Before the home visit
What we need from you
A few things make the visit shorter and the design more accurate. If you don't have all of them, call anyway.
- A year of electric billsPaper bills, PDFs or a look at your online SCE or LADWP account. Use changes with the seasons, so a full year matters.
- Your plans for the next few yearsAn EV, a heat pump, an induction range or an ADU all add to what the house uses. Our solar partner sizes for what is coming.
- Roof historyThe roof's age and any leak repairs, if you know them.
- HOA rulesIf you have an HOA, its architectural guidelines and how it approves plans.
- Access on the dayTo the roof, the attic and the main electrical panel.
Battery storage
Why a battery matters more in LA now
For many utility customers, the credit for solar power sent back to the grid is lower than it used to be. That makes it more useful to store daytime power in a battery and use it in the evening.
The rules differ between SCE and LADWP and change over time. Our solar partner looks at your utility, your rate plan and your bills before recommending a battery size, or no battery at all.
- Solar output
- What the house uses
- Stored for the evening
- Evening power from the sunThe battery charges from your panels during the day and runs the house after dark.
- Backup for the circuits you chooseIn an outage, a battery can keep chosen circuits running, such as the fridge and the lights. Backing up the whole house takes a bigger system.
- Utility safety shutoffsHomes in high fire-risk areas can lose power when the utility shuts lines off on windy days. A battery can keep the essentials on.
- Already have solarA battery can often be added to an existing system. Our solar partner checks your inverter and your electrical panel first.
Roof first
We check the roof before panels go on
Panels stay on a roof for many years, and taking them off to re-roof later adds cost. If your roof is near the end of its life, we tell you before any solar design starts.
If it needs replacing, we can re-roof first with a solar-ready cool roof, laid out for the panels.
- Age and conditionCracked tiles, worn shingles, soft decking and signs of old leaks.
- Roof typeClay or concrete tile, composition shingle and flat roofs each take different mounts and flashing.
- FramingOlder rafters sometimes need reinforcing before they carry panels.
- Shade and directionTrees, chimneys and neighboring buildings, and which way each part of the roof faces.
- The main electrical panelSome older panels can't take a solar connection without an upgrade. A licensed electrical partner does that work, described under electrification.
Questions
Common solar and battery questions
Rebates and incentives change often. We check what your utility offers before we quote.
How long does a solar project take?
The work on the roof is the short part. Plan review, inspection and the utility's permission to operate take most of the time, and that varies by city and by utility. You get a schedule with your proposal, and our office keeps you posted.
Will solar keep my lights on in an outage?
In most cases, only with a battery. A standard grid-tied system shuts off when the grid goes down, so line crews can work safely. With a battery and the right switching equipment, the circuits you choose stay on.
Can I add a battery to existing solar?
Often, yes. Our solar partner checks your inverter, your electrical panel and your current utility agreement, then tells you what the change involves.
Do I need permits? What about my HOA?
Yes. Solar and batteries need a city or county permit and an inspection, and our licensed solar partner pulls the permits. California law limits how far an HOA can restrict solar, but many still review the plans first, so tell us about yours at the home visit.
What if my roof is shaded?
We check shade at the home visit, one roof face at a time. Sometimes our solar partner can find a layout that works. Sometimes solar is a poor fit for the house, and we will tell you so.
Can I finance solar and a battery?
Many homeowners do. Ask us at the home visit, or read how financing works.
Financing is offered through third-party lenders and is subject to credit approval. Rates, terms and eligibility vary. Woodmaster Kitchen & Bath Inc. is not a lender.
Home visit
Start with a roof check
Call, send a WhatsApp message or email us. Someone from our Woodland Hills office will set up a home visit to look at your roof, your electrical panel and your bills.