I ran across a local job listing for an “uncapped commission” roofing and solar sales role advertising earnings up to $350,000 per year. In the same listing, it also stated that people with a criminal record are encouraged to apply.
I want to be careful here, because I am not interested in moral grandstanding. I have no issue with companies hiring vetted, reformed people with checkered pasts. A lot of people rebuild their lives and become excellent employees.
The issue is the specific role. An unsupervised closer sitting alone at a homeowner’s kitchen table is a different category of trust. That person is often discussing financing, collecting sensitive information, walking the property, and guiding a major decision tied to the home and the homeowner’s money. When you combine “in home closer” with “criminal record encouraged,” it is fair for a homeowner to pause.
Uncapped Commission = Paid on Overages
The $350,000 headline is the other problem. In many commission driven solar sales models, reps get paid on overages. The company sets a baseline price that covers equipment, labor, overhead, and profit needed to deliver the job. The rep is allowed to sell above that baseline, and the difference is where the commission lives.
That matters because it changes incentives. The rep is not rewarded for a cleaner design, better engineering, better permitting, or better long term support. The rep is rewarded for pushing the contract price above baseline. That “uncapped” number does not come from nowhere. It is extracted from the homeowner.
Owner Led Consultations Align Incentives
In our company, consultations and sales are handled by ownership. My longtime business partner and co-owner, Dominick, meets with most clients. I step in for technical and off-grid work. When a homeowner sits down with us, they are dealing directly with the people accountable for the system design, the permit set, the inspection outcome, the installation workmanship, and the long term reputation of the company.
Dominick has said for the 15+ years I have known him that he is not going to retire on any given contract. That is the philosophy. We aim for consistent volume and fair pricing based on the equipment selected and the actual complexity of the job. Straightforward projects price differently than complicated ones. The price reflects scope and engineering reality, not how far someone can push a number above baseline.
The Homeowner Question That Actually Matters
If you are shopping solar, ask who is actually sitting across from you.
Is that person accountable for the long term outcome, including code compliance, waterproofing details, inspection, utility interconnection, and service support? Or are they accountable primarily for the sale, paid by how much over baseline they can pad your contract?
Getting paid for selling over the fair price is itself criminal, so to speak.
Solar can be a great investment and a great resilience upgrade when it is designed and installed correctly. But it is not a product you should buy from a script, and it is not something you should sign for just because someone in your living room is good at closing.
Note: This post discusses a common industry sales structure. Specific identifying details from the referenced job listing are intentionally omitted.
