Best solar companies California A-1 Contractors

A-1 Contractors Reviews

Based in Visalia, CA. This profile is built from public installation records and published ratings, not paid placement.

233verified installs in California utility records*
4recent installs, 2025-26 records*
2014first year in county records
6.1/10Solar.com Score · 35 reviews analyzed

Solar.com Installer Score for A-1 Contractors

One score, computed the same way for every installer. We read the full text of all 35 substantive published A-1 Contractors review texts across every platform and measure what customers actually report. Not a survey. Not a sample. Never for sale.

Solar.com Installer Score

6.1/10

Blends the six category scores (70%) with the recency-weighted star record (30%).

Synthesized from 35 substantive customer review texts (51 published reviews collected).

Google 4.0★ · 47 reviewsYelp 1.0★ · 4 reviews

Updated September 28, 2026 · No installer can pay to change this score · How scores work →

Read what customers actually say ↓
Review star recordRecency-weighted star ratings across platforms, converted to a 0-10 signal before it is blended into the headline Solar.com Score.7.2

recency-weighted star ratings across platforms

Sales IntegrityHow clearly and honestly the company explains the system, contract, savings, and incentives before you sign.5.6

4 reviews speak to this · 0 praise · 4 complaints

Price TransparencyHow well the final price, financing terms, and incentive guidance match what customers were led to expect.5.0

4 reviews speak to this · 0 praise · 4 complaints

CommunicationHow reliably the company keeps customers informed and answers questions across sales, installation, and service.4.5

11 reviews speak to this · 2 praise · 9 complaints

Timeline ReliabilityHow well the company manages the path from contract through permits, installation, inspection, and turn-on — without the customer having to chase it.5.8

7 reviews speak to this · 4 praise · 3 complaints

WorkmanshipThe quality, professionalism, neatness, and property care of the physical installation.6.7

7 reviews speak to this · 6 praise · 1 complaints

Long-Term SupportHow well the system performs after turn-on, how the company handles monitoring, warranty claims, and service calls — and its staying power to honor them.6.1

7 reviews speak to this · 3 praise · 4 complaints

#618 of 678 scored in California by Solar.com Installer Score

How does A-1 Contractors compare where you live? Rankings are local; an installer that leads one city can trail in the next. See how they rank in your city →

Why this differs from star ratings: most five-star reviews say “great company” and stop, and star averages reward that. These category scores only count reviews with concrete evidence, weighted by recency and the reviewer’s track record. A company can hold a strong star average while specific categories score lower; that gap is usually where the real story is. Categories with more complaints than praise are the questions worth asking any bidder, not necessarily dealbreakers.

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Where A-1 Contractors builds

County-by-county activity from CPUC records through May 2026.

What this data covers: *Counts on this page, including the totals up top, come from investor-owned-utility interconnection records (SCE, SDG&E, PG&E). Work in municipal-utility territory, such as LADWP or city utilities, and outside California does not appear here, so this company's true totals are higher than shown. Unlike the county rankings, this profile also shows counties below the 250-install ranking floor.

CountyVerified installsRecent 2025-26Active sinceMedian system% leasedCounty rankingLink to the county ranking page. This company's rank on this page is its Solar.com Installer Score rank, shown above.
Tulare County192420148.3 kW2.6%below ranking floor (under 250 installs)
Kings County28020167.7 kW3.6%below ranking floor (under 250 installs)
Fresno County13020157.1 kW0.0%below ranking floor (under 250 installs)

% leased counts systems recorded as third party owned (lease or power purchase agreement); the remainder are customer owned. Median system size is the middle system this company installed in that county. Star ratings and review counts are from Google.

A-1 Contractors reviews: what customers say

An independent synthesis of published customer feedback across Google and Yelp, updated September 23, 2026. Green marks praise, amber mixed experiences, red complaints.

Sales & proposal integrity

Sales Integrity5.6/10

Reviews on sales and proposal integrity skew negative. Reviewers describe problems with contract expectations, follow-through, and clarity around what was promised during the sales process.Solar.com's composite of published customer feedback, not a customer quote

Contract expectations. Reviewers say key terms were not clearly handled, with some describing confusion about whether agreements were in place and what had been approved. Representative review excerpt: "We signed our contract for solar panels and batteries through A-1 in April of 2025."

Follow-through after outreach. Reviewers report outreach that did not lead to a completed visit or next step, which left them feeling the sales process was incomplete. Representative review excerpt: "Baffled as I am about contractors who go to home shows, get all the information for follow up, go out of their way to sell their product then NEVER show..."

Unclear process. Reviewers also describe a lack of clarity and professionalism when trying to get answers after the initial contact. Representative review excerpt: "No-one called for two days and I called back asking what's up, they said no-one told us anything we are sorry our technician didn't inform us (First sign of unprofessionalism)..."

Price & financing transparency

Price Transparency5.0/10

Price and financing feedback is mostly critical. Reviewers describe surprise costs, deposit requests, and concerns about payment timing or refunds, which made the pricing process feel opaque to them.Solar.com's composite of published customer feedback, not a customer quote

High total cost. Reviewers say the final project cost was much higher than expected, and some reported feeling burdened by the ongoing financial impact after installation. Representative review excerpt: "The system cost me about $60,000 in cash, and not only does it fail to work properly, it is actually costing me extra money every single day."

Deposit pressure. Reviewers report being asked for a deposit to lock in a price, which added to concerns about how pricing was being presented. Representative review excerpt: "Then he asked me for 1000 dollars deposit to lock in the price."

Early payment concerns. Reviewers also describe requests for payment before work was complete, which they viewed as inconsistent with their expectations. Representative review excerpt: "A-1 has no-showed a dozen times for work at our house, caused many delays, and have even requested payment early before work was complete!"

Communication & coordination

Communication4.5/10

Communication and coordination are a clear weak spot in the review set. Reviewers most often describe delayed callbacks, missing updates, and confusion about who was handling the project, though a small number of reviews praise detailed explanations and helpful walkthroughs.Solar.com's composite of published customer feedback, not a customer quote

Delayed responses. Reviewers say they waited a long time for callbacks or updates, with some describing long stretches without any contact from the company. Representative review excerpt: "3rd update: I have waited a month and still no call from A-1 and now resolution it now April 14 2026 4th update: today is April 27 and it was..."

Confusing handoffs. Reviewers report that messages were not passed along cleanly between staff, leading to missed appointments or conflicting explanations. Representative review excerpt: "No-one called for two days and I called back asking what's up, they said no-one told us anything we are sorry our technician didn't inform us (First sign of unprofessionalism)..."

Helpful explanations. A smaller set of reviewers say they received detailed explanations and useful guidance about how the system and monitoring app worked. Representative review excerpt: "They are very informative on every detail of how my solar panels are working for me."

Timeline reliability

Timeline Reliability5.8/10

Timeline feedback is mixed but leans slightly positive overall. Several reviewers say the process moved quickly or stayed on schedule, while others describe missed visits, delays, and inconsistent scheduling follow-through.Solar.com's composite of published customer feedback, not a customer quote

Completed on schedule. Some reviewers say the project stayed on time and moved through the steps smoothly from installation to activation. Representative review excerpt: "The whole process from quote to installation, to inspection and when our solar was turned on was less than 30 days."

Fast turnaround. Others report the work was done promptly and that the overall schedule was shorter than expected, though one review noted outside utility timing slowed the start. Representative review excerpt: "all was done well, professional and on time."

Missed appointments. At the same time, reviewers describe repeated no-shows and delays that disrupted the project timeline. Representative review excerpt: "A-1 has no-showed a dozen times for work at our house, caused many delays, and have even requested payment early before work was complete!"

Workmanship & site care

Workmanship6.7/10

Workmanship and site care are the strongest-reviewed parts of the profile, with most comments describing professional crews and clean installs. There is still one complaint about the project experience overall, but the larger pattern is positive around installation quality and cleanup.Solar.com's composite of published customer feedback, not a customer quote

Professional install quality. Reviewers frequently say the crew worked professionally and the installation itself was handled well. Representative review excerpt: "all was done well, professional and on time."

Clean finish. Reviewers also describe the work as clean and visually tidy once completed. Representative review excerpt: "They were fast and their employees are great, and the work looks very clean."

One serious complaint. A small number of reviews raise concerns tied to the project experience, indicating that not every install-related interaction was handled smoothly. Representative review excerpt: "We signed our contract for solar panels and batteries through A-1 in April of 2025."

Long-term support & performance

Long-Term Support6.1/10

Post-install support and system performance draw mixed-to-negative feedback. Some reviewers say they received helpful monitoring guidance and saw expected production, but others report problems with output and unresolved follow-up after the system was turned on.Solar.com's composite of published customer feedback, not a customer quote

Production concerns. Other reviewers report that the system was not producing as expected and that they were still trying to get help afterward. Representative review excerpt: "We have even contacted SCE and they have confirmed the production from the panels is NOT WORKING!!!"

Helpful monitoring guidance. Some reviewers say they were walked through the app and system details in a way that helped them understand production and usage after installation. Representative review excerpt: "They walked me through the app that shows you exactly how much energy you are producing and using hourly, which is such an important tool for us."

Early positive results. A few reviewers mention strong early performance on their bills, suggesting that some systems were working as expected after activation. Representative review excerpt: "Got our first bill from SCE and even with clouds, rain, and the first 7 days being without solar, we got a negative bill!"

Bottom line: A-1 Contractors’ review profile is mixed overall, with a headline score of 6.1/10 across 35 substantive reviews. The strongest feedback centers on workmanship and some timeline successes, while the most common complaints focus on communication, pricing clarity, and post-install support.

How this is built: category scores and summaries weigh the company's full published rating record (48 Google reviews averaging 3.9 stars), the most recent and most relevant review texts, and recurring feedback themes verified acrossGoogle and Yelp. Ratings and review excerpts from published review sources. Refreshed as new feedback is published. No installer can pay to change it.

About A-1 Contractors

Company background from published business information and licensing records.

Also files CPUC records as: A-1 Electric.

Products

Solar

Service area

California. Note: the install counts on this page cover California investor-owned-utility records only.

Work for this company or see something out of date? Profiles can be claimed and corrected: contact partners@solar.com. Placement on solar.com is never for sale.

Recorded installs by year

Residential interconnections statewide in PG&E, SCE, and SDG&E records through May 2026.
2
2014
6
'15
8
'16
28
'17
24
'18
33
'19
28
'20
30
'21
35
'22
32
'23
23
'24
4
'25
2
'26

Important context: this chart shows investor-owned-utility records only. Companies that shift work toward municipal-utility territory (LADWP and city power departments) or other states will show declining bars here even while building steadily elsewhere, and 2025-26 records also lag real installation dates. Treat this as a partial window, not the company's full trajectory.

FAQ about A-1 Contractors

What do customers say in A-1 Contractors reviews?

We analyzed 35 substantive published customer reviews of A-1 Contractors in full. The company's Solar.com Installer Score is 6.1/10, with category-level detail on this page covering sales integrity, price transparency, communication, timeline reliability, workmanship, and long-term support.

How many solar systems has A-1 Contractors installed?

A-1 Contractors appears as installer of record on 233+ residential systems in California investor-owned-utility interconnection records through May 2026. Work in municipal-utility territory or other states does not appear in those public records.

How can I compare A-1 Contractors' pricing?

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How we built this data

Methodology: Counts are residential PV interconnections in investor-owned-utility territory (PG&E, SCE, SDG&E) per CPUC Rule 21 public records through May 2026. Postal and name variants are merged. Municipal utility territory such as LADWP, Glendale, Pasadena, Burbank, Anaheim, and Riverside Public Utilities is not included in those CPUC counts. Counts show recorded installations, not quality ratings. Reported costs are self-reported on owned-system interconnections. No installer can pay for placement.

Who we are: Solar.com is a solar marketplace — we connect homeowners with installers and earn a fee when projects move forward. These rankings and scores are computed from public installation records and published customer reviews. No installer can pay for placement, and no installer — including those we work with — can pay to change a score.