Sample property · Springfield, IL
A sample Preposal
A proposal explains what one contractor wants to sell. A Preposal helps you understand what the property needs, which choices matter, what to ask, and whether the proposals you receive are actually comparable.
This is a walkthrough of a demonstration property. Interactive Preposals for your own address are not open yet. No measurement, quote upload, or expert review can be requested from this page.
Which project are you planning?
Plan both together. The Department of Energy points homeowners to roof condition and remaining life before adding solar, and notes that coordinating the two can avoid paying later to remove and reinstall an array. Whether that applies to your property depends on your roof’s remaining life, and the Preposal works it through with you rather than quoting a national average.
What is in scope?
Every figure below states the scope it covers. Change the scope and the figures change with it, which is exactly what has to happen before two quotes can be compared.
The roof, and where each number came from
Waste is an ordering assumption, not measured roof. It is kept separate so a contractor quoting “32 squares” can be compared against one quoting “28.4 plus 12%”.
| Figure | Value | Scope | Evidence |
|---|---|---|---|
| Measured roof area | 28.4 squares | Main house + attached garage | derived Derived from public building footprint and elevation data |
| Waste allowance | 12% | Applied to measured area | homeowner supplied Your selection. Contractors may propose a different figure |
| Order quantity | 31.8 squares | Main house + attached garage | derived Measured area with your waste allowance applied |
| Predominant pitch | 5:12 (estimated) | Main house | modeled Modeled from elevation data, not a field measurement |
| Existing roof layers | Unknown | Whole property | unknown Not determinable from available evidence |
Quote Check
Upload each proposal you receive. The Preposal normalizes the terms so the quotes can be read side by side.
| Sample quote A | Sample quote B | |
|---|---|---|
| Roof area stated | 28.5 squares | 32.1 squares |
| Cash price | $21,400 cash | $19,850 cash |
| Financed price | $24,900 financed | Not stated |
| Decking | Includes 10 sheets of decking document stated | Does not mention decking document silent |
What actually differs
These quotes measure different amounts of roof.
document statedQuote A lists 28.5 squares. Quote B lists 32.1 squares, about 13% more.
Why it matters. A 13% difference in area moves the price by thousands, and only one of the two can match your actual roof.
Ask: “Which structures did you include, and does your figure already include waste?”
Worth an expert review before you sign.
One quote addresses decking. The other is silent on it.
document silentQuote A includes 10 sheets. Quote B does not mention decking at all.
Why it matters. Silence is not an exclusion, but it is not an allowance either. Rotten decking found on tear-off day is the most common change order on a roof.
Ask: “How much decking replacement is included, and what is the unit price beyond that?”
The financed price is $3,500 above the cash price.
system inferredQuote A states $21,400 cash and $24,900 financed. Neither document names a dealer fee.
Why it matters. That $3,500 is a financing premium. It may be a dealer fee, but no document here says so, and we will not call it one without evidence.
Ask: “Is the difference between your cash and financed price a dealer or program fee, and is it financed as part of the principal?”
Bring in an expert when the decision warrants it
You choose whether to ask, what is shared, and who receives it. Nothing about your property or your quotes reaches a professional unless you say so.
Your Preposal is private. Requesting a review is a separate, explicit choice, and you will be shown exactly who may receive your information before anything is sent.
Evidence and assumptions
- Property overview. See the structures the project covers before anyone quotes on them.
- Project paths. Decide whether roofing, solar, or both are being planned.
- Property and structure scope. Turn structures on or off so every quote covers the same thing.
- Roof evidence. See the roof numbers and exactly where each one came from.
- Solar-readiness considerations. Understand whether the roof should be replaced before panels go on.
- Shopping checklist. Send every contractor the same scope so the bids are comparable.
- Quote Check. Upload the proposals you receive and normalize their terms.
- Financing check. Separate the monthly payment from the actual price.
- Comparison findings. See what genuinely differs between proposals, with the evidence.
- Questions to send contractors. Turn every open item into something you can actually send.
- Expert review. Bring in a professional when the decision warrants it.
- Evidence and assumptions. Every number, its source, and what remains unverified.
A Preposal is not a contractor bid and is not a guarantee of price. Modeled figures are starting points for a conversation, not field measurements, and anything shown as unknown is genuinely unknown rather than zero.