Welcome to Tesla Motors Club
Discuss Tesla's Model S, Model 3, Model X, Model Y, Cybertruck, Roadster and More.
Register

Central Florida Solar roof +3 PW price change

This site may earn commission on affiliate links.
So I have a signed contract, permitting approved, months of planning, install scheduled for Oct 22, 2020. Oct 1 had the first Tesla site pre inspection (all the design was from satellite and photos I uploaded). No issues noted. A few days ago I get a text and an email with an update to the pricing. No details, no one will respond to voicemail or email, but the cost went from $72k to over $80k. So over 10%, over $8000 increase with zero explanation.

So I’m not e-signing the new pricing without discussion. I’m curious as to what Tesla Solar will do next. Will they honor their contract? Will they cancel the project? Will anyone ever return a phone call?

my house is a basic 2200sq/ft single story, basic asphalt shingles...

The Tesla employee that did the on-site a week ago is the only person that will reply, and he seems to have no idea what would have changed the cost. He said the house seemed rather simple, should be an easy install. So it doesn’t seem he would have red flagged the project, although his report seems the most likely trigger for a price increase. I can’t imagine what would result in a $8000 increase, and in fact last week Tesla LOWERED the price for the solar roof.
 
  • Informative
Reactions: bgrynn1873
I hate to keep seeing these posts because Tesla was being very good about not pulling a lot of the crap you hear about in horror stories with construction work. But it seems like that is changing, and the communication has gotten terrible. (I do wonder if higher ups have started forcing more focus on profitability and not absorbing costs that they might have once let go because Tesla missed them initially.)

Whether or not Tesla will do the work under the existing contract probably depends on why they raised the price - if they were adding something optional in (like they decided they could fit more PV tiles) that would be one thing, but if it is some new issue they found (whether replacing a main panel, more "pre-construction" costs they have newly identified, etc.) then it may be more of a challenge to get them to proceed under the current agreement. I know somebody else just mentioned their price went up because Tesla under-estimated the roof size. Is it possible that the site visit caught something like that?

Unfortunately, it is all speculation until you talk to Tesla, and again, Tesla is really failing its customers by making it so difficult to contact. The only suggestion I would have is to reach out to the employee who did the inspection again, thank him for responding, and ask if he has a direct contact you could call or if he could ping somebody to call you. With the start of your project imminent, it is in everybody's best interest to get the issue resolved first. As it stands, if they do send a subcontractor out to tear off the existing roof, I would probably turn them away until the issue is resolved so you aren't stuck with no permanent roof.
 
I hate to keep seeing these posts because Tesla was being very good about not pulling a lot of the crap you hear about in horror stories with construction work. But it seems like that is changing, and the communication has gotten terrible. (I do wonder if higher ups have started forcing more focus on profitability and not absorbing costs that they might have once let go because Tesla missed them initially.)

Whether or not Tesla will do the work under the existing contract probably depends on why they raised the price - if they were adding something optional in (like they decided they could fit more PV tiles) that would be one thing, but if it is some new issue they found (whether replacing a main panel, more "pre-construction" costs they have newly identified, etc.) then it may be more of a challenge to get them to proceed under the current agreement. I know somebody else just mentioned their price went up because Tesla under-estimated the roof size. Is it possible that the site visit caught something like that?

Unfortunately, it is all speculation until you talk to Tesla, and again, Tesla is really failing its customers by making it so difficult to contact. The only suggestion I would have is to reach out to the employee who did the inspection again, thank him for responding, and ask if he has a direct contact you could call or if he could ping somebody to call you. With the start of your project imminent, it is in everybody's best interest to get the issue resolved first. As it stands, if they do send a subcontractor out to tear off the existing roof, I would probably turn them away until the issue is resolved so you aren't stuck with no permanent roof.


Indeed. speculation at the moment, but absolutely bizarre that they would just send over a update with zero explanation and no way to reach a human. It’s more confounding that the Tesla person that just did the inspection thought it was a easier than typical install AND Tesla has lowered the cost for the solar roof in the last few days.

I don’t expect something for nothing, but I also can’t see how they just add over $8000 in cost without explanation. It was quoted and signed off as a roof replacement, install solar tiles, install powerwalls. The on-site inspection person didn’t flag anything as unexpected and in fact thought it was easier than typical because it is a very simple roof design and just a one story.
I’ll update when I hear anything. The install is scheduled for exactly 2 weeks from today.
 
  • Like
Reactions: bgrynn1873