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Solar Roof, big price increase

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I'm a homeowner in CT. Order date of August 24, 2020. As I understand the process, we are currently in the permitting phase with Tesla being ridiculously slow to submit the proper documentation, and address questions/comments, to my local power company. Order is for 7.89 kW of Solar and 2 powerwalls. Price went from 45k to 70k, which is about a 55% price increase. No change to the Layout at all. I'm not sure where I can find what complexity they believe my roof is, but when I go to the online quote estimator the difference between the complexity of the roofs is about 10k. Nowhere near the 25k increase they are trying to get. Whole reason I ordered is because a Tree fell on my house last August and put holes in my roof. I've been working with temporary patches since, holding out hope that they hold until Tesla installs the roof. This is just not right...
snip of purchase agreement.PNG
Tesla updated roof quote.PNG
 
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For example, wjgjr has set his line with a signed contract. So I believe, he would be ok with qualified leads getting this email (interested party who haven't signed a contract yet). But I set my line where on-site work has commenced on a project.
The line is the breach of a signed contract, because expectation damages are defined as "Damages awarded when a party breaches a contract that are intended to put the injured party in as good of a position as if the breaching party fully performed its contractual duties." They do not depend on how far along the contract is (unlike reliance damages, which do tend to increase as the contract goes along.) Until a contract is signed, yes, Tesla would have the legal right to do what they want with pricing (unless they have some pricing guarantee that they offer to customers.) I also just verified that for my contract, it is explicit that the agreement "is effective on the date you agree to this Agreement." So Tesla cannot claim that the contract effective date is later (such as when on-site work starts) to avoid damages.

In my opinion tesla is utilizing the clause for the location. They clearly came out with a new tool indicating roof complexity when signing up. After reviewing orders previously placed and applying the new tool for each location the estimate goes up due to installation complexity. As with all contracts for construction “unforeseen” items are almost always present.
Of all whom signed contracts how many of you answered “yes” to the question that was something like “If additional reasonable repairs or costs are encountered will “you” be able to move forward?
I’m in no way defending Tesla here just pointing out that litigation most likely will be thrown out. Just my .02 cents.

This is certainly an approach Tesla could take, though I think there are some good counter-arguments. First, Tesla has increased the costs for all complexeties, including simple ones. If they can't even do a simple roof for the old pricing, this indicates more is at play. And, by (it seems) applying a formulaic increase, this indicates a new estimate and not an adjustment specific to the contract. Second, Tesla has been installing these roofs for some time - it is hard to imagine an across-the-board "unforeseen events at the installation location" that would explain this. More likely, some combination of material price increases or a recognition that they were under-bidding (either intentionally to attract business or due to underestimating difficulty) is at play. Third, it may be that some of these contracts have already had Tesla employees out to review.

Whoever might prevail, I think it is a good point that any litigation would not be a slam dunk for the customer since Tesla can present at least plausible defenses and has the resources to do so.

If the subcontractors increased their installation prices, would Tesla be legally authorized to change their contracts with their customers. Did they include a fine Print in their contract with customers to let them change and increase the price at any time for any reason?

The "causes a change to the solar portion" language seems the closest to this, though I do not read it that way. There is no explicit statement in the contract I signed that allows them to increase prices for no reason (including no statement allowing them to raise prices because materials have become more expensive.) The clause on pricing seems to provide them the two outs for the unforeseen conditions or changes to the solar portion, which is why a lot of discussion has focused on that language.

As with the above comment on the unforeseen conditions, it certainly illustrates that establishing a breach occurred would not be a simple exercise.
 
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My roof is hardly complex I imagine compared to other houses. Single story and based on the page Tesla provided on roof complexity, it should fall under "simple" category, but the new pricing labeled it "complex".


..Reuploading again because site seems to be having issues displaying pictures. View attachment 653099
Are you kidding? Count how many angles and sections your roof has. "Simple" is a straight roof with maybe one 90 degree section and no fancy changes in pitch, not what you've posted. Tesla screwed up when they tried to simplify the ordering process and didn't take into account all the McMansions with their fancy angles in their initial process, and they probably got taken to the cleaners by their subcontractors. Now they're trying to correct for it, which isn't making anyone happy. I won't defend Tesla (They should have done better prep), but expecting a roof like this one to cost the same as a simple straight "Ranch" roof is lunacy. What Tesla should do is to have an inspector visit each house and adjust the offered price based on complexity of the roof. (Make the original price estimate contingent on inspection.)
 
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I'm a homeowner in CT. Order date of August 24, 2020. As I understand the process, we are currently in the permitting phase with Tesla being ridiculously slow to submit the proper documentation, and address questions/comments, to my local power company. Order is for 7.89 kW of Solar and 2 powerwalls. Price went from 45k to 70k, which is about a 55% price increase. No change to the Layout at all. I'm not sure where I can find what complexity they believe my roof is, but when I go to the online quote estimator the difference between the complexity of the roofs is about 10k. Nowhere near the 25k increase they are trying to get. Whole reason I ordered is because a Tree fell on my house last August and put holes in my roof. I've been working with temporary patches since, holding out hope that they hold until Tesla installs the roof. This is just not right...
That really sucks, and you would be a good example of a customer with reliance damages (costs for trying to keep the roof patched) in addition to expectation damages. And, the fact that all the complexities have increased for you points to this being an increase beyond just a complexity adjustment.

I take it from your post and those of others that Tesla has so far not provided the new detailed price sheets. It would be interesting to see the breakdown of the solar and non-solar pricing with these increases.
 
Are you kidding? Count how many angles and sections your roof has. "Simple" is a straight roof with maybe one 90 degree section and no fancy changes in pitch, not what you've posted. Tesla screwed up when they tried to simplify the ordering process and didn't take into account all the McMansions with their fancy angles in their initial process, and they probably got taken to the cleaners by their subcontractors. Now they're trying to correct for it, which isn't making anyone happy. I won't defend Tesla (They should have done better prep), but expecting a roof like this one to cost the same as a simple straight "Ranch" roof is lunacy. What Tesla should do is to have an inspector visit each house and adjust the offered price based on complexity of the roof. (Make the original price estimate contingent on inspection.)
I am basing it off the new layout pictures and descriptions of complexity from their own site.
Screen Shot 2021-04-12 at 5.57.34 AM.png


Simple​

  • Single-level roof
  • Uncrowded mounting planes
  • Few obstructions (pipes, chimneys, skylights)
  • Low pitch

Intermediate​

  • Multi-level roof (roof sections built on multiple stories of your house)
  • More crowded mounting plane
  • More obstructions (pipes, chimneys, skylights)
  • Higher pitch

Complex​

  • Multi-level roof (roof sections built on multiple stories of your house)
  • Heavily crowded mounting plane
  • Many obstructions (pipes, chimneys, skylights)
  • Steep pitch

Again, hardly close to the description of "Complex" as single story and angles.
 
I was hoping to be a new member due to happy circumstances, but alas.... Participating to help others in resisting these unfair business practices. I have 2300 sq. foot roof on a simple colonial w/attached garage in MA. 9.82kW with simple roof by basis of their guidelines, image below. Paid $100 last March, inspected April 2020, signed 2nd revision of design last May, permitting done by June, been awaiting scheduling since (~1 year). Was informed a couple weeks ago that the prior site visit expired, then just got hit by the price increase email and they're quoting 27% increase from $41k to $52k with no change in design, capacity, tree cover, etc. - nothing has changed in year. I'm not seeing how they have any justification from their language. Emailed supervisor, will call later and give them until the end of week before I contact SEIA and MA Attorney General. This state is pretty progressive above consumer protection and I'm not seeing they have any out here since nothing has changed.
 

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Last year those of us going the solar panel route were discussing how fancy architectural roof designs was not conducive to maximizing installed solar panels and therefore solar energy output. Not surprised that same can be said for solar tile roofs but from a cost of install perspective. Can’t be very efficient custom cutting and fitting glass tile pieces, glass that is shatter resistant to begin with, around valleys and peaks and around other roof obstructions. I do think the movement for including or adding solar power to homes will affect architectural design going forward. Simple is best in this regard and cheapest for install.

If we were looking to buy a resale that didn’t have solar already, we’d definitely would be thinking about the style of roof on the house.
 
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Last year those of us going the solar panel route were discussing how fancy architectural roof designs was not conducive to maximizing installed solar panels and therefore solar energy output. Not surprised that same can be said for solar tile roofs but from a cost of install perspective. Can’t be very efficient custom cutting and fitting glass tile pieces, glass that is shatter resistant to begin with, around valleys and peaks and around other roof obstructions. I do think the movement for including or adding solar power to homes will affect architectural design going forward. Simple is best in this regard and cheapest for install.

I could be wrong, but I think all the cutting is done with metal pieces, not glass.
 
Last year those of us going the solar panel route were discussing how fancy architectural roof designs was not conducive to maximizing installed solar panels and therefore solar energy output. Not surprised that same can be said for solar tile roofs but from a cost of install perspective. Can’t be very efficient custom cutting and fitting glass tile pieces, glass that is shatter resistant to begin with, around valleys and peaks and around other roof obstructions. I do think the movement for including or adding solar power to homes will affect architectural design going forward. Simple is best in this regard and cheapest for install.

If we were looking to buy a resale that didn’t have solar already, we’d definitely would be thinking about the style of roof on the house.
This is why I think a great market for Solar Roof would be new construction, especially with the large home builders putting up developments. Have input into the best roof design and get the roof on from the beginning. However, the price increases suggest that the pricing probably would be an issue.

We were fortunate that our home had not been extensively modified externally, but a lot of the other homes around us (many, like ours, built around WWII) have a lot of modifications - extensions, new stories, dormers, etc. They did not start with fancy roofs, but they became more complex over time.

I could be wrong, but I think all the cutting is done with metal pieces, not glass.

That is correct, it is metal. And it is a highly labor-intensive process compared to installing the full-sized pieces. A lot of cutting, going up and down ladders to check fit, and re-cutting and/or starting over with a new piece.

...

It completely makes sense that Tesla would charge more for a complex roof, and I thought they always did, after a site inspection and/or reviewing imagery. The move to placing complexity up front for prospective customers also makes sense, to reduce the potential for surprise increases based on the design reviews. The problem is that they have also increased prices significantly for all levels of complexity and then applied those to projects with an already-signed contract.
 
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Is it possible that Tesla rewrote their design software to more closely reflect the cost of installations. The first time I applied for solar panels the design looked one way, then, after my fiasco with trying to go with a solar roof instead, and switching back to solar panels, the artwork looked completely different, possibly reflecting the new version. For solar panels the pricing didn't change between versions - at least so far...
 
Hi Guys, from CT had started the process in October 2020 and now was awaiting Installation date, until the email on Saturday. Spoke to Project rep and they are basically given a script and the complaint cannot be escalated feel bad for them as Elon sits back.

Elon says that he is for the people, well we will find out as I will be filing a complaint with my State of Connecticut for Bad Business Practices and see what the outcome becomes.

Hoping that Tesla gets there act together and follows up with a new email saying this was an April Fools joke but i have the UNDER.

Please if someone does find out details for a Class Action please post on this thread. Greatly appreciated.
 
Hi Guys, from CT had started the process in October 2020 and now was awaiting Installation date, until the email on Saturday. Spoke to Project rep and they are basically given a script and the complaint cannot be escalated feel bad for them as Elon sits back.

Elon says that he is for the people, well we will find out as I will be filing a complaint with my State of Connecticut for Bad Business Practices and see what the outcome becomes.

Hoping that Tesla gets there act together and follows up with a new email saying this was an April Fools joke but i have the UNDER.

Please if someone does find out details for a Class Action please post on this thread. Greatly appreciated.
Another item to note here I had to cut down my tress and other items around the house. Also, applied for loan financing which now i will not be able to use and which will negatively affect my credit due to the fact Credit was run when I applied.
 
We also have a price contract, permits completed, new insurance and a bank loan, just waiting for an on site inspection. Passed up earlier install dates for metal and shingle roof so we can save the world with my Tesla solar roof. Now hurricane season is approaching and we need a roof. When Electek reported the price increase on 3/29 I called Tesla and they told me my price would not go up because I had a price agreement and we are looking at an install date around May. I will give my project adviser a call tomorrow, but it sounds like this is a big fail on Tesla part. We lose out on a great solar roof and Tesla will not recoup their employee time/cost and gain a future customer (roof or car). I'm sure my power company will be happy.
So I did talk to the project advisor today. She said last week they were told that Tesla would honor the original price agreement which is why some of us may have been told that last week. She received an email this weekend saying that it is easier for the business to adjust the price across the board so as of the end of last week everyone's price is adjusted. She said the reason for the adjustment is due to price increases in material and they do not expect that to change anytime soon. She said the price may go up more in the next couple of months. You can tell she was having a horrible day, so I did not press the conversion any more. I feel sorry for the customers and the project advisers. It's not their fault.
 
Yep, got hit here. Our original purchase agreement was signed in February 2020. Then two months ago the process started moving forward. Tesla came out and inspected our house; they were here all day. It turned out there was some minor problems with the roof that needed to be fixed, so they wanted to add $1K to the previous purchase agreement. That seemed completely fair and reasonable, so we signed a new purchase agreement. We were assured this was the final, firm price and would hear from the company soon to schedule the install. We invested time and money preparing for the install based on both our purchase agreement and the assurance from our Tesla Roof rep. Then on Saturday they decided to raise our cost by over 50%. I'm hoping that the raising of prices on people already this far along in the process was a bad decision that will get overridden.
 
Last year those of us going the solar panel route were discussing how fancy architectural roof designs was not conducive to maximizing installed solar panels and therefore solar energy output. Not surprised that same can be said for solar tile roofs but from a cost of install perspective. Can’t be very efficient custom cutting and fitting glass tile pieces, glass that is shatter resistant to begin with, around valleys and peaks and around other roof obstructions. I do think the movement for including or adding solar power to homes will affect architectural design going forward. Simple is best in this regard and cheapest for install.

If we were looking to buy a resale that didn’t have solar already, we’d definitely would be thinking about the style of roof on the house.
They do not cut tiles starting with the V3 SolarRoof. The Active tiles are all one size 17" X 45". There are five sizes of inactive glass tiles, all 17" X width where width varies from 45 down to about 6". They also have metal flashing on the edge that can be either pre-fabed or done custom on-site.
 
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So I did talk to the project advisor today. She said last week they were told that Tesla would honor the original price agreement which is why some of us may have been told that last week. She received an email this weekend saying that it is easier for the business to adjust the price across the board so as of the end of last week everyone's price is adjusted. She said the reason for the adjustment is due to price increases in material and they do not expect that to change anytime soon. She said the price may go up more in the next couple of months. You can tell she was having a horrible day, so I did not press the conversion any more. I feel sorry for the customers and the project advisers. It's not their fault.
My price hasn’t gone up (yet) so either it’s not across the board or they are still working through the accounts