Going self-employed

Going self-employed as a solar panel installer?

Sizing a system and wiring in the inverter you know cold: organise quoting, deposits and job paperwork before you're up on your first roof pricing a whole-system install for yourself.

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Instant digital downloads · UK-focused templates and guides · Not a substitute for professional advice.

The work is one thing. The setup is another.

Surveying a roof, sizing a system and getting the panels, inverter and battery wired in is the part you know cold; running it as a business is the bit that catches people out. On your own you're not just on site, you're pricing a whole install — panels, inverter, battery, scaffold, labour — taking a deposit to order the kit, juggling cash flow across a multi-day job, sorting the regulatory and grid paperwork, and chasing the final payment once it's commissioned. LaunchKit is a set of UK-focused, downloadable templates and guides to help you think that setup side through and get organised from day one. It's a practical starting point, not a substitute for professional advice.

  • Quoting and sizing a full system accurately — panels, inverter, battery and EV charger — without underpricing the design work or the days on site
  • Building scaffold, labour, equipment and margin into a big-ticket install so the quote actually covers a multi-day job
  • Taking deposits to order expensive kit upfront without it feeling awkward, then keeping cash flow steady across a long install
  • Staying on top of the paperwork and admin burden that comes with surveys, system design and grid applications
  • Standing out and getting found by homeowners and landlords who've gathered three other quotes and want someone they can trust

What to sort first

Your get-set-up checklist

  1. 1

    Sort how you'll price a full install

    Decide how you quote a whole-system job — panels, inverter, battery, scaffold and labour — and how design time and margin get built into the number.

  2. 2

    Get your quote and invoice templates ready

    Have clear, professional documents to send so quoting a domestic install or a small commercial job doesn't swallow your evenings.

  3. 3

    Plan deposits and staged payments

    Decide upfront how you'll take a deposit to order equipment and when staged payments fall due across a multi-day install, so cash flow doesn't dip.

  4. 4

    Set up your job paperwork

    Organise the site-survey notes, quotes, job records and handover documents you give homeowners, landlords and commercial clients so nothing slips through.

  5. 5

    Look into certification, qualifications and grid approval

    MCS certification, recognised electrical qualifications and grid or DNO applications (such as G99/G98) are things to look into and sort yourself — the templates don't replace any of them.

  6. 6

    Look into insurance

    Working at height and on electrical systems carries real risk, so look into the cover you need and sort it yourself before you take work on — that's a prompt to look into, not insurance advice.

  7. 7

    Make yourself easy to find locally

    Plan how new, repeat and referral customers find you, and where your before-and-after photos and finished-install shots will live.

Suggested starter stack

A sensible order to build up

The same tools, grouped in the order most people pick them up. You don’t need everything at once — start with the essentials, then add the rest as your business grows.

Start with

Best first step
Startup Guide£4.99

Your map for the practical setup steps before your first paid install.

See what’s inside

Add next

Business Documents — Premium£19.99

The quotes, invoices and survey-to-handover paperwork you'll use on every install.

See what’s inside
Pricing Calculator — Premium£14.99

So your pricing covers panels, inverter, battery, scaffold, labour and margin.

See what’s inside

Useful later

Financial Forms Bundle — Premium£19.99

To keep deposits, equipment costs and job margins tidy across long installs and steady cash flow.

See what’s inside
Social Media Content Kit£4.99

To help you get found locally and turn finished installs into referral work.

See what’s inside

Common questions

Before you buy anything

Do I need to buy everything before I start taking jobs?
No. Most installers start with the startup guide to get the basics organised, then add quote and invoice templates and a pricing tool as they go. It's designed to help you build up your setup at your own pace.
Are these legal or compliance documents?
No. These are downloadable templates and guides to help you get organised and set up practically. They are not a substitute for professional advice and don't replace MCS certification or any qualification, registration, grid approval or insurance you're responsible for as a solar panel installer.
Can I use these if I'm already trading?
Yes. Plenty of installers who are already working pick these up to tidy up their quoting, deposits and invoicing rather than starting from scratch.
How do I receive the files?
They're instant digital downloads. After purchase you can download the templates and guides straight away and start using them.
Which should I buy first?
A good practical starting point is the startup guide, followed by the business documents for your quotes and invoices and the pricing calculator to set your whole-system rates with kit and scaffold in mind. From there you can add the other tools as you need them.

Start with the right tools

Get the admin side organised so you can focus on the work. Browse the tools built for solar panel installer businesses.

Start with the Startup Guide See all solar panel installer tools

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