Vancouver, WA Solar Installers: Solar Panel Installation Since 2010
Sunbridge Solar installs home solar across Vancouver, WA. Vancouver is the one city in Southwest Washington that issues its own electrical permit, so we pull the building and electrical permits at the Permit Center, file the Clark PUD interconnection, and put the panels on in two to three days.
- Installing since 2010
- L&I registered, bonded & insured
- 10-yr workmanship · 25-yr product warranties
- 2–3 days on site
Who installs solar in Vancouver, WA?
Sunbridge Solar does. We are a local company, not a national sales operation that subcontracts the roof work, and Vancouver is the biggest part of our Washington business.
- Registered, bonded and insured in Washington. Contractor registration SUNBRSL882NF and electrical contractor license SUNBRSL857CK, both active with the Department of Labor & Industries.
- A track record you can look up. Clark County’s public permit records list more than 70 permitted Sunbridge installs at Vancouver addresses in unincorporated Clark County alone since 2017, on top of our jobs inside city limits, which the City permits separately.
- Two warranties, kept separate on purpose. Ten years on our workmanship, 25 years on the panels and equipment from the manufacturer.
- No-pressure sales. A written quote, then the decision is yours.
Check us before you call us
Our Washington credentials
- Contractor registration SUNBRSL882NF, active
- Electrical contractor license SUNBRSL857CK, active
- Bond and liability insurance on file with L&I
- 70+ permitted installs at Vancouver addresses in Clark County’s records
- Energy Trust of Oregon verified
Both numbers are on every quote we write.
Which parts of Vancouver do you serve?
All of them. The one thing that changes from one address to the next is who issues your permit: inside city limits, the City of Vancouver issues both the building and the electrical permit; outside it, Clark County issues the solar permit and Washington L&I handles the electrical. We check the address before we quote so there are no surprises.
Inside Vancouver city limits
City of Vancouver permits, building and electrical, over the counter for standard rooftop systems
- Downtown & Uptown Village
- The Heights
- Fruit Valley
- Lincoln
- Northwest
- Bagley Downs
- Ogden
- Fisher’s Landing
- Cascade Park
- Riverview
- East Vancouver to 192nd Ave
Good to know: the City’s checklist calls for a 97 mph design wind speed and engineering if the array weighs more than 4 lb per square foot. Most standard rooftop systems come in under that line.
Vancouver addresses in Clark County
Clark County solar permit + L&I electrical permit
- Hazel Dell
- Salmon Creek
- Felida
- Orchards
- Minnehaha
- Five Corners
- Sifton
Nearby towns: Camas, Washougal, Battle Ground, Ridgefield, or see every Washington town we serve.
Is your Vancouver home a good candidate for solar?
Most Vancouver homes are. Four things decide it: the roof (its direction, its pitch and how much life it has left) the shade on it, the size of your electrical service, and how much power you actually use. None of them depend on your zip code, and all four get checked on the first visit, before anyone talks about price.
Usually a yes
What we look for
- A roof plane facing south, east or west that the trees leave clear for most of the day.
- A composition or metal roof with ten or more years left. The panels are warrantied for 25, so the roof under them should not be the thing that fails first.
- A 200-amp service, or an electrical panel with room for a solar breaker.
- A bill worth cutting. A heat pump, an EV, a well pump or a shop is usually what puts a home in the middle of the 4 to 10 kilowatts we install most.
Still worth a look
None of these is an automatic no
- A shaded or wrong-facing roof. A ground mount or a shop roof often out-produces it, and the trench goes in the quote rather than turning up later.
- An older 100-amp panel. We check it on the first visit and price any upgrade in writing before you sign anything.
- A roof near the end of its life. We will tell you to replace it first rather than charge you to take the panels off and put them back.
- An HOA. Washington law (RCW 64.38.055) stops an outright ban; reasonable rules on placement and appearance go into the design from the start.
The only way to know for certain is to have someone look. We map a year of shade, check the service panel, size the system to your own Clark PUD bills rather than to the roof, and put a written number in front of you. No charge and no obligation.
What does a solar installer charge in Vancouver?
The price depends on system size, your roof and whether you add a battery, not on your zip code. Two things keep a Vancouver quote simple:
No sales tax on the system or the labor
Washington exempts 100% of state and local sales tax on solar systems up to 100 kW, including installation labor, through 2029 (RCW 82.08.962). One exemption certificate at purchase, filed by us.
No rebate to chase
Clark Public Utilities does not offer a solar rebate and Washington has no state credit, so the number on the quote is the number you pay. The federal residential credit ended for systems placed in service after December 31, 2025. See what changed.
For cost by system size, read our Vancouver solar panels guide or run your bill through the Washington solar calculator. Then request a written quote.
Checked September 2026. Source: Washington Department of Revenue; RCW 82.08.962.
What permits does a Vancouver solar install need?
Inside the city, two: a building permit and an electrical permit, both from the City of Vancouver, both with over-the-counter checklists for standard residential rooftop systems. We prepare the whole package.
Inside city limits, City of Vancouver
What the City’s residential solar checklist asks for
- Site plan with the design wind speed and exposure (the checklist uses 97 mph)
- Roof plan showing the array, fire-access pathways and clearances
- Electrical plan with rapid shutdown and system labeling
- Spec sheets for the panels (UL 1703), inverter (UL 1741) and racking (UL 2703)
- Engineering only if the system weighs more than 4 lb per square foot on the roof
Submitted through the City’s ePlans / Online Permit Center. We do this, not you.
Outside city limits, Clark County
Hazel Dell, Salmon Creek, Felida, Orchards and other county addresses
- Clark County issues the solar (SOL) permit
- The electrical permit and inspection go through Washington L&I
- In our experience, Clark County issues a residential solar permit in about two to six weeks, most often around four
Do HOAs allow solar? Washington law (RCW 64.38.055) stops an HOA from banning solar panels outright. It can still set reasonable rules on placement and appearance (for example, that street-facing panels follow the roof slope) and we design to those rules routinely in Fisher’s Landing, Cascade Park and the newer east-side subdivisions.
Checked September 2026. Sources: City of Vancouver Residential Solar Panel Checklist; Clark County Community Development; RCW 64.38.055.
How does Clark Public Utilities net metering work?
Every home in Vancouver is on Clark Public Utilities, and the PUD net-meters systems up to 100 kW. The power you send to the grid is banked as kilowatt-hour credits against your own later use; the summer surplus carries you through the dark months.
The Clark PUD process
What happens after the electrical inspection
- Interconnection application usually processed within four working days
- Net meter installed within about five working days after approval
- Application fee $100 for systems under 25 kW ($500 for larger systems, with a longer review), included in your price and filed by us
- Unused credits reset every March 31
No PUD solar rebate. Contact for net metering questions: (360) 992-3244.
Why we size to your usage, not your roof
The March 31 reset changes the math
Surplus you bank in July is worth full value in January, but anything still unused on March 31 goes to the utility without compensation. So we size a Vancouver system to a year of your actual bills rather than to every square foot of south-facing roof. An oversized array looks impressive and gives value back to the PUD.
Our post on Washington net metering explains the math.
Checked September 2026. Source: Clark Public Utilities solar FAQ; RCW 80.60.030.
How long does a Vancouver solar install take, start to finish?
The panels go on in two to three days. Start to finish, from first call to switch-on, plan on eight to twelve weeks; inside city limits the over-the-counter permit path is often the quicker half of that.
Consultation, design and a written quote
Your roof, your shading and a year of your electric bills, then system size, equipment, warranty terms and price on one page.
Permits, install and inspection
City of Vancouver or Clark County permit, then two to three days on site, then the electrical inspection.
Utility interconnection and switch-on
Clark PUD’s four-working-day review and the meter swap within about five working days after that. Then you switch it on.
How does Sunbridge Solar compare to a national solar company in Vancouver?
The panels are the same. What differs is who does the work. Most national companies that advertise in Vancouver sell the system and subcontract the roof and the wiring, so the people who quote the job are not the people who install it. Sunbridge Solar designs, permits and installs with our own crew, under our own Washington electrical license.
Sunbridge Solar
One company from the site visit to the warranty call
- Our own crew, our own licenses. Contractor registration SUNBRSL882NF and electrical contractor license SUNBRSL857CK. The install is not handed to a subcontractor.
- We do the paperwork. We pull the City of Vancouver building and electrical permits and file the Clark PUD interconnection ourselves.
- Two warranties, both in writing. Ten years on our workmanship, 25 years on the panels and equipment.
- A local address. 421 C Street in Washougal, the same people answer the phone in year eight.
Checking a national quote
Four things worth confirming in writing
- Whose crew is on the roof, the company on the contract, or a subcontractor hired for the day?
- Whose electrical license the permit is pulled under, and who meets the L&I inspector.
- Who files the Clark PUD interconnection and follows it up, or whether that is left to you.
- Whether the price is a cash price or a financed one with dealer fees rolled into it.
How do I choose among solar companies in Vancouver?
Vancouver has more solar companies pitching it than any other city in Southwest Washington, including national firms that sell here and subcontract the install. Four questions separate them quickly.
Are you licensed, and can I check?
Every Washington contractor has an L&I registration number and an electrical license number. Ours are SUNBRSL882NF and SUNBRSL857CK.
Who does the roof work?
Ask whether the crew on your roof works for the company on the contract.
What are the two warranties?
Workmanship and product are different things. Get both in writing, with the years.
How did you size this?
Clark PUD credits reset every March 31, so an oversized system gives value back to the utility. An installer who pushes a bigger array than your bills support is selling panels, not savings.
We’re happy to be compared on all four
Ask us the same questions. We’ll put our answers in writing with your quote.
What Vancouver customers say
Real Google reviews from homeowners across Vancouver, Clark County and the Portland area.
Vancouver solar FAQs
The questions Vancouver homeowners ask us most, answered plainly.
It depends on system size, roof type and whether you add a battery, so we quote every home individually. There is no sales tax on the equipment or labor for systems up to 100 kW through 2029, and no rebate to apply for afterward. Our Vancouver solar panels guide breaks cost down by system size.
For most homes with a reasonably clear south-, east- or west-facing roof, yes, but it depends on your usage and your roof, not on the city. We wrote a separate, honest answer: Is solar worth it in Vancouver, WA?
Yes. Inside city limits, a building permit and an electrical permit from the City of Vancouver, both with over-the-counter checklists for standard rooftop systems. Outside city limits, a Clark County solar permit plus an L&I electrical permit. We prepare and submit all of it.
No. Washington law (RCW 64.38.055) stops HOAs from prohibiting solar panels on your own property. They can set reasonable rules on placement and appearance, and we design to them.
Not in cash, in kilowatt-hour credits at full value against your own later use, banked until the March 31 reset. The interconnection application is usually processed within four working days.
Yes. Battery backup for outages and a Level 2 EV charger can go in alongside the solar, with the panel and wiring sized so the three work together.
The panels are the same; the crew is not. We design, permit and install with our own crew under our own Washington electrical license (SUNBRSL857CK), pull the City of Vancouver building and electrical permits ourselves and file the Clark PUD interconnection, and answer the warranty call from our shop in Washougal. Before you sign with anyone, confirm whose crew will be on the roof and whose license the permit is pulled under.
Two to three days on your roof. Start to finish, including permits and the utility’s meter swap, plan on eight to twelve weeks.
Ready to go solar in Vancouver?
Request a free, no-obligation quote and we’ll come out from Washougal, look at your roof and put a real number in writing.
Sunbridge Solar | 421 C St Ste 5a, Washougal, WA 98671 | 360-313-7190