EPC vs Dealer vs Broker: Who Are You Actually Buying Solar From? (2026)

The person at your kitchen table might be the actual installer, a sales org reselling someone else's crew, or someone who represents you. Here's how to tell which one you're dealing with and why it changes your price.

When someone hands you a solar quote, the first question to ask isn't "what's the price?" — it's "who am I actually buying from?" The title on the business card rarely tells you. The person at your table might be the company that bolts panels to your roof, a sales organization reselling someone else's crew, or someone who works for you instead of for a system. Those three roles price your project very differently, and most homeowners never learn which one they're talking to until after they've signed.

The EPC: the company that actually does the work

EPC stands for Engineering, Procurement, and Construction. In plain English, the EPC is the company that designs your system, buys the equipment, pulls the permits, and sends the crew to install it. They are the ones on your roof and the ones on the hook for the workmanship warranty.

When you buy directly from an EPC, you are cutting out a layer of middlemen. That does not automatically make it cheap — some EPCs run their own aggressive sales teams — but you are at least paying one company to do one job. The trade-off is that a single local EPC only knows their own pricing and equipment, so you have nothing to compare it against.

The dealer: a sales org reselling someone else's install

A dealer (sometimes called a sales organization or "channel partner") is in the business of selling solar, not installing it. They generate the lead, run the pitch, sign you up, and then hand the actual installation off to an EPC partner in the background. Many of the big national brand names you have heard advertised operate partly or entirely this way.

There is nothing inherently wrong with this model — plenty of dealers represent good installers. But it adds a layer that has to get paid, and that is frequently where the "dealer fee" markup lives. The same physical system, installed by the same crew, can carry a noticeably higher sticker price once a dealer's commission structure is baked in. You often will not see that line spelled out; it is folded into the total.

Why this changes your price

Every layer between you and the crew on your roof needs a margin. With an EPC, there is one margin. With a dealer reselling an EPC, there can be two. The panels, inverter, and labor do not get more expensive because a salesperson was involved — but the number you sign can.

Cash prices in the U.S. residential market commonly land somewhere in the rough range of $2.50 to $3.50 per watt before any incentives, but that is directional only — you should verify it against your own quote and your local market. When I see a quote running well above that band, a dealer markup is one of the first things I look for.

The broker: someone who represents you, not a system

An independent broker sits on a different side of the table entirely. A broker does not own a crew and does not have one specific system to move, so the goal is not to get you into a particular product — it is to help you figure out whether the deal in front of you is fair.

I should be honest about my own role here, because that is the whole point. I am an independent solar broker. I don't install, so I have no system to sell you. What I do is read the quote you already have, flag where the markup and junk fees are hiding, and tell you straight whether the price is reasonable for what you are getting. If it is a good deal, I will tell you that too.

How to figure out which one is at your table

You do not have to interrogate anyone. A few plain questions usually surface the answer:

  • "Does your company install this, or do you partner with an installer?" — flushes out a dealer fast.
  • "Who holds the workmanship warranty — you or the installing company?" — tells you who is actually accountable later.
  • "Is there a dealer fee or origination fee built into this price?" — especially important on financed deals, where fees often get buried in the loan.
  • "Who do I call if something goes wrong in year three?" — if the answer is a third party you have never heard of, you are buying through a layer.

None of these is automatically the villain

A good dealer can pair you with a great installer. A direct EPC can still overcharge. And a broker is only useful if they are genuinely independent. The label matters less than transparency: a fair seller of any kind will tell you who does the work, what every line on the quote is for, and where their money comes from. The moment someone gets cagey about those answers, that is your signal to slow down.

A quick note on what's changed for 2026

One thing worth flagging while you compare offers: the federal residential solar tax credit changed for 2026, and the old 30% homeowner credit is no longer something a 2026 buyer should count on. If a rep is still quoting you a guaranteed 30% federal credit, that is a sign their numbers are out of date — and a reason to double-check everything else they told you. Confirm current federal rules and look into any state or local programs that may still apply before you sign.

Get a second set of eyes before you sign

You do not need to figure out who's who on your own. Send me the quote and I will tell you what kind of seller it came from and whether the price holds up.