Solar contract guide
What is a dealer fee on a solar loan?
It's a charge built into many solar loans that you usually never see as its own line. Federal regulators found it typically adds 10 to 30 percent to the price.
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What you were told
Solar system$30,000
What you signed
Amount financed$37,500
Difference$7,500
Hidden in the balance
Example only, using a 25% fee. Not a real loan.
30%
The federal Consumer Financial Protection Bureau found these fees often raise solar loan costs by 30 percent or more above the cash price, and that they're usually not disclosed.
CFPB report, August 2024How the fee ends up in your loan
- 1
A low rate is advertised
The rep offers a loan with a rate that sounds great.
- 2
The lender charges a fee
To make that rate work, the lender charges the installer a fee.
- 3
The price goes up
The installer raises the system price to cover it.
- 4
You borrow more
The fee sits inside your balance, and you pay interest on it for years.
Find it in your own paperwork
- Open your loan agreement, not the solar agreement.
- Find the line called amount financed.
- Find the price you were told, or the cash price on your proposal.
- A big gap between the two is often where the fee sits. Was it ever explained to you?
A dealer fee isn't automatically illegal, and every loan is different. What matters is what you were told and what you signed.
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Sources
- CFPB: Report finds lenders cramming markup fees and confusing terms into solar energy loans (Aug 2024)
- Goodwin: CFPB report spotlights consumer risks with solar-specific loans
- pv magazine: Minnesota sues GoodLeap, Sunlight, Mosaic and Dividend over dealer fees
Updated October 13, 2026. General information, not legal advice.