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Solar commission calculator
Most solar reps are paid on the margin above a redline: the sale price on the agreement, minus the lender's dealer fee, minus redline times watts and any adder cost, times your split. Enter the numbers for one deal from your own written plan, or compare two comp plans on the same deal. This is math on your inputs, not a prediction of what you'll earn.
Commission on this one deal
—
— per watt sold, on one deal
Under redline: after the dealer fee and adder cost, this deal is $0 below your redline, so it pays $0 commission on these numbers.
Where the sale price goes
- Dealer fee—
- Redline × watts—
- Adder cost—
- Margin above redline—
- Sale price
- —
- Your split of the margin
- —
- Other deductions
- —
The dealer fee takes — out of this deal before your split.
Check the boxes marked in red: each one needs a number (0 is fine).
Estimates only. Every company calculates pay differently: check your written comp plan. This tool doesn't predict what you'll earn.
Fill in both columns to compare one deal.
Offer A is under redline on these numbers, so it pays $0 commission per deal.
Offer B is under redline on these numbers, so it pays $0 commission per deal.
| Result | Company A | Company B | B minus A |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sale price | |||
| Dealer fee | |||
| Margin above redline | |||
| Commission per deal | |||
| Paid at signing or first milestone | |||
| Paid later (holdback) |
Check the boxes marked in red: each one needs a number (0 is fine).
Estimates only. Every company calculates pay differently: check each written comp plan. This tool doesn't predict what you'll earn.
I'm Damien Day. I write Day One Field Guides for solar setters, closers and the managers training them.
By Damien Day · Updated October 2026
How solar commission works
Most solar comp plans pay you a share of the margin: what the deal sells for above your company's redline, after the lender's fee and any adder cost come out. Here's the math with the calculator's made-up example.
- Watts: 7.5 kW × 1,000 = 7,500 watts
- Sale price: 7,500 watts × $3.20 + $1,500 in adders = $25,500
- Dealer fee: 20% of $25,500 = $5,100
- Redline cost: 7,500 watts × $2.40 = $18,000
- Margin: $25,500 − $5,100 − $18,000 − $1,500 adder cost = $900
- Your pay: 50% of $900 = $450 per deal
Made-up numbers. Every company figures pay its own way, so check your written comp plan.
What is a redline in solar sales?
Your redline is your company's base price per watt. Some companies call it the base price. You're paid on what you sell above it. Sell at $3.20 a watt with a $2.40 redline and there's $0.80 a watt to work with, before the dealer fee and the adder cost come out.
That's why a low redline alone doesn't tell you much. A company with a higher redline but a smaller dealer fee can leave you more per deal. That's why the Compare mode puts the same deal through both plans.
Dealer fees, explained
A dealer fee is the lender's charge for offering the loan on a financed deal, usually built into the price. The CFPB found dealer fees typically run 10% to 30% of the cash price, and sometimes more than 50% (Issue Spotlight: Solar Financing, August 2024). It comes out of the deal before your split.
Ask how your company applies it. Some take it from the whole sale price, some only from the system price, and some pay adders separately. Some states now put the exact dealer fee in front of the homeowner, too: Oregon's 2026 law requires a short written disclosure with the itemized price and the exact dealer fee before the sale.
Free: the 10 objections you're hearing now, in a free cheat sheet. A short, true answer and a next step for each, plus a commission calculator.
Get the free cheat sheetWhy your check can be smaller than the math
| Term | What it means | Ask your company |
|---|---|---|
| Holdback | Part of your commission is paid later, at install or PTO (permission to operate). | What share is held, and until when? |
| Chargeback | Pay taken back if a deal cancels. | For how long after signing? |
| Recoverable draw | An advance you pay back out of future commission. | Is any base non-recoverable? |
| Adder cost | What the company takes back for batteries and upgrades. | Is it the same as the adder price? |
| Dealer fee | The lender's fee on financed deals. | Is it taken from the whole sale price? |
Five questions to ask before you sign a comp plan
Ask every company the same five. Tick them off as you go. Nothing here is saved.
Then put both plans into Compare two plans with the same deal. Pay is only half of it. How a company sells matters too: the solar sales compliance checklist shows what to listen for, and how to sell solar without the tax credit covers the pitch since 2026.
Questions
What's a good redline in solar?
There isn't one number. Redlines vary by company, market, equipment and financing. Compare the margin a deal leaves you, not the redline alone: a lower redline with a bigger dealer fee or adder cost can pay less. Use Compare two plans to check one deal.
Do setters get paid from the same margin?
Often, yes. When a setter and a closer share a deal, each is usually paid a share of the same margin, so each split is lower. Enter your own share as your split.
Is a draw extra pay?
A recoverable draw is an advance against future commission, not extra pay. This calculator works one deal at a time, so it leaves base pay and draws out. Read your written plan for those.
Does the calculator save what I type?
No. The math runs in your browser. Nothing is saved or sent anywhere.