The registers
Government figures count 7,297 solar PV installations of every size in the district at the end of 2025, about twice the 3,633 of a decade earlier (DESNZ), so there is no shortage of firms. Four public checks sort them:
- MCS. MCS asks buyers to check that the installer is MCS certified and uses MCS certified products (MCS). Search the exact company name on the quote on the MCS installer search; a logo proves nothing.
- A consumer code. RECC says its members work to rules on contracts, deposits, warranties and complaints, and calculate performance estimates by set rules (RECC); HIES runs a similar code. Check membership on the code's own site.
- Companies House. Look the company up on the register and check the name, number and address match the quote.
- TrustMark. TrustMark keeps a searchable register of tradespeople.
What the quote must cover for a Bradford house
MCS suggests aiming for at least three quotes and checking that each price covers everything, commissioning included (MCS). For a house in the district, these lines are where quotes most often differ:
| Line | Why it matters here | Ask |
|---|---|---|
| Roof fixings | Stone slates and old slate need care | How are rails fixed, and who replaces broken slates? |
| Scaffolding | Steep streets, tall gables, pavement fronts | Is it included, and where will it stand? |
| Layout | Terrace slopes broken by stacks and extensions | A drawing of the panels on your slope |
| Consent | Saltaire, listed homes, conservation areas | Who applies, and does the contract wait for it? |
| Estimate | Valley towns lose a little to the hills | Yearly kWh in writing, and the shading assumed |
| Network | Northern Powergrid's limits | Notice after connection, or an application first? |
| Money | Deposit and stages | How is the deposit protected? |
Divide each price by its size in kW and set it against the Yorkshire and the Humber mean of £1,972 for systems up to 4 kW or £1,745 for 4 to 10 kW (DESNZ). See what solar costs and planning and Saltaire.
The estimate
RECC advises getting the performance estimate in writing (RECC). Test it on the estimator: in the city centre a south roof at 35° makes about 934 kWh per kW a year with the hills included (PVGIS 5.3). A figure a little lower usually means the installer has allowed for chimneys or trees; one well above it needs explaining.
Offers at the door
Bradford Council has warned residents that some offers made after a grant-funded solar installation are not connected to the council, Better Homes Bradford or Warm Low Living, and that the installation does not commit anyone to further work (Bradford Council). More generally, pressure to sign on the day is the clearest warning sign. Most contracts made at home or at a distance can be cancelled within 14 days (Consumer Contracts Regulations 2013), and RECC notes that the right depends on how and where the contract was made.
If the house is rented, listed or grant-funded
- Rented. 23% of Bradford households rent privately (Census 2021). The landlord chooses and pays the installer; a tenant can still ask to see the MCS certificate and the handover pack once the work is done. See renting and solar.
- Listed, or in Saltaire. Every property in Saltaire's Article 4 area became a listed building in 1984 (Bradford Council). Ask each firm whether it has worked under listed building consent before, who will prepare the drawings, and whether the contract only starts once consent is granted. See planning and Saltaire.
- Grant-funded. Where the council's Warm Homes: Local Grant route applies, for homes at EPC D to G whose household qualifies on income, benefits or postcode, the council names its own delivery partners (Bradford Council). Anyone else who says they act for the scheme should be checked with the council first. See help with the cost.
Keep a record of what you checked
Write down, for each firm that quotes, what you found and when: the MCS certification as it appeared on the register, the consumer code and membership, the Companies House name and number, the quote's reference and how long it is valid, and who you spoke to. If anything goes wrong later, a consumer code's complaints process starts from the contract and what was promised, and a short dated note of your checks makes that conversation far easier. Keep it with the quote, and later with the MCS certificate and the Northern Powergrid notice. If two firms propose very different layouts for the same roof, ask each one why the other's would not work; the answers often show which has actually looked at the slope. For what the quote itself should show, compare each one against the regional prices on the costs page.
After the job
Keep the MCS certificate, the electrical certificates, the warranties and the Northern Powergrid notice together; an export tariff needs the MCS certificate. MCS says that from May 2026 its Customer Insights team may contact customers to verify the certificate and check the installation was delivered to their satisfaction (MCS). If something goes wrong, put it to the installer in writing first, then use the consumer code's complaints route. Looking after panels