Solar component prices move — sometimes weekly. If your quote template still carries last quarter’s numbers, you’re either losing deals on price or losing margin on cost. Here’s how disciplined installers keep both in check.
Sell at the market, cost at your inventory
Your sell rate should track the current market rate so you stay competitive and protected against price swings. Your cost basis, though, should reflect what the stock actually cost you — your weighted-average inventory cost — not a guess. The gap between the two is your real margin, and you should be able to see it on every line before you send.
Why weighted-average costing matters
When you buy the same component across multiple shipments at different prices, weighted-average costing gives you a single, honest cost per unit. Quoting against that number — rather than the latest purchase price or an old figure — keeps your profitability calculations grounded in reality.
Make margin visible
The most common way installers lose money is not knowing they’re losing it. A quote should show subtotal, margin and total clearly, and an internal view should surface cost and profit that the customer never sees. Decisions about discounts then become deliberate, not accidental.
Automate the discipline
SolarStack’s pricing engine sells at live market rates while costing against your inventory’s weighted-average cost, and shows profit on every quote. Approving a quote even reserves the stock — so the deal you priced is the deal you deliver.