Running an installation business
How to build a solar price book
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A solar price book is a single, organised list of the items you sell with their current costs and selling prices. Group items by category, record make, model and unit, keep supplier cost and selling price separate, review it on a schedule, and use it as the only source for every quotation.
What a price book is
A price book is the one place your prices live. Every quotation draws from it, so two people quoting the same system on the same day give the same figures. Without it, prices drift: someone types last month's rate from memory, someone else forgets a cable item, and your margins quietly shrink.
Items to list
Group items the way you quote them. Panels, inverters, batteries, structures, cables, protection items, installation charges and any services each get a category. For every item, record the make, model, unit and a clear description. The brand and battery catalog feature keeps these names consistent, and BOM templates assemble them into standard system kits.
| Category | What to record |
|---|---|
| Modules | Make, model, type, unit |
| Inverters | Make, model, capacity, warranty |
| Batteries | Make, model, chemistry, warranty |
| Structures | Material, finish, roof type |
| Cables and protection | Type, rating, unit |
| Installation and services | Basis of charge and what it covers |
Keep cost and selling price separate
Record what you pay your supplier and what you charge the customer as separate fields. Margin then becomes a visible result, not a guess. Add a date to each price so you can see how stale it is.
Keep prices current
Set a review rhythm and an owner for the price book. Update it when a supplier changes a rate, not when the next customer complains.
A tool built for the job, such as the price book feature, applies the same prices to every quotation and stores each quotation with the prices that were used on the day.
Why not just use a spreadsheet?
A spreadsheet is a fine start, but copies multiply and mistakes spread. The comparison with Excel sets out where the trade-off lies for a growing team.
Common mistakes
Several copies of the list
Once copies diverge, nobody knows which price is right.
Mixing cost and selling price
You lose sight of margin and risk exposing it to customers.
No dates on prices
Without a date you cannot tell a current price from an old one.
Free-text item names
Inconsistent names break reports and make quotes look careless.
No owner
A price book nobody owns goes stale.
What to check before you send
Before you rely on the price book for a quotation, confirm the item is present, the price date is recent, the unit matches the quantity you typed, and the make and model are the ones you will order. Review the whole book on a fixed schedule, not only when a customer questions a number.
Frequently asked questions
How often should I update my price book?
Whenever a supplier changes price, and on a regular schedule such as monthly. Panels, inverters and batteries move often.
Should the price book show my margin?
Keep cost and selling price in separate columns so you can see margin without exposing it to customers.
Can I keep my price book in a spreadsheet?
Yes to start. It becomes hard to manage once several people quote from different copies.
Cite this page
Bharat Solar Venture. "How to build a solar price book." Bharat Solar Venture, last updated 10 Oct 2026. https://bharatsolarventure.in/blog/how-to-build-a-solar-price-book
Canonical URL: https://bharatsolarventure.in/blog/how-to-build-a-solar-price-book
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