What to look for (and what to avoid). Don't let the wrong lead company cost you tens of thousands.
Not all solar lead generation companies are created equal. The difference between a quality lead provider and a mediocre one can mean the difference between closing 25% of your appointments or just 5%.
Choosing the wrong solar lead company can cost you tens of thousands of dollars in wasted spend, lost time, and frustrated sales teams.
This guide shows you exactly what to look for—and what red flags should make you walk away immediately.
Understanding what type of company you're dealing with is the first step to making the right choice:
Buy leads from multiple sources and resell them. Quality varies wildly. Often resell the same lead to multiple contractors.
Run Google Ads and resell the leads they generate. Expensive ($80-150/lead) with high competition.
Generate and sell leads exclusively to one contractor per territory. Higher quality, predictable results. (This is Sun Stream Leads)
Set appointments (not just leads) for a fee. Can be expensive but saves sales team time. Quality depends on script and training.
Combine multiple approaches—exclusive leads plus appointment setting, for example. Best of both worlds when done right.
Any reputable lead company should be able to answer these questions clearly:
How many contractors receive the same lead? Exclusive means ONE.
Google Ads, SEO, partner networks, or generated in-house?
Fresh leads (under 5 min) convert 5x better than hour-old leads.
Fines can be $500-$1,500 per call. Don't risk it.
Do they replace bad leads? What's the process?
Expect 20-30% on exclusive leads, not 3-5%.
These warning signs indicate a lead company you should avoid:
If they can't guarantee exclusivity, you're competing with 5-10 other contractors. Run.
If they can't tell you where leads come from, they're probably aggregating from unknown sources.
Any company confident in their leads should offer replacements for bad data.
Long-term contracts with no exit clause are a trap. You should be able to scale up or down monthly.
$10 leads are $10 for a reason. Quality costs money. If it's dirt cheap, it's probably garbage.
A premium solar lead has these 5 characteristics:
Confirmed ownership, not a renter
Actively requested information
Under 5 minutes old
One contractor per lead
Budget, timeline, decision-maker
Documented consent
Before committing big budgets, test any new lead provider with this framework:
Start with 20-50 leads. Don't commit to large volume until you've validated quality.
Record contact rate, appointment rate, show rate, and close rate for every lead.
Review your numbers. Are you hitting 20%+ close rate? Is contact rate above 60%?
If exclusive leads should hit 25%+ close and you're at 10%, something's wrong with the leads.
Pro Tip: Test at least 2-3 providers simultaneously to compare quality and find the best fit for your market.
Here's how Sun Stream Leads compares to the competition:
Every lead sold to ONE contractor. No reselling, ever.
Verified interest, budget, timeline, decision-maker.
Every lead includes documented consent.
We tell you exactly where every lead comes from.
Month-to-month. Scale up or down anytime. No penalties.
Don't settle for mediocre leads. Get exclusive, pre-qualified solar leads from a provider you can trust.
Join hundreds of solar contractors who've found their ideal lead partner.
See Why Contractors Choose UsFree consultation • No obligation • Flexible month-to-month