# You signed at the door. Here is how to cancel a solar contract.

URL: https://solarrealcost.com/does-solar-pay/cancel-a-solar-contract
Updated: 2026-09-18
Review: Reviewed by SolarRealCost Editorial Team, editorial review: primary sources checked and independently fact-checked

Federal law gives three business days for a contract signed at home, and several states give solar contracts their own longer window. How to use it.

Door-to-door solar selling is the reason a lot of consumer-protection law exists. If you signed at home and would rather not have, you almost certainly have at least three business days.

- **Three business days** federally, from the day after signing, for a sale at your home.
- Several states give **solar contracts their own longer window** — check yours.
- **No reason, no penalty**, money back within **ten business days**.
- **In writing**, with proof of the date. It counts when sent.
- A 20-to-25-year agreement deserves more than one evening's thought.

## The federal floor

The FTC's Cooling-Off Rule at [16 CFR 429.1](https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-16/chapter-I/subchapter-D/part-429/section-429.1) lets you cancel a sale made at your home until midnight of the third business day. No reason required, no penalty, and anything paid returns within ten business days. If the pitch itself felt wrong, our guide to [solar panel scams](https://solarrealcost.com/does-solar-pay/solar-panel-scams) covers the patterns the FTC warns about.

## Your state may give more

Solar has its own disclosure statutes in several states, sometimes with longer cancellation windows, precisely because of how it has been sold. Our tool lists what we have verified state by state, and your [state consumer protection office](https://www.usa.gov/state-consumer) can confirm what applies where you live.

Tool: [Your right to cancel](https://solarrealcost.com/does-solar-pay/tools/your-right-to-cancel). The three business days the FTC gives you to cancel a contract signed at your home, what your state adds, and who to call for free.

**Cancel the contract you just signed.** Good when: Someone came to your door and you signed, and you'd rather not have. Watch out: Three business days federally, and several states give solar contracts their own longer window. Send it in writing.

**Especially worth using here**
A solar agreement commonly runs twenty to twenty-five years and can attach to the sale of your house. That is a long commitment to make in a single evening. If you are unsure, cancel and re-sign later — the [CFPB's work on solar lending](https://www.consumerfinance.gov/data-research/research-reports/issue-spotlight-solar-financing/) is worth reading first.

## Then buy properly, if you still want to

Run the numbers yourself, get the price per watt, and compare the four payment structures. Start with [what solar costs to install](https://solarrealcost.com/does-solar-pay/install-solar-panels-cost) and [cash, loan, lease or PPA](https://solarrealcost.com/does-solar-pay/cash-loan-lease-or-ppa-explained).

## Bottom line

Count from the day after you signed, send written notice, and keep proof. Then take the time the decision deserves.

Start the Solar Check: https://solarrealcost.com/check

## Common questions

### How long do I have?

At least three business days under federal law for a sale made at your home. Several states give solar contracts a longer window, so check your state as well.

### Does it apply to a lease or PPA?

The federal rule covers sales made at your home, and long-term solar agreements signed at the door are exactly the situation it addresses. Check your own contract's cancellation clause too.

### What if the system is already scheduled?

The right does not disappear because work has been scheduled. Cancel in writing inside the window and say so clearly.

### Who can help if the company refuses?

Your state consumer protection office, free of charge, and in several states there are solar-specific disclosure rules they enforce.

## Sources

- [eCFR: 16 CFR 429.1 — The Rule](https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-16/chapter-I/subchapter-D/part-429/section-429.1)
- [FTC consumer advice: Buyer's remorse — the FTC's Cooling-Off Rule may help](https://consumer.ftc.gov/articles/buyers-remorse-ftcs-cooling-rule-may-help)
- [USA.gov: State consumer protection offices](https://www.usa.gov/state-consumer)
- [FTC consumer advice: How to avoid a home improvement scam](https://consumer.ftc.gov/articles/how-avoid-home-improvement-scam)
- [CFPB: Issue Spotlight on solar financing (August 2024)](https://www.consumerfinance.gov/data-research/research-reports/issue-spotlight-solar-financing/)