Google Ads for Plano solar installers.

Bill shock drives searches more than any incentive ever will.

Search volume for 'solar panels Plano TX' spikes hard every July and August, right after homeowners open an Oncor bill north of $400 for a house that used to run $180 in April. That's the real trigger, not federal tax credit messaging, which most people already know exists and don't need reminded of in your headline.

Plano's homeowner base skews affluent — West Plano, Willow Bend, and the newer construction near Legacy West have household incomes and home values that make solar a cash-flow decision, not a financing-desperation decision. That changes ad copy: lead with the monthly bill comparison, not the lowest-payment financing offer that works better in less affluent markets.

Roof age matters more here than most installers account for in their targeting. A homeowner who just replaced their roof after a hail event, which Collin County sees regularly, is a much better lead than someone with a 12-year-old roof who'll need a re-roof mid-lease if they finance panels. We can't target roof age directly in Google Ads, but ad copy and landing page questions filter for it.

Cost per lead for solar in Plano runs $70 to $110 for search campaigns, higher than most home service categories because of the ticket size, but conversion to a signed contract is lower — typically 8 to 15 percent — since it's a bigger financial decision than a repair call.

Where the budget goes and what it should cost.

National installers like Sunrun and Tesla often outbid local shops on core terms, so long-tail and bundle campaigns matter more here than in less competitive markets.

What actually slows a Plano solar sale down, and how ad copy should address it.

• Oncor interconnection timeline is the real bottleneck

  Panels can be installed in a day or two, but Oncor's interconnection approval to actually flip the system on commonly takes 4 to 8 weeks. Setting this expectation in your ad flow prevents the angry call in week three.

• City of Plano permit is separate from Oncor approval

  Homeowners often think 'installed' means 'on,' and don't realize permit sign-off and utility interconnection are two different clocks running at once.

• HOA solar rules are limited by state law but not zero

  Texas law restricts HOAs from outright banning solar, but placement and screening requirements still exist in some West Plano communities — worth a line in your FAQ content to preempt objections.

• Net metering terms vary and confuse buyers

  Oncor is a delivery utility, not the retail electric provider, so net metering deals actually come from the REP the homeowner picks. This confuses people constantly and is worth its own landing page section.

• Roof warranty questions kill deals at the kitchen table

  Ad copy and landing pages that proactively address roof penetration and warranty impact close better than ones that ignore it, because it's the first objection a spouse raises.

Questions from Plano solar installers

Why does solar cost more per lead than other home services in Plano?

The ticket size is much larger, typically $20,000 to $40,000, so competition for those clicks is fierce, including from well-funded national installers. You're also paying for a longer research-heavy buying journey. The tradeoff is that even a modest close rate produces strong return given the contract value.

How do you target homeowners with high summer Oncor bills specifically?

You can't target bill amount directly in Google Ads, but you can build campaigns around bill-comparison search terms and time budget increases to hit right after July and August statements go out, when that search behavior naturally spikes across the whole Plano and Collin County market.

Should we mention Oncor interconnection delays in our ads?

Yes, in the landing page if not the ad itself. Homeowners who get surprised by a 6-week wait between installation and system activation leave bad reviews and cancel referrals. Installers who set that expectation up front see fewer complaint calls and better online reputation.

Is it worth advertising in Frisco and Allen too, or just Plano?

Frisco, Allen, and Murphy share a similar affluent homeowner profile and often have less local competitor saturation than Plano proper, where national installers spend heavily. We usually recommend testing a small spillover budget there before assuming Plano alone is enough volume.

How long before Google Ads produces a signed solar contract?

Expect 60 to 90 days from first lead to signed contract given the size of the decision. Leads themselves can start arriving within the first week, but don't judge cost per acquisition until you have a full sales cycle of data, not just cost per lead.