The 2026 Solar
Speed-to-Lead
Benchmark
We submitted real inquiries to 500 solar installers across the US and UK and measured exactly how fast each one responded. The industry composite grade is D: only 8 percent of installers responded within 5 minutes, 22 percent never responded at all, and average response time was 4.5 hours during business hours. This report breaks down the data by state, region, and lead source.
~8%
of solar companies respond in under 5 minutes
22%
never respond to a web form lead at all
4.5 hrs
average response time across 500 companies
6%
have any automated after-hours response
Get the Full Report
Free. Instant PDF delivery. No credit card.
What's Inside the Report
50 pages of industry-first data on solar lead response speed — with rankings, benchmarks, and the fix.
How We Ran the Audit
Real mystery shopping. No scraped data. No estimates.
Web Form Submission
We submitted a real solar inquiry form to each company between 10am–2pm local time. We measured time to first response — whether SMS, email, or phone call.
Live Phone Test
We called every company's main listed number on a Tuesday or Wednesday at 11am–1pm. We scored each as: live answer, voicemail, or no answer.
After-Hours Subset
50 companies received a form submission at 8:30pm local time. We measured whether they responded before the next business day — and what method they used.
400 US installers across 14 states + 100 UK installers across 6 regions. All residential solar — no utility-scale, no lead aggregators.
Frequently asked about the report
Methodology, results, and how to use the data in your own marketing.
How was the 2026 Solar Speed-to-Lead Benchmark conducted?
We submitted real solar inquiry forms to 500 installers (400 US across 14 states, 100 UK across 6 regions) between 10am and 2pm local time. We also placed live phone calls to the same companies on Tuesday and Wednesday between 11am and 1pm. A 50-company subset received an additional form submission at 8:30pm local time to measure after-hours response. We did not use scraped data, estimates, or aggregator-sourced leads — every data point is a real interaction.
Why does response speed matter for solar installers specifically?
Solar customers shop in parallel: the average homeowner contacts 3-4 installers in the first hour of starting research. The installer that responds first wins the consultation 78 percent of the time (Harvard Business Review, replicated in our 2026 data). Because solar deal sizes are large ($15K-40K), a single missed lead is a meaningful CAC penalty — typically wiping out the margin from 2-3 other closed jobs.
What grade did the solar industry overall receive?
The industry composite grade is D. Only 8 percent of installers responded within 5 minutes (the threshold above which conversion drops sharply). 22 percent never responded at all. Average response time across the 500-company sample was 4.5 hours during business hours — long enough for the lead to have already booked with a faster competitor.
Do you share which specific companies got A grades vs F grades?
The report includes the full state-by-state distribution and identifies the top 10 fastest responders in each region (with permission). Companies that received D or F grades are not named publicly in the public report — we sent each one a private scorecard so they can fix the issue. The appendix you receive after downloading includes the public anonymized rankings table.
Is the report really free? What is Boltcall going to do with my data?
The report is genuinely free — no credit card, no trial expiration. We collect your name, email, work phone, and company name to deliver the PDF and to follow up with your company's specific score (if you opt in). We do not sell your data to third parties. Unsubscribe from any follow-up in one click.
Can I use data from the report in my own marketing or sales materials?
Yes, with attribution. Cite Boltcall as the source and link back to boltcall.org/solar-benchmark-2026/. If you want a custom slide deck, white-label edition, or board-ready summary version, email noam@boltcall.org and we will send one within two business days.
Published by Boltcall
Boltcall is a speed-to-lead platform built specifically for solar installers and other home service businesses. We built this report because the data didn't exist — and because every solar company deserves to know exactly where they stand.
Get the Full Benchmark Report — Free
500 companies audited. Industry first. Download instantly.
Get the Report