The Installer's View Independent Solar Advisory
Legal

Engagement Agreement

Version 5.0  ·  Effective: August 20, 2026

This is the full agreement that governs a paid engagement with the practice. It is published here so you can read it before you decide to buy, not after. The version presented for signature at the point of purchase is the version below.

Each engagement is governed by the Master Agreement plus the one Service Schedule matching the service purchased. Cancellation and refund mechanics are in Section 3 and, for hourly work, in Schedule A4; those terms are restated in plain form on the Refund Policy page. Current posted business hours are on the contact page.

About This Agreement

This Engagement Agreement governs the professional services relationship between The Installer's View, LLC ("TIV," "we," "us") and you, the client ("Client," "you"). It is structured in two parts:

Part One, the Master Agreement, contains the general terms applicable to all engagements: how we work together, payment terms, scope limitations, confidentiality, liability, and the legal mechanics.

Part Two, the Service Schedule, describes the specific services included in your particular engagement. There are four schedules (A1 through A4), one for each of our service offerings. Your engagement is governed by the Master Agreement plus the schedule corresponding to the service you have purchased. On TIV's website, these schedules are referred to by their public-facing service names: Schedule A1 corresponds to "Review My Proposal" (Pre-Purchase Advisory); Schedule A2 corresponds to "Solar Help Desk" (System Audit & Recovery); Schedule A3 corresponds to "Ongoing Advisory"; and Schedule A4 corresponds to "Hourly Consultation."

We have written this agreement to be readable. Where legal precision requires formal language, we have used it. Where plain English serves the same purpose, we have preferred it. If anything is unclear, please ask before signing or accepting.

Part One: Master Agreement

This Master Agreement is entered into between The Installer's View, LLC, a California limited liability company with its principal office in San Jose, California ("TIV"), and the Client identified in the engagement record (the "Client"), and is effective as of the date Client accepts these terms (the "Effective Date").

1. Scope of Services

TIV will provide professional advisory services to Client as described in the applicable Service Schedule (A1 - Pre-Purchase Advisory, A2 - System Audit & Recovery, A3 - Ongoing Advisory, or A4 - Hourly Consultation), which is incorporated by reference into this Agreement upon Client's selection of the corresponding service at checkout.

The Service Schedule describes the specific services included in Client's engagement, the deliverables (if any), and any service-specific exclusions. The general scope limitations in Section 6 apply to all engagements regardless of which Service Schedule is selected.

2. Fees and Payment

The fee for Client's engagement is the amount paid at checkout for the selected service tier. Fees are stated on TIV's website and are subject to change for future engagements; however, the fee for Client's specific engagement is fixed at the amount paid at booking and will not change for the duration of this engagement.

Payment is required at the time of booking through TIV's authorized payment processor (currently Stripe, Inc.). TIV does not extend credit, accept partial payments, or invoice Clients for engagements except for hourly extensions described in Schedule A4.

TIV may modify general pricing, service offerings, or operating procedures on its public website at any time without notice. Such modifications do not affect engagements already booked and paid for under prior pricing.

3. Term, Cancellation, and Refunds

This Agreement begins on the Effective Date and continues until the engagement is completed by delivery of the applicable services or terminated under this Section.

Cancellation by Client before work begins. Client may cancel an engagement before work begins by sending written notice to advisory@theinstallersview.com. If cancellation is received within 24 hours of booking and before any work has commenced, Client is entitled to a full refund. If cancellation is received after 24 hours but before work has commenced, Client is entitled to a 50 percent refund. "Work has commenced" means TIV has begun reviewing Client's documents, conducting research specific to Client's situation, or scheduling time toward Client's engagement.

Cancellation by Client after work has begun. Once work has commenced on Client's engagement, fees are non-refundable, except as TIV may agree in its discretion based on the specific circumstances.

Cancellation by TIV. TIV reserves the right to decline or terminate an engagement at TIV's discretion, including but not limited to circumstances in which: the engagement falls outside TIV's competence or scope; a conflict of interest exists or arises (see Section 7); Client fails to provide information necessary to perform the services; Client engages in abusive or unreasonable conduct; or completing the engagement would require TIV to act in a manner inconsistent with its professional ethics. If TIV terminates an engagement before work begins, Client receives a full refund. If TIV terminates after work has begun, TIV will refund the unused portion of the fee on a pro-rata basis.

Failure to provide required documents. Each engagement specifies, at the point of purchase, the documents Client must provide for TIV to execute the engagement. If Client does not provide those documents within fourteen (14) calendar days of booking, TIV may pause or terminate the engagement at its discretion. Refund treatment in the event of termination under this paragraph follows TIV's Refund Policy.

Hourly Consultation cancellations. Hourly consultation calls are subject to additional cancellation terms set forth in Schedule A4.

4. Communication and Response Times

TIV operates during posted business hours, which are published on TIV's website and may change from time to time. The hours in effect are those published at the time of Client's engagement. TIV does not operate a 24-hour phone hotline and does not commit to response outside posted hours.

TIV's response-time commitment is as follows: TIV will provide an initial response to Client communications within 48 business hours of receipt. "Business hours" means hours within posted operating hours. Communications received outside posted hours are deemed received at the start of the next operating day.

TIV does not commit to a fixed turnaround time for the substantive deliverables of an engagement, because thorough professional review takes the time it takes. TIV will provide Client with a realistic estimated timeline at the start of the engagement and will notify Client in writing if circumstances cause that timeline to change materially.

If Client has a hard deadline (such as a signing deadline for a solar proposal under review), Client must communicate that deadline at the time of booking. TIV will assess whether the deadline can be met before commencing work and will notify Client if it cannot.

5. Authorized Communication

Client designates the email address provided at checkout as the authorized channel for all engagement communications. TIV will send all written deliverables, status updates, and engagement-related correspondence to that email address. Client is responsible for monitoring that email address during the engagement and for notifying TIV in writing if a different email should be used.

TIV will not communicate engagement information to third parties (including spouses, family members, financial advisors, or attorneys) unless Client provides written authorization, except as required by law.

6. Scope Limitations

TIV's services are advisory and document-review in nature. To enable TIV to provide focused, professional services, the following work is expressly excluded from every TIV engagement, regardless of which Service Schedule applies:

Where Client's situation requires services excluded from TIV's scope, TIV will identify the need in its deliverable or communication and will indicate the integrated party responsible for the domain: for solar-domain matters, a licensed solar installer; for legal matters, an attorney; for tax matters, a CPA. Client is responsible for engaging and compensating any such party separately.

7. Client Representations and Responsibilities

By entering into this Agreement, Client represents and warrants the following:

Client is responsible for: providing complete and accurate information; responding to TIV's reasonable requests for clarification or additional documentation in a timely manner; making Client's own decisions based on TIV's advisory output; and engaging any licensed party (such as an attorney, CPA, or licensed solar installer) whose services Client's situation requires.

8. Confidentiality

TIV will treat all non-public information about Client, Client's property, Client's financial circumstances, and Client's documents as confidential. TIV will not disclose such information to any third party except: (a) with Client's written consent; (b) as required by valid legal process (in which case TIV will notify Client to the extent permitted by law); (c) to TIV's professional advisors (legal, tax, insurance) under their own duties of confidentiality; (d) in anonymized, aggregated form that does not identify Client; or (e) to a successor entity as part of a transaction involving TIV or its assets, including acquisition, merger, sale, restructuring, or licensing, in which case the confidentiality obligations of this Section continue to bind the successor.

Client agrees to treat as confidential any TIV-produced deliverables (reports, written analyses, recommendations) and any non-public information about TIV's methodology, internal processes, or business operations. Client may share TIV deliverables with Client's spouse, family members, financial advisors, attorneys, and other professionals advising Client; Client agrees not to publish or distribute TIV deliverables more broadly without TIV's written consent.

This confidentiality obligation survives termination of this Agreement and continues for so long as the relevant information remains non-public.

9. Recording of Conversations

California is a two-party consent state with respect to recording of confidential communications under California Penal Code section 632. TIV may, in connection with an hourly consultation call (Schedule A4) or other scheduled call, request consent to record the call for accuracy and reference purposes.

If TIV wishes to record a call, TIV will request verbal consent from Client at the start of the call and will not commence recording without Client's affirmative verbal consent. Client may decline recording without affecting Client's right to receive the engagement services.

Recordings, when made with Client's consent, are retained by TIV for two (2) years and used solely for TIV's internal reference and quality purposes. Recordings are not shared with any third party except as required by law and are deleted at the end of the retention period.

10. Use of AI Tools

TIV uses AI tools as part of its workflow for producing reports and conducting research. AI assists with information synthesis, document organization, transcript handling, and draft generation. The professional judgments, recommendations, and factual claims in TIV's deliverables are reviewed and verified by TIV's principal before delivery.

TIV uses AI tools that meet the following standards: client data is not used to train the AI provider's models; data is encrypted in transit and at rest; data retention by AI providers is limited and reviewed periodically. The specific AI tools used by TIV may change over time as the practice refines its workflow.

11. Intellectual Property and Work Product

Reports, written analyses, and other deliverables prepared by TIV specifically for Client ("Work Product") are owned by Client upon delivery and full payment of fees. Client may use, share with Client's professional advisors, and reference Work Product without restriction for Client's own purposes.

TIV retains ownership of: its general methodology, processes, templates, frameworks, and analytical approaches; any pre-existing materials incorporated into Work Product (including standard sections, comparison frameworks, and reference data); and any anonymized lessons or patterns derived from the engagement that do not identify Client.

Client agrees not to reproduce, redistribute, or commercialize TIV's templates, methodology, or business processes. Client's right to use Work Product is for Client's own personal, non-commercial purposes.

12. Limitation of Liability

TIV provides advisory services in good faith based on its professional judgment and the information available to it at the time of the engagement. TIV does not guarantee any specific outcome from Client's reliance on TIV's services, including but not limited to: financial savings or returns; the conduct of any third party (including any solar installer, lender, manufacturer, or utility); the future performance of any solar system; the future enforceability of any contract; or the future state of any law, regulation, or market condition.

TO THE MAXIMUM EXTENT PERMITTED BY APPLICABLE LAW, TIV'S TOTAL LIABILITY ARISING OUT OF OR RELATED TO THIS AGREEMENT, REGARDLESS OF THE LEGAL THEORY (CONTRACT, TORT, OR OTHERWISE), SHALL NOT EXCEED THE AMOUNT OF FEES ACTUALLY PAID BY CLIENT TO TIV FOR THE SPECIFIC ENGAGEMENT GIVING RISE TO THE CLAIM.

TO THE MAXIMUM EXTENT PERMITTED BY APPLICABLE LAW, TIV SHALL NOT BE LIABLE FOR ANY INDIRECT, INCIDENTAL, CONSEQUENTIAL, SPECIAL, EXEMPLARY, OR PUNITIVE DAMAGES, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO LOST PROFITS, LOST SAVINGS, LOSS OF DATA, OR BUSINESS INTERRUPTION, EVEN IF TIV HAS BEEN ADVISED OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH DAMAGES.

Nothing in this Section limits liability for: (a) gross negligence or willful misconduct; (b) breach of confidentiality obligations under Section 8; (c) any liability that cannot be limited under California law (such as for fraud); or (d) any other liability that cannot be limited under applicable law.

13. Indemnification

Client agrees to indemnify and hold harmless TIV, its members, employees, and agents from and against any third-party claims, damages, costs, and expenses (including reasonable attorney's fees) arising out of: (a) Client's use of TIV's services in a manner inconsistent with this Agreement; (b) Client's breach of any representation or warranty under Section 7; (c) Client's distribution of TIV deliverables in violation of Section 8; or (d) Client's actions or decisions made in reliance on TIV's services that result in claims by third parties (such as installers, lenders, or other service providers).

This indemnification obligation does not extend to claims arising from TIV's gross negligence or willful misconduct.

14. No Substitution for Legal, Tax, or Solar Installer Services

TIV's services are advisory and consultative in nature. TIV is not a law firm, a CPA firm, or a licensed solar installer. Specifically:

Client acknowledges that TIV's role is to provide independent advisory perspective on Client's solar-related decisions and circumstances, and that the licensed services described above are obtained separately by Client from the integrated party responsible for the relevant domain.

15. Independent Contractor Status

TIV is engaged by Client as an independent contractor, not as Client's employee, agent, partner, joint venturer, or representative. Nothing in this Agreement creates an employer-employee relationship or any other relationship of mutual agency between TIV and Client.

16. Force Majeure

Neither party shall be liable for delay or failure in performance caused by events beyond reasonable control, including but not limited to: natural disasters, wildfires, earthquakes, public health emergencies, war, civil unrest, government action, utility outages, internet service disruptions, or labor disputes ("Force Majeure Events"). The party affected by a Force Majeure Event shall notify the other party as soon as reasonably practicable and shall use reasonable efforts to resume performance promptly. If a Force Majeure Event continues for more than thirty (30) days, either party may terminate the affected engagement, in which case TIV will refund the unused portion of fees on a pro-rata basis.

17. Governing Law and Venue

This Agreement is governed by the laws of the State of California, without regard to conflict-of-law principles. Any dispute arising out of or related to this Agreement that cannot be resolved through good-faith discussion shall be resolved in the state or federal courts located in Santa Clara County, California, and the parties consent to the personal jurisdiction of those courts.

This Agreement does not require Client to submit disputes to mandatory arbitration. Client retains the right to bring claims in small-claims court or other appropriate forum, subject to the venue provision above.

18. Modification, Severability, and Waiver

This Agreement may be modified only by written agreement signed (or electronically accepted) by both parties. TIV's modification of pricing, services, or operating procedures on its public website does not constitute modification of this specific engagement, which is governed by the version of this Agreement in effect at booking.

If any provision of this Agreement is held to be unenforceable, the remaining provisions remain in full effect, and the unenforceable provision shall be modified to the minimum extent necessary to render it enforceable while preserving the parties' original intent.

A party's failure to enforce any provision of this Agreement does not constitute waiver of that provision or any other provision. Any waiver must be in writing to be effective.

19. Notices

Notices under this Agreement shall be sent: to TIV at advisory@theinstallersview.com (or such other address as TIV may designate in writing); to Client at the email address provided at booking (or such other address as Client may designate in writing). Notices are deemed received when sent, except that notices of termination must be confirmed by acknowledgment from the receiving party or by readable email-delivery confirmation.

20. Entire Agreement

This Master Agreement, together with the applicable Service Schedule, constitutes the entire agreement between the parties with respect to the engagement described and supersedes all prior or contemporaneous agreements, communications, and understandings on the subject. To the extent any term of this Agreement conflicts with any term of TIV's website Terms of Service, Privacy Policy, or other published materials, this Agreement governs the engagement between TIV and Client.

Schedule A1: Pre-Purchase Advisory (public-facing: Review My Proposal)

This Schedule applies to engagements for Pre-Purchase Advisory services, including the Focused Proposal Review (Tier 1), Full Proposal Review (Tier 2), and Comprehensive Decision Package (Tier 3). The specific tier engaged is identified in Client's booking record.

Services Included

Under this Schedule, TIV will:

Tier-Specific Deliverables

Tier 1: Focused Proposal Review ($149)

Tier 2: Full Proposal Review ($297)

Tier 3: Comprehensive Decision Package ($497)

Delivery Timeline

Tier 1 reports are typically delivered within 3 business days of receipt of complete documentation. Tier 2 reports are typically delivered within 5 business days. Tier 3 packages are typically delivered within 7 business days. These are estimates, not commitments. TIV will provide a specific timeline at the start of the engagement based on workload and the specific documents received.

Service-Specific Exclusions

In addition to the scope limitations in Section 6 of the Master Agreement, this Schedule does not include:

Follow-Up Communication

Client may contact TIV with reasonable clarification questions about the delivered report at no additional charge for up to 30 days after delivery. "Clarification" means questions about the meaning or basis of statements in the report. Substantive new questions, additional document review, or analysis of new proposals require a separate engagement.

Schedule A2: System Audit & Recovery (public-facing: Solar Help Desk)

This Schedule applies to engagements for System Audit & Recovery services. These services help homeowners with existing solar systems navigate post-installation issues, including situations where the installer is no longer available, contractually responsive, or in business.

Services Included

Under this Schedule, TIV will:

Tier-Specific Deliverables

Tier 1: Orphan Recovery Navigation ($147)

Required to execute Tier 1:

Requested if available (the deliverable strengthens with each item provided, on a graceful-degradation basis):

Deliverable:

Tier 2: Performance Review ($97)

Required to execute Tier 2:

Deliverable:

Delivery Timeline

Recovery Navigation documents are typically delivered within 5 business days of receipt of complete documentation. Performance Reviews are typically delivered within 3 business days. These are estimates, not commitments.

Service-Specific Exclusions

In addition to the scope limitations in Section 6 of the Master Agreement, this Schedule does not include:

Follow-Up Communication

Client may contact TIV with reasonable clarification questions about the delivered document at no additional charge for up to 30 days after delivery. Substantive new questions or analysis of additional issues require a separate engagement.

Schedule A3: Ongoing Advisory (public-facing: Ongoing Advisory)

This Schedule applies to engagements for Ongoing Advisory services. This Schedule consists of a single tier: the Single-Question Memo (Tier 1). The Single-Question Memo addresses one focused question about an existing solar system, such as a rate-plan change, battery addition, NEM 3.0 / Net Billing Tariff implications, EV integration, or home-sale preparation.

Services Included

Under this Schedule, TIV will:

Tier-Specific Deliverables

Tier 1: Single-Question Memo ($75)

Note: homeowners who want an open-ended discussion, multiple questions, or a broader review of their system's ongoing economics should book an Hourly Consultation (Schedule A4) instead.

Delivery Timeline

Single-Question Memos are typically delivered within 5 business days of receipt of the question and any supporting documentation. This is an estimate, not a commitment.

Service-Specific Exclusions

In addition to the scope limitations in Section 6 of the Master Agreement, this Schedule does not include:

Follow-Up Communication

Client may contact TIV with reasonable clarification questions about the delivered memo at no additional charge for up to 30 days after delivery.

Schedule A4: Hourly Consultation (public-facing: Hourly Consultation)

This Schedule applies to engagements for hourly consultation services. Hourly consultation differs from the fixed-scope services in Schedules A1, A2, and A3 in that the deliverable is the conversation itself, not a written report.

Services Included

Under this Schedule, TIV will:

Pricing and Billing

Standard rate. $175 per hour. The hour is the deliverable; TIV does not produce a written summary or report by default for hourly consultations.

One-hour minimum. Hourly bookings have a one-hour minimum. The one-hour fee is charged regardless of how long the conversation actually lasts. If Client ends the call before one hour has elapsed, the hour is still billed in full. TIV does not pad calls to fill time and does not refund unused time on a completed booking.

Extensions. If the call runs over the booked hour and both parties have availability, the call may be extended in 15-minute increments, billed at the same hourly rate prorated ($43.75 per 15 minutes). Extensions are agreed verbally during the call and invoiced via Stripe within 24 business hours.

Conversion to fixed-scope engagement. If during the call (or shortly after) the parties identify that Client's situation requires a written deliverable that fits a fixed-scope service (Pre-Purchase Advisory, System Audit & Recovery, or Ongoing Advisory), the engagement may be converted by Client booking the appropriate fixed-scope service. In such case, 50 percent of the hourly fee paid will be credited toward the fixed-scope engagement, provided the fixed-scope engagement is booked within 30 days of the hourly call.

Cancellation and Refund Terms (Hourly Consultation Specific)

Cancellation terms for hourly consultation supersede the general cancellation terms in Section 3 of the Master Agreement:

Recording (Hourly Consultation Specific)

Hourly consultation calls may be recorded only with Client's affirmative verbal consent obtained at the start of the call, in compliance with California Penal Code section 632 (two-party consent). Client may decline recording. If recording is declined, TIV may take written notes during or after the call for TIV's internal reference.

Recordings, if made, are retained by TIV for two (2) years for internal reference purposes only and are not shared with any third party except as required by law.

Multiple Participants

Client may invite additional participants to the call (such as Client's spouse, family member, attorney, or financial advisor) at no additional charge. Hosting additional participants does not extend the booked time. Client should notify TIV of expected additional participants at the time of booking.

Service-Specific Exclusions

In addition to the scope limitations in Section 6 of the Master Agreement, this Schedule does not include:

Follow-Up Communication

Brief clarification questions by email about something specifically discussed during the call may be sent within 14 days of the call at no additional charge. Substantive new questions or requests for written analysis require either (a) booking a new hourly consultation or (b) booking a fixed-scope service per the conversion path described in Pricing and Billing above.

Signature and Acceptance

By accepting this Engagement Agreement (whether by clicking "I agree" at checkout or by signing electronically), Client acknowledges that Client:

For engagements of $300 or more, Client will sign electronically through TIV's e-signature platform after booking. For engagements under $300, click-through acceptance at checkout constitutes Client's signature for purposes of this Agreement and is legally enforceable under the Electronic Signatures in Global and National Commerce Act (15 U.S.C. § 7001 et seq.) and the California Uniform Electronic Transactions Act (Cal. Civ. Code § 1633.1 et seq.).

THE INSTALLER'S VIEW, LLC

Signature: ____________________________

Name: Zach Alvarez

Title: Principal

Date: _______________

CLIENT

Signature: ____________________________

Name: _______________________________

Email: _______________________________

Date: _______________