Getting started with QuoteCloud

Deposits on signing, and a clear road to switch-on

The deposit paid as they sign, and the steps from network approval to handover set out in the proposal.

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QuoteCloud lets solar retailers take a deposit as a percentage or fixed amount, or full payment, through Stripe or PayPal when the household signs (Essentials and up), and show the steps from network approval to install day and handover as a Gantt chart in the proposal (Business). The balance is the retailer's own invoice.

Tallowwood Solar & Storage's proposal TS-2614 for Jess and Arlo Penhaligon (a fictional business), shown wide. Both homeowners have signed on Tuesday 20 October 2026 and the 15% deposit of $2,186.25 is marked paid via Stripe, with a certificate of authenticity. Below, a six-week Gantt chart from signing to switch-on: deposit paid and design checked in week 1, network connection approval and equipment ordering in weeks 2 and 3, install day in week 4, the meter reconfigured in week 5 and handover with monitoring set-up in week 6.

The deposit follows what they choose

Try it: pick the bigger battery or tick the EV charger and the 15% deposit due on signing changes with the total. That amount is what Stripe takes when they sign; the rest is your invoice after the install.

Tallowwood Solar & StorageSolar & battery proposal TS-2614 Sample · fictional business

Your system, priced

Solar system

15 × 440 W panels · Norrow N440 (6.6 kW)Mono panels, 25-year product warranty
1 system $2,580.00 $2,580.00
Pellam PH-5 · 5 kW hybrid inverterRuns the panels and the battery
1 ea $2,350.00 $2,350.00
Rail & clamp kit for 15 panelsFor your tiled roof, north & west faces
1 kit $540.00 $540.00
Isolators, cabling & switchboard workAC/DC isolators, conduit, a new solar main switch
1 job $640.00 $640.00
Monitoring kit & app set-upSee generation and use on your phone
1 ea $180.00 $180.00
Installation, 15 panels & inverterLicensed installers, one day on site
1 job $1,470.00 $1,470.00
Rebate / incentive discount Installer's figureInstaller's figure where an incentive applies; we handle the claim
1 -$2,640.00 -$2,640.00

Battery · choose oneChoose one

1 $0.00 $0.00
1 system $8,130.00 $8,130.00
1 system $11,280.00 $11,280.00
What's in the battery system
  • ×2Quolla QB-5 battery modules5 kWh each, stacked on the garage wall
  • Quolla backup gatewaySwitches your essential circuits to the battery in an outage
  • Pellam PH-5 hybrid inverterAlready in your solar system: runs the panels and the battery
  • MonitoringBattery level and use, on your phone

EV charger · tick to addTick to add

1 ea $1,690.00 $1,690.00
Subtotal
$13,250.00
Tax (10%)
$1,325.00
Total
$14,575.00
Deposit on signing (15%)
$2,186.25

Accept, sign and pay

2 of 2 signed

  • Jess PenhaligonHomeowner SignedTue 20 Oct 2026
  • Arlo PenhaligonHomeowner SignedTue 20 Oct 2026

Deposit on signing (15%)

$2,186.25

Paid via StripePay with card or PayPal

Certificate of authenticity and audit trail attached

From signing to switch-on, written into the proposal

Between the signature and a working system there are weeks of approvals and ordering. Callum sets them out as a Gantt chart in the residential template: deposit and design check, network connection approval, ordering, install day, the meter, handover. The Penhaligons read the plan before they sign, and it stays in the signed proposal.

It's Tallowwood's plan and Tallowwood's estimate. The network application is theirs to make, and install dates follow the approval; QuoteCloud shows the programme, it doesn't lodge anything or promise a date.

  • A Gantt chart block in the template
  • Milestones for install day and handover
  • Install notes and comments beside it

Gantt charts: Business plan

Project plans in QuoteCloud
Tallowwood Solar & StorageSolar & battery proposal TS-2614 Sample · fictional business

From signing to switch-on

StageW1W2W3W4W5W6
Deposit paid, design checked Week 1 to 1
Network connection approval Week 2 to 3
Equipment ordered Week 2 to 3
Install day Week 4
Meter reconfigured Week 5 to 5
Handover & monitoring set-up Week 6

Notes for your install

  • We'll apply to your network for connection approval once you've signed; install dates follow approval.
  • Your existing meter may need reconfiguring by your retailer; we'll let you know.
  • The rebate line is our figure for this system where an incentive applies; it's taken off your price and we handle the claim.

Arlo PenhaligonIf we skip the EV charger now, can it go on the same circuit later?

Nate CarrowYes: we've left room in the switchboard. It's a half-day job when you're ready.

What changes between the signature and switch-on

The weeks after a solar sale, before and after QuoteCloud.

The jobTodayWith QuoteCloud
Taking the deposit Bank details on the contract, then a phone call to check it arrived. Paid through Stripe or PayPal as they sign; the amount is in the proposal.
Ordering stock Waiting to see the deposit in the bank before ordering panels and batteries. The payment shows in the document's activity, and a Zapier trigger can tell your job system.
"When are you coming?" Calls to the office asking what happens next. The programme is in the signed proposal: approval, ordering, install day, handover.
Install day Dates copied into someone's diary. Install dates sent to Google Calendar through Zapier, one way.
The balance Worked out again from an old quote. Total, deposit paid and balance in one signed document; your invoice in Xero or QuickBooks.
Small jobs A deposit and a second invoice for a charger install. Full payment on signing for an EV charger quote.

Take the next solar deposit as they sign

Free for 14 days, no credit card required. Connect Stripe or PayPal and set your deposit in the template.

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When the deposit lands, the office starts ordering

Bree doesn't wait for the bank. The deposit shows in the proposal's activity the moment it's paid, and the Zapier trigger Document Payment Event can start the next steps: an install job in simPRO or ServiceM8, and the install date in Google Calendar (one way, QuoteCloud to the calendar).

An illustrative zap: the steps and the systems are yours to choose. The balance is invoiced by Tallowwood after the install, from Xero or QuickBooks; QuoteCloud doesn't send reminders, take instalments or bill automatically.

  • Trigger: Document Payment Event
  • Then: a job in simPRO or ServiceM8, through Zapier
  • And: the install date to Google Calendar

Payments, Zapier and Make: Essentials and up

How each system connects
TS-2614 · ActivityTallowwood Solar & Storage Sample data

Activity

  1. Sizing sheet filled inFour bills typed in · 6.6 kW, 10 kWh battery
  2. Opened on the tabletAt the kitchen table with Nate
  3. Battery chosen10 kWh · total $14575.00
  4. Both homeowners signedCertificate of authenticity attached
  5. Deposit paid$2186.25 via Stripe

Set up deposits and install programmes in five steps

Done once in your template, then every proposal carries them.

  1. Connect a gateway

    Connect Stripe or PayPal to your QuoteCloud account (online payments).

  2. Set the deposit

    A percentage or a fixed amount on the price table, or full payment for small jobs.

  3. Add the programme

    A Gantt chart in the template: approval, ordering, install day, handover (Business).

  4. Sign and pay

    The household signs online or on your tablet and pays the deposit.

  5. Invoice the balance

    After the install, invoice the rest from your accounting system as usual.

Deposit and install questions

Can I take a deposit when a solar proposal is signed?

Yes. On Essentials and up, set a deposit on the proposal's price table and the household pays it through Stripe or PayPal when they sign. You need a connected Stripe or PayPal account. The deposit amount follows their choices, so a bigger battery or an EV charger raises it with the total.

Can the deposit be a fixed amount, or the full price?

Yes. A deposit can be a percentage of the total or a fixed amount, and small jobs such as an EV charger install can be set to full payment on signing. Whatever you set is what the household pays as they sign; it's shown in the proposal before they do.

Does QuoteCloud collect the balance or take instalments?

No. QuoteCloud takes the deposit, or full payment, on signing only. The balance is your own invoice after the install, from your accounting system. QuoteCloud doesn't take instalments, send payment reminders or bill automatically, and it doesn't arrange finance, green loans or power purchase agreements.

How do I show the install programme in the proposal?

Add a Gantt chart block to your template (Business plan) with your usual steps: deposit and design check, network connection approval, ordering, install day, meter work and handover. It's your plan and your estimate of timing. QuoteCloud doesn't apply for grid connection or issue compliance paperwork.

How does the office know the deposit has been paid?

The payment shows in the proposal's activity and tracking, and on Essentials and up the Zapier trigger Document Payment Event can start your own next steps, such as an install job in simPRO or ServiceM8 or a Google Calendar entry, both through Zapier.

Can I invoice the balance from Xero or QuickBooks?

Yes, that's where the balance belongs. Xero and QuickBooks Online connect natively on the Business plan, or through Zapier on other plans, so the signed proposal's details reach your accounts without retyping. You raise and chase the balance invoice in your accounting system as usual.

More questions from solar installers

Everything a solar business sends

From the sizing sheet to the signed install.

Your next deposit, paid before you order a panel

Free for 14 days. No credit card required.

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