Homeowner guide
Replacing a Roof That Has Solar Panels
Solar panels make a roof replacement more involved, not impossible. The work just has to happen in the right order, with the right people handling each part. Here is how it goes, and the questions to settle before anyone touches the array.
Who Does What
Three parties are involved: you, your roofer and your solar company. The roofer replaces the roof. The panels, racking and wiring are removed and reinstalled by the solar company, or by a solar contractor they approve, because the people who installed and warranted the array are the right people to handle it.
We do not detach and reset panels ourselves. We coordinate the schedule directly with your solar company so the panels come off before the tear-off and go back on after the new roof is in. Pulling panels with the wrong crew is a good way to void a solar warranty, and electrical work on the array is not roofing work.
The Order of Work
- Inspection and written price for the roof, including the areas under the panels, which usually cannot be fully seen until the array is off.
- The solar company removes the array and stores or stages the panels as they prefer, and the system is shut down safely while it is off the roof.
- Tear-off and new roof, with new flashing at every penetration, and attention to where the racking will go back.
- Mount points flashed properly. The places where the racking attaches to the roof are penetrations like any other, and they need to be flashed so they do not leak for the life of the roof.
- The solar company reinstalls the array, reconnects it and confirms it is producing again.
- Permit inspections for the roof, and any required for the solar reinstall, which the solar company handles for their work.
Timing and Cost
The roof itself usually takes the same one or two days it would without panels. The overall job takes longer because it depends on the solar company's schedule for removal and reinstallation. Detaching and resetting the array is a separate charge from the solar company, not part of the roofing price, so ask them for their price early.
If your roof has hail damage, ask your insurance company whether removal and reinstallation of the panels can be part of the claim, and make sure it is discussed when the adjuster inspects. We document the roof damage; the solar company can document what their part of the work involves.
Planning to Add Solar? Check the Roof First
Panels are expected to last a long time, and removing and reinstalling them later is a real cost. If your roof is already well into its life, replacing it before the panels go on is often cheaper over the long run than putting new panels on an old roof and paying to take them off again in a few years.
A free inspection tells you how much life the roof has left, so you can make that decision with the facts. Our guide to the signs you need a new roof covers what to look for.
Warranties
Before any work starts, find your solar paperwork and check two things: whether removal and reinstallation must be done by the original installer to keep the panel and installation warranties, and whether the installer warranted the roof penetrations they made. Your new roof then carries its own two warranties, the manufacturer's Limited Lifetime materials warranty and our 10-year written labor warranty on our work.
From Our Own Jobs
Common Questions
Do you remove and reinstall solar panels?
No. Your solar company, or a solar contractor they approve, removes and reinstalls the array. We coordinate the schedule with them so the roof work happens in between.
Should I replace my roof before installing solar panels?
If the roof is well into its life, often yes. Taking panels off and putting them back later is an added cost, so it usually makes sense to start the array on a roof with plenty of years left. An inspection tells you where yours stands.
Can you replace just the part of the roof under the panels?
Sometimes a repair is possible, but matching new shingles to an older roof is hard, and a partial replacement leaves the rest of the roof on its old clock. We will tell you honestly which makes sense for your roof.
Want a Straight Answer About Your Roof?
A free inspection with photographs of what we find, and an honest answer, including when that answer is that your roof is fine for now.
Related Services
- Roof ReplacementFull tear-off and replacement, with the price agreed in writing before we start.
- Roof InspectionA free inspection with photographs, and a straight answer either way.
- Roof RepairLeaks, wind-lifted shingles and failed flashing, repaired rather than upsold.
- Hail & Storm DamageFront Range hail and wind damage, documented the way your carrier reads it.