Roof Replacement With Solar Panels: What to Settle First
"I always assumed that solar panels could be taken down if/when we replace our roof?"
One r/HomeImprovement commenter asked that. Yes, they can, though it means a bit more work: a second job with its own crew. In Wheaton, Illinois, the solar contractor must disconnect the panel system from the electrical service lines1 when the roof is replaced. That is one city's rule. Wherever you live, agree in writing who does what before you hire anyone for either job.
Quick answer:
- Ask the solar company who disconnects the system and who reconnects it, and get the answer in writing.
- Ask both companies who flashes the mounts and who answers for a leak there.
- Check a lease or power purchase agreement for removal and re-install charges before you schedule the roof.
- Get the scope, materials, timeline, cost breakdown and warranty in writing from each company.
On this page
You can ask all four questions today, before you sign with anyone.
Why is it two jobs, not one?
Wheaton, Illinois, requires a solar installer with an active electrical license to be named on the permit in addition to the state-licensed roofer1, so ask your own building department who must be named on yours.
Wondering what a roofer's quote should already list before panel work is added? What is included in a roof replacement.
Holes through your roofing: where leaks and warranty problems start
At the mounts, the points where the panels attach to the roof. Mounting systems need many holes, so preventing leaks at those holes is the point, and flashing is how it is done2. Flashing is the waterproof collar sealed around each hole.
The worry is easy to understand. One r/Roofing commenter listed it plainly: "Solar panels on roof, drilling holes in expensive roof, trusting solar guys to do quality roofing."
Warranties add a second problem. Solar installers are supposed to coordinate with roofers before installation so warranty issues are addressed2. Ask both companies how each warranty treats the other's work, and who you call first if water shows up.
Roof first, together, or panels later?
If you have no panels yet, doing the roof and the solar at the same time is the way to skip a re-install: the panels never need to be re-installed after the roof is replaced3. If panels are already up, that shortcut is gone. They come off and go back.
For a sense of the money, the average cost of a new roof plus new solar done together could be $25,000, potentially saving homeowners an average of $4,0003. Those are national averages for all-new work. Your numbers will differ, and the separate cost to remove and reinstall existing panels comes only from written quotes.
One r/Roofing commenter explained the roof-first logic. "The rationale behind replacing your roof prior to solar is avoiding having to remove and replace the panels in the future when you do eventually have to replace the shingles."
Weigh how many years your roof has left before panels go on, because rooftops may not be suitable for solar systems due to age or tree cover4.
Not sure how much life your roof has left? How long does a roof last.
Leased panels and "free roof" offers
If the panels are leased or on a power purchase agreement (PPA, where you pay for the power the panels make instead of owning them), read the contract first. In Delaware's 2016 guidance, lease and PPA contracts usually include charges for removing and re-installing the panels, and most leases keep monthly payments going during the roof work5. That could mean a removal charge on top of payments for panels that are off the roof. Call the company that holds the lease before you schedule the roof.
The same care applies to any offer that calls a new roof "free" or "no cost" when it comes with solar. Before you sign a packaged deal, ask for every cost in writing: monthly payments, loan or lease terms, and removal or re-install charges.
What to settle in writing before work starts
Bring this list to both companies and to your building department.
- Who disconnects and reconnects the system, and who removes and re-installs the panels.
- Who flashes the mounts, and who answers for a leak at them.
- Who is named on the permit (ask your building department).
- What each warranty says about the other company's work.
- If leased or on a PPA: the removal charges, and whether payments continue.
Ask each roofer for a written explanation of the proposed work, a list of the materials, a timeline, a breakdown of the costs, and the warranty details6, and ask the solar company for the same.
Ask for the removal and re-install price as its own line, and for a signed change order before any extra charge. You can send this:
Please write in your estimate who disconnects and reconnects the solar system, who flashes the mounts, and who is responsible if a leak shows up there. Please list the removal and re-install price as its own line, and send me a photo of any problem you find under the panels.
If a company won't put this in writing, that is an answer too: weigh it against the ones that do.
Quick questions
How much does it cost to remove solar panels for a new roof? No national price covers it, so it comes from written quotes. Ask the solar company for one price for taking the panels off and putting them back, and ask what it includes, such as who reconnects the system.
Will the roofer take the panels off for me? Don't assume it. Ask each roofer whether the quote includes any panel work. If not, ask who does it and who schedules the two crews so neither waits on the other.
What if the company that installed my panels has closed? Ask a local solar company whether it will take the panels off and put them back. Then ask it to write down who reconnects the system and how your current panel warranty is treated.
What is the 25% rule for roofing? In San Diego, a fire-rating bulletin applies when more than 25% of the roof area is replaced, altered or repaired within 12 months7. Florida's building code limits repairing, replacing or recovering a roof or roof section to 25 percent in any 12-month period unless the whole roofing system or section is replaced to meet the code8. Ask your building department and your roofer whether a local threshold like these applies to your job.
What if I want to do solar after the new roof? Tell the roofer before the work starts, and ask for the roof warranty in writing. Then ask the solar installer to agree with the roofer on who flashes each mount.
Sources
1. City of Wheaton, Illinois: Roof Replacement with Solar Panels
4. U.S. Department of Energy: Homeowner's Guide to Solar
6. North Carolina Department of Insurance: Avoiding predatory roofing scams
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