Roof work

Replacing a roof with solar on it

The panels have to come off before the roofer can start, and go back on after. It's routine work, but it costs real money and touches several warranties, so plan it before you hire the roofer.

Checked November 12, 2026

What it costs

Expect about $250 a panel, usually $200 to $300, to remove the panels and put them back, on top of the roof itself. In California, quotes run about $200 to $350 a panel; tile roofs, steep roofs and two-story homes cost more. For a typical 20-panel system that's $4,000 to $7,000. Many cities also require a permit for the reinstall.

The payback calculator and the quote checker can count this cost if your roof will need replacing within 25 years.

Who should do it

• You own the system: ask the original installer first. They know the system, and their warranty may cover part of the work. If they're gone, hire a licensed solar or electrical contractor (in California, a C-46 or C-10 license). A roofer alone usually shouldn't touch the panels or the wiring.
• You lease it or have a PPA: the company owns the equipment, so call it before anyone touches the system. Most contracts require its written approval, and many require its own crew or an approved contractor. Ask for the price, the schedule and the approval in writing; it can take weeks.

Insurance

If the roof is being replaced because of storm, hail or other covered damage, ask your insurer to include removing and reinstalling the panels in the claim.

Warranties

• Get in writing what happens to each warranty: the panels, the inverter, the installer's workmanship, and especially the roof penetrations (the holes the mounts go through). After the reinstall, someone has to warrant them.
• Your new roof's warranty: GAF, the largest shingle maker, says solar panels don't affect its warranty, but if a claim needs an inspection under the panels, you pay to remove them.
• Lease or PPA: work done without the company's approval can void its guarantees, including the production guarantee.

Checklist

1. Note what the system makes in a typical week before removal (screenshot the app).
2. Get the solar quote and the roofing quote, and agree on dates so the panels aren't off for longer than needed. The system makes nothing while it's off, usually one to three weeks.
3. Lease or PPA: get the company's written approval first.
4. Make sure the permit for the reinstall is pulled and passes inspection.
5. After the reinstall, check that production is back to normal within a few sunny days, and look in the attic after the first heavy rain.

Planning a new system?

If your roof is near the end of its life, replace it before the panels go up. Doing both at once avoids paying to take the panels off later.

More for solar owners

• Is my solar system working?Check a year, a month or the lifetime total against what your system should make.
• Production guarantee checkLease or PPA: see whether the system fell short of the guarantee and what you're owed.
• How to read a California true-up billThe once-a-year solar bill from PG&E, SCE or SDG&E, line by line.
• Selling a house with solarOwned, financed or leased: UCC-1 filings, lease transfers and buyouts.
• When the installer has gone out of businessWhat still works, who you pay now, and who can fix it.
• Lease and PPA terms by companyEscalators, transfers and buyouts at Sunrun, Tesla, SunStrong and others.
• Solar company bankruptcy trackerWho services SunPower, Sunnova, PosiGen and other failed companies' contracts now.
• When the leasing company won't answerHow to get a repair or a refund, step by step, in writing.
• Reminders: a spring check and upcoming deadlinesAdd them to your calendar. Nothing is sent to us.

Sources: EnergySage: replacing a roof with solar panels; NRG Clean Power: solar panel removal and reinstall cost.

General information, not legal or financial advice. Your contract and your utility's current rules decide.