Should You Replace Your Roof Before Solar Panels?

The short answer

Should you replace your roof before installing solar panels?

If your roof will not last as long as the panels, replace it first. Panels have to be taken off and put back to replace the roof under them, and that costs extra.

The U.S. Department of Energy says a roof lasts anywhere from 20 to 50 years depending on the material, and solar panels last about 25 to 30 years. That overlap is the whole question. If the roof under the panels has 8 years left and the panels have 25, the roof will need replacing while the panels are still working. At that point someone has to detach every panel, replace the roof beneath, and reinstall the system.

The Department of Energy puts the benefit of doing both at the same time as avoiding the need to have your panels reinstalled after replacing your roof. Its advice for homeowners thinking about solar is to consider the age of your roof and how long until it will need replacement.

So the order is a math problem, not a rule. Find out how many years your roof has left. Compare that to the 25 or more years you want from the panels. If the roof is young and healthy, go solar. If it is already worn, replace first. Start with how old your roof is and how long roofs last in Florida.

The process

How does roof replacement work when you already have solar panels?

Panels come off, the roof is replaced, and the panels go back on, so the roofer and the solar company need to work on the same schedule.

1. Call the solar company first

   Tell them you plan to replace the roof and ask what they need: how far ahead to book, how long the system will be off, and how they handle the electrical shutoff. Get their answer in writing.

2. Get both quotes

   Ask the roofer for the roof price. Ask the solar company for the price of detaching and reinstalling the panels. Compare the total to what you would pay with panels not in the way. Our guide to comparing roof quotes shows what to put side by side.

3. Panels come off

   The solar company detaches the panels and the racking (the rails and mounts they sit on). The roofer needs open roof surface to work.

4. The roof is replaced

   The crew tears off the old covering, repairs the deck and installs the new roof. In Florida, a roof replacement on a site-built single-family home must include secondary water barrier and deck attachment techniques under Florida Statute 553.844(3).

5. Permits and inspections run on the roof side

   In Manatee County, a residential roof replacement needs a permit with dry-in and final inspections, and the final looks for a roof that is 100 percent complete with debris cleaned up. For a contract over $5,000, Florida Statute 713.135 also requires a copy of the notice of commencement to be filed before the first inspection. See roof permits in Florida.

6. Panels go back on

   The solar company reinstalls the racking and the panels and tests the system. Ask who flashes (seals) the mounts and who covers a leak if one shows at a mount.

The timeline depends on both companies' calendars. Do not plan around a fixed number of days.

The rules

Does your HOA or the law get a say in solar panels?

Florida law says an HOA cannot prohibit solar panels on your home. It can say where they go on the roof, within limits.

Florida Statute 163.04 says covenants, declarations and similar agreements may not prohibit or have the effect of prohibiting renewable energy devices on buildings, and an owner may not be denied permission to install solar collectors or other energy devices. An association can decide the specific location on the roof where collectors may be installed, if the orientation is generally south or within 45 degrees east or west of due south, and if the choice does not impair how well the panels work. The statute lets the prevailing party recover costs and reasonable attorney fees.

That is about panels. A new roof is a different request. Many associations also have rules on roof color and material. See HOA roof approval in Florida and ask your association for its written approval process before you order materials. This is general information, not legal advice.