Hopefully, you read this before installing solar panels on your roof. If your roof is at or near end-of-life, replacing your roof before putting it on solar makes the most sense. Eventually, you will have to cross this bridge, given how long solar panels last. Plus, as solar becomes more prevalent, it’s only going to be more common that homeowners are replacing their roofs with a currently installed solar panel system.
Replacing A Roof With Solar Panels: Doing It The Smart Way
The smart way to replace your roof with solar panels is to make sure that you replace your roof even before installing solar if the existing roof has but a few years of useful life. Under no circumstance should you install solar panels on a roof that has reached its end of life, even if it is tempting to take this approach because it makes the cost of solar less expensive. If you choose to install solar panels on an old roof, you’re only prolonging the inevitable and also making it more difficult and costly down the line for yourself.
Some solar installers will allow you to install solar panels on an end-of-life roof simply by asking you to sign a waiver; that alone should be a red flag. Sure it may seem easy at the time to sign a waiver but just remember that most things that are easy are not worthwhile. A reputable installer will push back on the condition of your roof if there are significant issues and suggest that you replace the roof.
Replacing your roof when installing solar is the smart thing to do and will also pay dividends for you if you sell your home. We have grown drone quote quite a bit in the real estate industry, and it is almost common to hear Realtors speak about negotiating the price of a home down because of the roof’s condition. Now factor in panels on an end-of-life roof at the time of sale, which can lead to a realtor and a buyer nitpicking other things around the house. If you think about it, one of the first things people see when they come to your home is the roof, so having an old roof will stand out like a sore thumb.
Replacing A Roof With Solar Panels: How Much Does It Cost?
The cost of replacing a roof with solar panels can vary depending on the work’s complexities.
The cost of removing the solar panels to put on a new roof will be somewhere in the neighborhood of $150 – $200 per panel (2020). It could likely be less if you have a single-story, easily accessible roof. But the opposite is true if your roof is such that there are additional man-hours needed to complete the job.
Another reason it makes sense to replace your roof while installing solar is that putting off the roof for a later date and then paying for the cost of removing the panels during a re-roof will cost you more money. The additional cost of removing panels when you are re-roofing is literally a sunk cost that you could have otherwise put into re-roofing in the first place.
Replacing A Roof With Solar Panels: Who Will Do It?
Ideally, the same company that installed your solar panels will also remove the solar panels so that you can put them on your new roof. This would be the best-case scenario, although it’s not always the case because companies that install solar panels come and go, so there’s a possibility that the original installer may no longer be in business.
If you install your solar panels with the kind of company that has longevity, then you’re in luck because you can quickly call them to have them remove the panels. This is especially important because it will keep your warranties in place since, frequently, companies will void the warranty if somebody else other than their staff does work on the system.
There is a silver lining; solar will only increase in popularity, and more and more homes will continue to install it. That means that Moore roofing companies will be familiar with replacing a roof with solar panels.
Replacing A Roof With Solar Panels: How To Prepare?
Besides putting on a new roof when installing solar panels, if your current roof is nearing the end of its useful life, simply using DroneQuote to get your solar and roofing quotes is a step in the right direction. Our process of helping people buy solar and roofing is different from the “get the sale at any cost” approach other companies take.
We will help educate you so you can make a sound buying decision, and sometimes that education involves telling customers why it makes sense to spend the extra money on a new roof. Plus, if it turns out that your home does need a new roof when considering solar, we are ideally situated to help you get additional quotes from roofing companies to handle the job. Since we partner with solar AND roofing companies, we’ve got you covered with the best quotes at the best prices. Get started with us for free and receive multiple quotes from different solar and roofing installers.
Watch this video to know more about why DroneQuote is your best solar roofing partner: