Yes. The panels come off before the roof comes off. Every roofer and every solar company agrees on that part.
The part that goes wrong is not the answer. It is the sequence.
Why the panels cannot stay on
Your racking is lag-bolted through the decking. The mounts are flashed into the roof.
A roofer cannot pull the underlayment with the array attached. They would have to cut around every mount. That leaves seams where a roof should have none.
So the panels come off. All of them.
The order that works
Three visits, in this order.
- Our crew detaches the panels and clears the deck.
- Your roofer works a clean roof on their own schedule.
- Our crew comes back once the new flashings are down and resets the array.
That middle step is the whole point. Your roofer never waits on us. We never work around them.
Who owns the flashings
This is the argument that happens on jobs where nobody planned it.
Every mount is a hole in your roof. On reset, each hole needs a new flashing. Old flashing under a new roof is a leak waiting to happen. It is also the leak nobody wants to own later.
New roof, new flashings. Settle that before either crew starts.
What we do so nothing goes missing
Every panel, rail, bolt and connector gets labeled and photographed before anything is unbolted.
At reset, we check output against the reading we took before removal. Not just does it turn on. The number has to match.
Tile roofs take longer
Most East Valley roofs are tile. Tile has to be lifted, not walked on. It cracks under careless feet. Those cracks show up as leaks later.
Plan more days for a tile roof than a shingle roof. Anyone quoting the same days for both has not done many.
Can your roofer just do it?
Some will offer. Most roofers say plainly they are not trained on the electrical side.
The other issue is your warranty. Panel makers can void coverage if the work is done by a crew they did not approve. Tesla puts that risk on the homeowner in writing.
If your roofer offers to pull the panels, ask two things. Are they licensed for the electrical side? Will your warranty survive it?
FAQ
Do I need to remove solar panels before a new roof?
Yes. The array has to come off before tear-off, and go back on after the new flashings are down.
Can my roofer remove and reinstall the panels?
Some offer. Many roofers say plainly they are not trained on solar hardware. Using a crew the maker did not approve can also affect your warranty.
Does removing panels for a reroof void my warranty?
It can, if the crew was not approved by the panel maker. Check your own warranty before anyone touches the array.
What does it cost in Arizona?
We price by panel count. We quote the same day off a satellite count. Numbers online swing so wide, even on one page, that they are not worth planning against.
Panels off before tear-off, back on and producing. See how detach and reset works, or get a panel-count quote.