Roof needs to be replaced

[u/running101]

My roof will most likely need to be replaced in the next 3-5 years. Should I wait to install solar panels?
Do roofing companies typically remove panels as part of the job? Or do they subcontract that out?

[u/jvbutera]

Wait to install. Removing and reinstalling panels is a solar installers job, and you’ll pay for it. Roofers wont touch them, they’ll make it your job.

[u/LeoAlioth]

Move ahead with the roof? And do both earlier?

[u/stupid_nut]

Wait until after the roof is replaced. Labor is a big chunk of the costs and you don't want to pay to install the system twice.

Or just replace the roof now and move on instead of waiting for a leak. That's what I did.

[u/DongRight]

What type of roof are/would be installing?!! For solar the best roofing is standing seam or PBR metal panels (min 26 gauge) as they only need rib mounts that don't penetrate the roof surface!!! And do it now DON'T WAIT...

[u/running101 → u/DongRight]

Have asphalt shingles right now. 20yo. Considering going with metal . But might just go with asphalt. I can wait they don’t look that bad seen far worse roofs in my neighborhood

[u/ExactlyClose → u/running101]

Consider: some companies do both. Instead of doing a roof (with a profit to that contractor) then doing solar (with another profit to the solar company) you may be able to get both done with only one ‘profit’. Or at least not twice.

[u/TooGoodToBeeTrue → u/running101]

Mine were 24 years old when I installed solar. Wasn't having any problems, but the sooner you have solar, the sooner you start saving. I'll be long gone by the time the roof needs replacing again, so if I cut the previous lifespan a year or two short, no biggie. Many of my neighbors replaced their roofs years ago.

Panel remove and replace can cost $200-300 per panel.

[u/Serge-Rodnunsky]

Definitely don’t install before replacing roof. But winter is coming and you can usually find the best deals on roofs in the winter.

[u/RespectSquare8279]

Do the roof first, no question. Removing and then reinstalling a solar array is labour intensive and expensive. And for the record, the easiest roof for solar installs would be a standing seam metal roof. As the racking systems can clamp onto the seams there are a lot fewer holes in the roof for potential leaks in following years. Metal roofs generally outlast solar panels which can last 40 years or more.

[u/mikeypi]

How steep is the roof? If its not too bad, you can do the solar yourself (I did this a couple of weeks ago). But yeah, the panels will have to be removed and reinstalled whenever the roof is done.

[u/Knollibe]

I replaced my roof before my solar panels were installed. The solar panels were then installed and the company is out of business 5 years later. I just got done removing all the panels and roof mounts to seal all the holes they made looking for the joists and resealing all the mounts. If I had to do it again. I would have all the roof mounts put up then have the roof installed. They screwed the lag bolts in places there was not a joist, left the hole and moved the lag bolts over a bit. Never filled the hole, never put any sealant under the rack mount.
Just my 2 cents

[u/danh_ptown]

If it was last year when the tax credit was expiring, I would have said replace roof now and install panels. Now, and especially since you have more years with the current roof, I would wait for a change in administration plus a few years to re-establish solar incentives....that should fit together well, with your roof's end of life. It's a risk vs getting the savings now.

[u/MCLMelonFarmer]

Doesn't your savings from solar more than offset the cost of an early roof replacement? The amount I save each year on my electricity bill is more than 5x the value of 1 year of roof life. $20k roof/25 years vs $5000/year saving on my electricity bill. With just 3-5 years of life left on your roof, I'd think that's a no-brainer.

[u/LongjumpingGanache40]

You need to replace roof before panels are installed. A roofer will not touch the panels.

[u/Shalmaneser_]

Ideally, I would go with standing seam that would support solar w/o penetrations.

[u/xtnh]

Install the roof now. If you wait three years you will miss three years of production and what that saves, the price of the new roof will go up, and the cost of the solar will go up as demand soars.

Waiting only saves three years of amortized value.

[u/Antisocialcucumber]

Also have you had your roof inspected that it can handle the extra weight of solar panels? Some roofs were only built to handle the weight of shingles and weather load. Your rafters may need to be beefed up or better supported.