Roof work under solar panels
Nothing on the roof can be repaired under a panel array until the panels come off, and the panels are wired to your house. This takes two trades and a schedule.
What is probably happening
- A leak at a panel mount: the flashing at a lag bolt has failed. This is the most common solar-era roof leak.
- The roof under the array has aged out and needs replacing. The panels have to be removed, stored and reinstalled, and the Department of Energy notes that doing both together avoids having the panels re-installed later.
- Storm damage to panels or to the roof around them.
Do this in the next five minutes
- Find your solar contract and installer. Many installers require that they, or an approved company, remove and reset the panels or the system warranty is void.
- Photograph the array and any stains from inside.
- If there is an active leak, put a bucket down and call the solar installer and a roofer the same day. Ask them to coordinate.
- For a replacement, get the roofer's quote and the solar company's remove-and-reinstall quote separately, in writing.
- Ask the solar company to inspect and replace the mount flashings while the panels are off.
Do not
- Do not let a roofer disconnect or lift panels. The array is live DC wiring and it is electrical work.
- Do not accept a roof replacement quote that works around the array. The roof under the panels ages at the same rate.
- Do not walk on or near panels. They are glass, they are slick, and they are live.
Who to call
A licensed roofing contractor, with the solar installer handling the panels
The roofer owns the roof. The solar company owns the panels, the wiring and the system warranty. Neither can do the other's part.
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What it should cost
$1,000 to $3,500
Solar panel removal and reinstallation, national range, average $1,200, or $200 to $500 per panel, on top of the roof work. Roof replacement itself averages $9,608.
Source: Angi, solar panel removal cost, updated April 2026 and Angi, roof replacement cost, updated March 2026. View source
National published range, not a quote for your job. The full cost table for this trade is on the roofing page.
Ask this contractor, on the phone, before anyone comes out
Tap each one as you ask it.
- For the solar company: does removing and reinstalling the panels keep my system and production warranties intact, in writing?
- For the solar company: are new mount flashings included in the reinstall?
- For the roofer: will you coordinate dates with the solar company, and who is responsible if the sequence slips?
- For the roofer: does your workmanship warranty cover the roof around the mounts once the panels are back on?
End the call if
- A roofer who says they will 'just pop the panels off'.
- A roofing quote that leaves the roof under the array untouched.
- No written statement from the solar company about the warranty.