Getting a new roof on your home, albeit a necessary project, isn’t an easy feat. But how do you replace a roof with solar panels already attached? While this may sound daunting, it’s just another normal day for a roofing contractor.
There are a few extra steps to this process that need to be considered. For those who are unfamiliar with this process, this article will help ease your stress by walking you through the steps.
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Solar Panels Are Welcomed Additions to Healthy Roofs
For those who are worried about the potential damage that solar panels can cause to a roof, it’s important to understand that licensed professional solar panel installers will take the proper precautions to properly install and mount these panels so that damage does not occur to your roof. The most common damage that occurs is when there are improperly drilled or filled holes that eventually allow water to leak. Again, it’s important to remember that when the job is carried out by a licensed professional, the risk of this type of roof damage is very low.
How Do You Replace a Roof With Solar Panels?
Let’s take a minute to dive further into how you replace a roof with solar panels. For starters, it’s not as stressful a process as you might think. In fact, once you have a better understanding of the process, the idea of replacing a roof with solar panels will seem much less intimidating.
Start With an Inspection
Before you add or replace panels to your roof, you need to have an inspection carried out by a licensed professional. This inspection will let you know specifically what work will need to be done to your roof. Depending on the status, it could be a simple roof repair with solar panels remaining in place or it could be a complete roof replacement.
Understanding The Removal Costs
As you can probably guess, there are removal costs associated with replacing a roof with solar panels. If you lease the panels, there is usually a nominal fee to remove and replace the panels. If you own the panels, the fee is likely to be higher. The exact amount will depend on the state of the current equipment and if any of it can be reused, such as the rail system and other supporting pieces.
Working Out a Timeline to Get The Job Done
Once you understand your costs, the next step is to schedule the work. This will require you to work out a timeline between the roofing company and your solar installation company. Below is a quick breakdown of what the timeline should look like after your initial roofing inspection:
- Get solar panels on roof removed by a solar installation company
- Communicate with your roofing company to order materials and schedule a date to install your new roof
- Get your new roof installed
- Get your new solar panels reinstalled
- Bring your roofing company back out to inspect the solar panel installation to ensure no damage was done to your new roof
The above-mentioned list is a general timeline to help give you an overview of what the process may look like. Depending on the time of year, this timeline could play out as quickly as one month or it could stretch out to six months or more. Working with the schedules of two different companies and waiting on ordered materials can often lead to unpredictable waiting times.
Get a New Roof Before You Switch to Solar
If you don’t have solar panels yet, it’s important to know that you should always get a new roof before you switch to solar if your roof is not in the proper condition to handle a solar system. Again, a roofing inspection will let you know the exact condition of your roof.
If you decide to put solar panels on a roof that is not structurally sound, you will end up with serious issues in the future. Not only could your roof collapse due to the weight of the panels, but you could also end up with thousands of dollars in unnecessary removal and repair costs. More simply put, the decision to get a new roof before you switch to solar boils down to being safe and saving money.
For Ultimate Care of Your Roof, With or Without Solar Panels
Whether you are switching to solar for the first time or if you are in need of a roof replacement with solar panels already in place, you can certainly feel good about your decision to go solar. Not only is going solar a great decision for our environment, but it’s a financially wise decision that will pay off in the long run. How do you replace a roof with solar panels? Let the experts at The Original Roofing Company take care of it and walk you through the process. Reach out to us today for a free residential roofing estimate.