A roofer will usually turn down a homeowner tear-off, because the tear-off is where the deck gets inspected: on this two-story El Sobrante home we stripped 20-year-old shingles to the deck, laid new OSB, installed synthetic underlayment and new Owens Corning shingles, and put the homeowner’s solar array back on new mounts.
Most roofers will say no, and the reason is not just liability: tear-off is the step where the roofer sees the deck, and a roof is only as good as what it is fastened to. On this El Sobrante home our crew stripped about 29 squares of 20-year-old shingles down to the deck, laid new OSB over it, and only then started the new roof — work that depends on seeing the deck the moment the old roof comes off. A homeowner on r/Roofing asked roofers exactly this — what they would say if a customer offered to do the tear-off to save money.
A 20-Year-Old Shingle Roof, Leaks, and a Solar Array in the Way
This is a two-story home on a hillside lot in El Sobrante, with an asphalt shingle roof about 20 years old and a rooftop solar array. The homeowner had leaks and was collecting quotes. Like many homeowners at that stage, he was weighing every way to bring the cost down, and he asked one more thing of us: document every stage of the work with photos, so he would have a clear record of what was found and what was done. The shingles had the look of a roof at the end of its life — worn granules, faded and uneven color across the slopes — and the solar panels would have to come off before anyone could touch the roof under them.
A Full Tear-Off, a New Deck Layer and a Solar Reset
On a roof with leaks and solar on it, layering new shingles over old ones is the wrong answer: it hides whatever caused the leaks and adds weight under an array that will sit there for another two decades. The plan was a complete tear-off to the deck, new OSB laid over the existing deck, synthetic underlayment over the whole roof, self-adhered membrane around the vents, pipes and the area under the solar, and new Owens Corning Duration COOL architectural shingles. The solar array would be removed before tear-off and reinstalled on new mounting brackets once the new roof was down, so every attachment point is flashed into the new roof rather than the old one. The homeowner asked about the brackets specifically, and new ones were part of the job from the start.
Permit, Tear-Off, Re-Deck, Shingle, Solar Back On
We pulled the permit before work began, and the crew started in mid-March. With the panels off, the old shingles came off down to the deck, and this is the step the Reddit question is really about. A homeowner tear-off saves some labor, but it hands the most revealing hour of the job to someone who is not looking for damage, and it leaves the roofer installing over a deck they did not see uncovered. Here the crew saw the whole deck as it came bare, then covered it with new OSB so the new roof is fastened into fresh, continuous sheathing.
Synthetic underlayment went over the entire new deck, with self-adhered membrane at the penetrations and under the solar footprint. Skylights were flashed into the new underlayment, and new shingles went on with ridge caps along every hip and ridge. The solar array was then reinstalled on new brackets, flashed into the new shingles. The roof went to final inspection on March 23, about a week after the crew started, and the homeowner had a photo record of every stage.
Before vs. After
| Feature | Before | After |
|---|---|---|
| Roof age | About 20 years, leaking | Brand new roof system |
| Deck | Original, never inspected | Inspected bare, then covered with new OSB |
| Underlayment | Original felt | Synthetic underlayment + self-adhered membrane at penetrations |
| Shingles | Worn, faded asphalt | New Owens Corning Duration COOL shingles |
| Solar | Mounted on the old roof | Reinstalled on new brackets, flashed into the new roof |
| Paper trail | None | Permit, final inspection and photos of every stage |
Why Tear-Off Matters on El Sobrante’s Hillside Homes
El Sobrante’s hillside homes take a lot of sun and wind, and many of them now carry solar, which means the roof under the panels has to last as long as the array does. That is the strongest argument for a real tear-off: the only way to know the deck is sound is to see it, and the only good time to see it is before a new roof and a solar array go back on top of it for twenty-plus years. For more on what a crew looks for when the old roof comes off, see our roof tear-off case study in San Jose; for work across the county, see our Contra Costa roofing page, and if solar is part of your plans, our solar-ready roofing guide.
“They cleaned up the yard including using a blower on the driveway, front path, and lawns. Each day of work was the same.”— Christopher C., via Google
Tear-Off — FAQs
Can I save money by tearing off my own roof?
Sometimes a little, but most roofers will not accept it. Tear-off is where the deck is inspected and where debris, nails and disposal are handled safely, and a roofer is responsible for the finished roof only if they controlled every step under it.
Do you have to remove solar panels to replace a roof?
Yes. The panels and their mounts come off before tear-off and go back on after the new roof is installed. On this El Sobrante home the array was reinstalled on new brackets, flashed into the new shingles.
Should a roofer add new sheathing during a tear-off?
When the existing deck is worn or uneven, a new layer of sheathing gives the new roof a sound, continuous surface to fasten into. On this job we laid new OSB over the deck before any underlayment went down.
Thinking About a Reroof With Solar on Top?
We will inspect the roof, plan the solar removal and reset, and show you every stage. See more finished work on our roofing projects page.
Gina K. writes about Bay Area roofing for Lifetime Roofing & Renovation, drawing on the team's 16+ years of experience roofing homes across Silicon Valley.
