This Oakland home got a full shingle replacement with its solar panels taken off and put back. The panels came off before tear-off, the old spaced-board deck was covered in new plywood, and the panels went back on mounts flashed into the new shingles.
Had solar panels removed and reinstalled for a new roof: does this look OK?
A good solar reinstall looks tidy: every mount is flashed into the new roofing, the rails are straight and tight, and the wiring is clipped or in conduit instead of lying on the shingles. Loose or crooked brackets, unflashed holes or cables resting on the roof are worth raising with the installer before the job is signed off. On this Oakland reroof the panels came off before tear-off and went back on flashed mounts once the new roof was finished. A homeowner on r/solar asked exactly this after a reroof left the brackets looking sloppy.
A 20-year-old roof with solar panels on top
The owner had no leaks. The shingles were over 20 years old, so she wanted to replace the roof before it failed underneath a working solar system, and collected several bids. The photos from the inspection show why that timing made sense: worn shingles with moss along the chimney, and panels that would have to come off for any serious roof work anyway.
One project: panels off, new roof, panels back on
The solar removal and reinstall were part of the same contract as the roof, so one company owned the whole sequence and nobody waited on a second crew. The roof is a gray architectural shingle. When tear-off showed the shingles had been nailed to spaced boards, we added a plywood overlay so the new roof and the solar mounts had a solid deck to fasten into, and finished with trimmed edges and new gutters. More on how we handle roofs with panels is on our solar-ready roofing page.
From tear-off to reinstalled panels
The contract was signed at the end of February and the permit was pulled at the start of March. The panels were taken off before the roof was opened. Tear-off on March 5 exposed the original spaced-board deck, the decking you find on many older East Bay houses.
New plywood went down over the boards, followed by underlayment and the new shingles. The drone photos of the finished roof were taken on March 9, before the panels went back. The racking was then reinstalled on mounts flashed into the new shingles, and the panels were back in place by March 24. The city did not require an inspection visit for this job, so the completion was filed with the city at the end. We wrote more about plywood over spaced planks on an earlier job.
Before vs. After
| Feature | Before | After |
|---|---|---|
| Shingles | 20+ years old, worn, moss at the chimney | New gray architectural shingles |
| Roof deck | Spaced boards under the old shingles | New plywood sheathing over the boards |
| Solar | Panels mounted on the old roof | Removed before tear-off, reinstalled on the new roof |
| Solar mounts | Penetrations through 20-year-old shingles | Mounts flashed into the new shingles |
| Edges and gutters | Original trim and gutters | Edges trimmed and new gutters installed |
| Permit | None | City of Oakland permit, completion filed with the city |
Why this comes up so often in Oakland
Many Oakland homes now have panels that went on 10 or more years ago, on roofs that were already halfway through their life. Those roofs are reaching the end now, and the panels have to come off before anything else can happen. Doing both in one project avoids a gap between two crews and a roof left open. Our Oakland roofing page covers the rest of our work in the city.
“…did an excellent job removing my 20+ year old roof and installing the new roof. They were efficient and kept my property clean during the process. Highly recommend!”— Jenna L., via Google
More questions about reroofing with solar
Do solar panels have to come off to replace a roof?
Yes. The roofing under the panels has to be torn off like the rest of the roof, so the panels and racking come off first and go back on once the new roof is installed. On this job that took about three weeks, from tear-off to panels back in place.
Who removes and reinstalls the solar panels during a reroof?
Either the solar company, often under the terms of a lease or PPA, or the roofing contractor as part of the roofing contract. If two companies are involved, agree on the schedule and who flashes the mounts before tear-off starts. On this job it was all one contract.
Should I replace my roof before installing solar?
If the roof has less life left than the panels, usually yes. A system lasts 25 years or more, and taking it off and putting it back later is a separate cost. Our Castro Valley reroof with solar is another example.
Need a new roof under your solar panels?
We will quote the roof and the panel removal and reinstall together, so one company owns the whole job. 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.
