One question, answered straight
Should I replace my roof before or after solar?
Before, if your roof has fewer than 10 to 15 years of life left. Removing and reinstalling panels for a later roof job typically costs $200 to $350 per panel industry-wide (removal and reinstallation together), on top of the roofing bill itself. A roof with clear remaining life can usually go under panels as-is; get a written age and condition estimate first.
By Joshua Hayeslip · Founder and CEO, Solar Assure
The roof-age rule
Ten to fifteen years of life left is the line.
A typical asphalt shingle roof lasts 20 to 25 years; a solar system is designed to run 25 years or longer. If your roof already has less than 10 to 15 years of remaining life when you're considering solar, the honest move is to replace the roof first, not install on top of a roof you'll likely need to redo mid-system. Get a written age and remaining-life estimate from a roofer before signing a solar contract if your roof is more than 12 to 15 years old, has visible granule loss, curling shingles, or any active leaks. Solar Assure will ask about roof age and condition during your quote and will tell you plainly if we think your roof should be addressed first.
If you install first and re-roof later
What removal and reinstall actually costs.
If solar goes on a roof that later needs replacement, the panels have to come off, the roof gets redone, then the panels go back up and get reinspected. The two 2026 industry guides checked for this page price that differently, so it's worth separating removal alone from removal-and-reinstall together. A1 SolarStore puts removal alone at $200 to $500 per panel (roughly $3,000 to $12,500 for a full system), with reinstallation added on top bringing the combined removal-and-reinstall total to $250 to $350 per panel (roughly $6,250 to $8,750 for a 25-panel average system). Fixr prices the whole process -- disconnection, removal, reinstallation and a post-install inspection -- together at $200 to $300 per panel, or roughly $2,800 to $4,800 for a typical 14-to-16-panel system. Either way, that is a real added cost on top of the roofing job itself, which is the core argument for replacing an aging roof before solar rather than after.
Source: 2026 solar panel removal and reinstallation cost guides published by A1 SolarStore (removal-only vs. removal-and-reinstall figures both stated on that page) and Fixr (states removal-and-reinstall as one combined figure). This is an industry range, not a Solar Assure price; figures vary by installer and market, and Solar Assure does not currently price this service separately. Checked September 24, 2026.
What our warranty actually covers
Straight from the disclosures page.
Solar Assure's workmanship warranty, the coverage on the installation itself rather than the equipment, is provided by Solar Assure LLC with its term stated in your installation agreement; we don't publish a blanket number here because it's a contract term, not a marketing figure. The equipment carries separate manufacturer warranties: 25 years on the solar panels (product and performance) and 25 years on Enphase microinverters, both issued and honored by the manufacturer, not Solar Assure. None of these warranties, ours or the manufacturer's, cover damage from an unrelated roof failure underneath the system; that is a roofing question, not a solar one, which is exactly why roof age matters before you install.
Source: Solar Assure disclosures page, section 3. Ask before you sign and we will provide the complete written warranty terms for every component in your specific proposal.
Common questions
Roof and solar, answered honestly.
How do I know if my roof needs replacing first?
Get a written age and condition estimate from a roofer. Warning signs include visible granule loss, curling or cracked shingles, any active leaks, or a roof already past 12 to 15 years old on a typical 20 to 25 year asphalt shingle roof. Solar Assure also assesses roof condition during the quote and will say so directly if we think it should be replaced first.
Does Solar Assure remove and reinstall panels for a roof job?
This is not a service Solar Assure currently prices as a standard offering; ask us directly about your specific situation. Industry-wide, removal and reinstallation together typically runs $200 to $350 per panel (A1 SolarStore and Fixr both price the combined job in that range; A1's higher-sounding $200-500 figure is removal alone, before reinstallation is added), which is why replacing an aging roof before solar, rather than after, is usually the better financial move.
Does the solar warranty cover roof damage?
No. Solar Assure's workmanship warranty and the manufacturer warranties on the panels and microinverters cover the solar system itself, not an unrelated roofing failure underneath it. Roof condition is a separate question from equipment or installation warranty coverage.
Josh has personally told customers to fix their roof first when that was the honest answer, even when it meant a delayed or smaller sale. Solar Assure would rather lose a sale than install on a roof that won't last.
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