Roof Replacement With Solar Panels — Panels Off, New Roof, Panels Back
You have a solar array on a roof that now needs replacing, or hail took the roof and the panels are in the way, and you want to know who does what, in what order, and how the panels go back on a new roof.
Roof replacement with solar panels runs in three steps: the solar company removes the panels and racking, JMB Builders replaces the roof, and the solar company resets the array on the new shingles with the mounts flashed into them. We coordinate the dates and do the roofing across the Twin Cities metro. The panel removal and reset is the solar company's work and its own invoice; the roof is ours, priced per project.
- Panels removed and reset by the solar company
- Roof replaced between, mounts flashed into new shingles
- Dates coordinated so the roof is open the shortest time
- Send photos, reply within one business day
- Licensed MN contractor BC809005
Send photos and hear back within one business day — or book a free in-home estimate.
Solar panels last longer than most of the roofs they are bolted to. If the array went on a roof that was already ten years old, the roof will need replacing with the panels still working fine. There is no way to reroof under them: the shingles under the racking have to come off like the rest, and the mounts have to go into the new deck and be flashed into the new shingles. So the panels come off.
The removal and reset is the solar company's work. They own the wiring, the inverter connection, the racking warranty and the utility interconnection, and they are the ones who can disconnect, lift, store and recommission the array. We coordinate the dates: they remove the panels and racking and cap the roof penetrations, we tear off and reroof over the following day or two, and they come back to set the mounts into the rafters through the new shingles with flashed standoffs and reinstall the panels. The roof is open under the array for the shortest time we can schedule. Any electrical work on the house side is done by a licensed electrician.
On a hail claim the array adds lines: the solar company's removal and reset is a line on the scope, the panels themselves are inspected for damage by the solar company, and the roof under them is scoped like the rest. If you are planning solar and the roof is older, replace the roof first. Putting a new array on a roof with ten years left means paying to remove and reset it in ten years.
What you supply
- Your solar company's contact, and a call to them to schedule the removal and reset; we coordinate the dates with them
- Photos of the roof from the yard, showing the array and the slopes without panels
- The racking type if you know it, or a photo of a mount from the roof or attic
- Your shingle choice from samples at the free in-home estimate
- The claim number and adjuster's scope if the roof is going through insurance
What JMB supplies
- Date coordination with the solar company so panels come off, the roof goes on and panels go back in the fewest days
- The full roof replacement: tear-off, decking, ice and water shield, synthetic underlayment, flashing, ridge vent, shingles
- Old mount holes in the deck patched, and the rafter layout marked for the solar company's new mounts
- Ice and water shield under the array footprint so the mount penetrations land on membrane
- Inspection of the mount flashing after the reset to confirm it is woven into the shingles, with photos in your job folder
- The city's building permit and inspection for the roof; the solar company handles any permit the reset needs
How it is priced: per project
Quoted in writing from your photos, with a reply within one business day. What moves the number:
- The roof itself: squares, pitch, layers, decking, access, same as any reroof
- Membrane under the array footprint and patching the old mount holes in the deck
- Scheduling around the solar company's removal and reset dates, which can split the roof across two visits
- The solar company's removal and reset, which is their own invoice and not part of our number
- On a claim: the roof scope plus the removal-and-reset line, and any panel damage the solar company documents
Call your solar company first and ask their lead time for a removal and reset. Our scope and theirs are separate; we only need the dates to line up.
How long it takes
Panels off one day, roof the next one or two days, panels back on as soon as the solar company can return, often within the week. The roof itself takes no longer than any other.
How your project works
- 1
Send photos, get a written quote
Send three photos of the space and a sentence about what you want. You get a clear, itemized reply within one business day. Prefer a look in person? A free in-home estimate is always an option.
- 2
Pick materials, or bring your own
We help you choose profiles and materials that fit the house and the budget, or match your existing millwork exactly — or you buy the door or trim yourself and we install it. Everything is confirmed before the crew is scheduled.
- 3
Clean, precise installation
The crew shows up on time, protects floors and furniture, and installs with tight joints and consistent reveals. Photos of the finished work go in your job folder.
- 4
Walkthrough and invoice
We walk the finished work with you. If anything is not right, we fix it before we call the job done. Then one invoice, paid by check or direct deposit — no card fees, no payment links.
Situations and options
Roof replacement under an existing array
Solar company removes and stores the panels and racking, we reroof, they reset the mounts through the new shingles with flashed standoffs and reinstall. Three dates, one roof.
Hail claim with panels on the roof
The roof is scoped like any hail roof; the removal and reset is a line on the claim scope, and the solar company inspects the panels for damage separately. Deductible paid to us, never waived.
New roof before new solar
The roof is older and solar is planned. Replace the roof first, with the array layout in hand so membrane goes under the footprint and the rafters are marked, then the solar company installs on new shingles.
Array removed for good
The panels are coming off and not going back. The solar company removes them and decommissions the system; we patch the mount penetrations in the deck and reroof with no penetrations to flash.
Roof Replacement With Solar Panels — Panels Off, New Roof, Panels Back: questions, answered
Who removes the solar panels when the roof is replaced?
The solar company. They own the electrical disconnect, the racking and the warranty, and the utility interconnection, so they remove the panels and racking, store them, and reset and recommission the array after the roof is on. We coordinate the dates with them and do the roof in between. Any electrical work on the house side is done by a licensed electrician. We do not remove or reinstall panels ourselves.
Can you replace a roof around the solar panels without removing them?
No. The shingles under the racking are part of the roof and are as old as the rest; leaving them means a new roof with an old patch under the array that will leak at the mounts. The mounts also have to be set into the new deck and flashed into the new shingles. The array comes off, the roof is replaced, and the array goes back. It adds the solar company's removal and reset to the job, and nothing else.
How are the solar mounts flashed on the new roof?
Each mount is a standoff bolted through the shingles and deck into a rafter, with a flashing plate that slides under the course above and over the course below, the same way a pipe boot sits. The solar company sets them. We run ice and water shield under the whole array footprint so each penetration lands on membrane, mark the rafters for them, and check the flashing after the reset so it is woven into the shingles and not just sealed with caulk.
Should I replace my roof before getting solar panels?
If the roof has less life left than the panels will, yes. Panels run for decades; a roof with ten years left means a removal and reset in ten years at your cost. Replace the roof first, give us the array layout so membrane goes under the footprint and the rafters are marked for the installer, and the solar goes on new shingles. If the roof is already fairly new, there is no reason to wait.
Does insurance pay to remove and reset solar panels on a hail claim?
The removal and reset needed to replace a damaged roof is normally a line on the claim scope, listed as detach and reset, because the roof cannot be replaced without it. Damage to the panels themselves is a separate question the solar company documents and your adjuster decides. We put the detach-and-reset line on our scope and supplement it if the adjuster's scope left it off. We cannot promise what your insurer approves; your agent can tell you how your policy treats the array.
How long is my solar system off during the roof replacement?
From the day the solar company removes the panels until the day they reset and recommission them. The roof itself is one to two days; the rest is their schedule, often within the same week if the dates are set ahead. Ask them about lead time when you first call, because that, not the roofing, is what sets the gap. The house runs on utility power in the meantime.
Recent JMB work, from our job log
59 installs recorded across 30 Twin Cities communities since Dec 2025. Window and door installs for homeowners, builders and dealers. Counts come straight from our job log; no customer names.
Get a written quote for this job
Three photos and a sentence is enough: a reply within one business day, or ask for a free in-home estimate. Or text the photos to 763-333-4066.
Related jobs we do
Roof Replacement Contractor — Full Roof Replacement, Start to Finish
Your roof is at the end of its life and you want one contractor for the whole job: inspection, materials, tear-off, deck, flashing, permit and cleanup, with the number written down before the first shingle comes off.
Read moreRoof Replacement Through an Insurance Claim — Adjuster to Final Check
Hail or wind took your roof, the claim is open or about to be, and you want to know what happens between the adjuster's visit and the finished roof, and who sends what to whom.
Read moreHail Damage Roof Inspection and Insurance Claim Repair
After a hailstorm the question is simple: is there real damage, and is it enough to matter? We look, we document, and we tell you straight before anyone calls your insurance company.
Read moreIce and Water Shield and Underlayment — What Goes Under the Shingles
Your roof quote lists ice and water shield and synthetic underlayment and you want to know what they are, where they go on a Minnesota roof, and whether the whole roof should get the membrane.
Read moreRoof Replacement Day — What to Expect and How to Prepare the House
The roof is scheduled, the dumpster is coming, and you want to know what the day looks like from inside the house: where to park, what to move, how loud it gets and what is left behind when the truck pulls out.
Read moreAdd Drip Edge to an Existing Roof — Retrofit at Eaves and Rakes
Water drips behind the gutter instead of into it, the fascia is going soft, and the roofer who put the shingles on never installed drip edge.
Read morePage reviewed October 2, 2026 · JMB Builders LLC, MN license BC809005 · All roofing pages
Where we work
Roofing near you
Based in Zimmerman, scheduling across the Twin Cities metro. Closest first: