Reroofing With Solar: Should Your Roofer or Solar Installer Handle It?
When a solar-covered roof needs replacing, who touches the panels — the roofer or a solar company? The answer protects your safety, warranty and production.
It's a fair question, and getting it wrong is costly. When you reroof a home with solar, two trades are involved: roofing and solar. Some roofers offer to "just take the panels off" to win the job. That usually isn't the right move. Here's how the work should actually be divided in Minnesota — and why.
The panels are an electrical system, not roof trim
A solar array is wired, energized equipment. Detaching and resetting it involves safe electrical disconnect, correct handling, and recommissioning — squarely solar-and-electrical work. A roofing crew, however skilled on shingles, generally isn't licensed or equipped for that side.
What can go wrong when the roofer does the panels
Improper removal can crack panels, damage racking, mis-wire the reset, or void your equipment warranty. Worst case, the array never produces the same again — and figuring out why, later, costs more than doing it right the first time.
The right division of labor
The clean setup: a qualified solar team handles the detach and reset, and a roofer handles the roof. iSolar manages the solar side end-to-end — disconnect, removal, reinstallation, recommissioning — and coordinates directly with roofing so the schedule lines up and nothing falls between the trades.
Coordination is the whole game
The reason DnR jobs go sideways is poor hand-off between roofer and solar company. When one team owns the solar and actively sequences with the roofer, the array comes off right before the roof work and goes back on right after — short downtime, one clean project.
iSolar and roofing, working together
We regularly coordinate detach & reset with roofing partners, including our sister roofing company, so homeowners get solar and roof handled as one job by teams that talk to each other. You get accountability on both sides instead of finger-pointing.
Protecting your investment
Your array is a long-term asset. Keeping the solar work with solar pros protects your warranty, production and safety — and our recommissioning confirms the system performs exactly as it did before the roof work.
Frequently asked questions
Can my roofer remove and reinstall my solar panels?
It's not advisable. Panels are a live electrical system, so detach and reset should be handled by a qualified solar team, with the roofer handling the roof.
Why not let the roofer do everything?
Improper panel handling can crack modules, mis-wire the reset or void warranties. Splitting the work correctly protects your system and safety.
Who coordinates the two trades?
iSolar handles the solar detach and reset and coordinates directly with roofing, so the schedule lines up and nothing falls between the trades.
Does iSolar work with roofers?
Yes — we regularly coordinate with roofing partners, including our sister roofing company, so solar and roof are handled as one clean project.
Will my warranty stay intact?
When the detach and reset are done by qualified solar pros and recommissioned properly, your equipment and warranties stay intact.
Keep the solar with solar pros
Planning a reroof with panels? We'll handle the detach & reset and coordinate with your roofer across Minnesota.