Solar Panel Removal and Reinstall in Philadelphia
When the roof under a solar array wears out, the panels have to come off before any roofing work can start. Planned properly, the array is down for days, the new roof gets watertight mounts, and the system goes back up producing.
Removing and reinstalling solar panels for a roof replacement typically runs $200 to $300 per panel, on top of the roof itself. The system is shut down and disconnected by a solar electrician, the panels and racking are removed and stored, the roof is replaced with new flashed mounts, and the array is reinstalled and recommissioned.
Why the Panels Have to Come Off
Solar arrays sit on racking bolted through the roof into the framing, and every bolt is a flashed penetration. Nothing under the array can be replaced with it in place, and patching around it rarely lasts. So a roof replacement under solar is really three jobs in sequence: take the array down, put the new roof on with new mounts, and put the array back.
The electrical side, shutting the system down, disconnecting it and later turning it back on, is done by a solar electrician, often from the company that installed the system. Leased systems need the leasing company's sign-off first. We plan the roofing around those steps so the array is down for as short a time as possible.
What Sets the Price of Removal and Reinstall
- Number of panelsPriced mostly per panel.
- Roof type and pitchSteep or high roofs take longer to work on.
- Mounting systemPenetrating and ballasted systems differ.
- New partsMounts, clamps or wiring that must be replaced.
- Lease or warranty termsSome systems require the original installer.
Published 2026 figures put solar panel removal and reinstall for a roof replacement at $200 to $300 per panel, not including the roof. These are planning ranges, not our quote.
Panel Removal Before a Re-Roof
Once the system is shut down and disconnected, the panels are unclipped from the rails, labeled by position, and stored on the roof or on the ground where they will not be damaged. Rails, clamps and wiring are removed and kept together. The old mounts come out with the old roofing. Labeling matters: panels and optimizers are reinstalled in the same positions so the system's wiring and monitoring work as before. Photos of the layout go in the job file.
Mount and Flashing Replacement
Old mounts are rarely worth reusing on a new roof. With the deck exposed, new mounts are fastened into the framing and flashed into the new roofing: flashing boots under shingles on pitched roofs, or welded or taped flashing into the membrane on flat roofs. Ballasted systems on flat roofs get protection pads so the racking does not wear through the new membrane. This is the step that decides whether the new roof leaks around the array for the next twenty years.
Panel Reinstall and Handback
With the new roof on, rails go back on the new mounts, panels are clamped in their original positions, and wiring is reconnected and checked. The solar electrician then recommissions the system and confirms that it is producing as it did before. We check every penetration, clear any debris from under the array and walk the roof around it before handing it back. Keep the paperwork: the new roof, mount flashing and reinstall details are what a future buyer or inspector will ask about.
Roof worn out under your solar panels?
Call and we plan the removal, the roof and the reinstall together.
What We See on Philadelphia Roofs
Rooftop solar is common enough in Philadelphia that the City's energy authority runs Solarize Philly, a group-buying program that had helped more than 750 homes go solar by 2021, and it opened a Solar Training Lab at Frankford High School that October. Panels are built to last decades, often longer than the roof under them, and that is when removal and reinstall comes up.
How Long Does It Take?
Once the solar electrician and materials are booked, removal usually takes a day. The roof replacement follows straight after; most rowhome and twin roofs take one to two days, and the new mounts are set and flashed during that work.
Reinstalling the panels usually takes another day, followed by the electrician's recommissioning check. Altogether, the system is typically offline for a few days, and the schedule is set with the solar company before anything comes off the roof.
How the Job Runs
- 1
Inspect roof and array
Roof condition, layout and mount type checked.
- 2
Plan with the solar company
Shutdown, lease approvals and dates set.
- 3
Remove and store panels
Labeled, stored safely, racking removed.
- 4
Replace the roof
New roof with new flashed mounts.
- 5
Reinstall the array
Panels back in original positions.
- 6
Recommission and check
System turned back on, roof walked.
Solar Removal Questions
Rarely well. The roof under the array is usually as old as the rest.
It can if not done properly. Check your warranty and lease terms first.
Usually a few days, depending on the roof work and scheduling.
Yes, adding mounts while the roof is open is simplest. Talk to your solar company.
If the roof has only a few years left, doing it first avoids paying for removal later.
More Replacement & Installation Work in Philadelphia
New Roof, Same Solar Array
Call and we plan the removal, the roof and the reinstall as one job.