The cost of roof replacement with solar panels has three connected parts:
- the roof work,
- the work needed to move the solar system off the roof, and
- the work needed to return the solar system to service.
A roofing price alone does not reflect what the complete project will cost.
Remi’s guide to What Happens to Solar Panels During a Roof Replacement? follows the sequence from shutdown through testing. But there are important steps before that sequence that we will cover here. This guide addresses points to be included in the written price since there is no useful single price for every home. The roof, the array, the existing equipment, and the solar provider’s rules all shape the scope.
How does Remi build the combined scope?
Start with an online request. Remi uses aerial imagery and property data to estimate roof size, pitch, and layout, then prepares an itemized roof scope. You can review material and payment options before deciding whether to proceed. If you have panels, use that roof estimate to start the solar-scope discussion. The complete project price needs to include the solar work in the written proposal before you sign.
Remi’s roofing-and-solar service addresses bundling roof work with panel removal and reinstallation at one guaranteed price. On a combined project, Remi reviews both scopes, identifies the crews, and puts the included roof and solar work in a written proposal. The goal is to define the price, schedule, storage plan, and closeout requirements before the first crew arrives. Remi’s hail guide walks through the order: a detailed quote, scope confirmation, permits, then scheduling.
As a homeowner, you will then give the quoting team your solar provider’s name, agreement, and warranty documents. Explain whether the system is owned, financed, leased, or under a power purchase agreement. Share the panel count and locations, the current service contact, and any known equipment or monitoring problem. Our solar panel guide lists the details to gather before requesting a combined proposal. If your provider requires an authorized crew or approval before disconnection, ask us to identify that requirement in the proposal. Also ask which requirements are confirmed, which are pending, and who will resolve them before work begins.
What should the full price account for?
The written proposal should make visible each handoff and its price. Remi’s published process supports the stages below, but the work and fees included in your quote are the ones stated in your agreement.
| Project stage | Check the written proposal for: |
|---|---|
| Roof replacement | The roof areas, tear-off, materials, underlayment, flashing, vents, decking treatment, disposal, and roof quality checks included in the quoted work. |
| Solar shutdown and removal | Removable panels and roof-mounted parts; who disconnects them; and whether labor, equipment, and crew visits are included. |
| Equipment protection | Who handles and stores the removed panels and other components, where they will be kept, and who addresses damage found before or during the work. |
| Reinstallation | The mounting and roof-penetration work, whether existing rails and attachments can be reused, and whether replacement hardware is included in the guaranteed price or listed as an exception. |
| Reconnection and testing | Who reconnects the system, checks production or monitoring, and gives you confirmation that the solar work is complete. |
| Approvals and closeout | Any solar-provider authorization, roof or electrical permits, inspections, utility steps, fees, and the party responsible for each one. Requirements vary by system and location. |
This scope check serves as an initial assessment rather than a guarantee that every item is necessary for every home. For example, a provider may have its own approval path; a local authority may require an inspection. Ask which requirements have been confirmed and which are still pending. The Federal Trade Commission (opens in a new tab) recommends a written estimate that describes the work, materials, timing, and price.
Which details can move the quote?
The roof. Some price drivers include the roof area, material choice, and complexity. A steep roof or one with valleys, skylights, or chimneys can require more labor and flashing detail. Damaged decking may become visible only after tear-off. Ask what roof repairs the proposed price already covers.
The solar array and existing equipment. The number and placement of panels determine how much of the roof must be cleared. The mounting layout, electrical connections, and condition of existing parts affect the removal and reset plan. A larger system, complex mounting, or extra electrical work can raise the solar portion of the cost. If a mount, wire, panel, or other component appears unsuitable for reuse, the homeowner should receive an explanation before replacement work changes the scope or price. Check the proposal for price terms and how that decision will be documented.
The provider and location. Owned systems, financed systems, leases, and power purchase agreements can have different service rules. Your agreement may require notice, approval, or a particular solar contractor. Permits, inspections, and any utility step depend on the work and jurisdiction. These details can also affect the schedule, so ask which approvals must be in hand before the roof date is set. The U.S. Department of Energy (opens in a new tab) notes that a roof replacement requires the panels and mounting system to be removed; this can also affect utility arrangements to an existing system.
What does Remi’s price guarantee include?
Remi’s price guarantee covers the work that is needed to deliver a quality roof. The guarantee includes work needed to meet local code, even when more repairs are needed than expected. The guarantee specifically lists damaged or rotted decking, necessary fascia, required flashing, pipe jacks and boots, needed attic vents, labor for necessary repairs, and material price increases.
Things that are excluded include new structural decking where none existed, and elective fascia upgrades beyond code requirements. Projects with some special discounts or promotions may be ineligible. These are meaningful limits to review in your own quote and contract. Remi promises one guaranteed price for the bundled project. Ask Remi to state in your proposal whether an unexpected solar part or provider requirement is covered by that price.
For a qualifying Sunrun (opens in a new tab) project, Remi has a partnership and our own authorization path that is specific to eligible Sunrun customers. If your system is with another provider, rely on that provider’s agreement and written approval requirements. Please review our Warranty Page, which describes roof workmanship and solar penetration coverage; warranty coverage is a different question from what the project price includes.
How do you compare one proposal with two separate bids?
Put the proposals side by side by completed outcome, rather than by the first number on each page. A combined Remi proposal should identify the roof and solar work under one quoted project. With separate roofing and solar bids, you need to make sure the two scopes meet without an unpriced gap.
| Compare | One combined proposal | Separate roofing and solar proposals |
|---|---|---|
| Total price | Identify the included roof and solar work, exclusions, and any stated conditions on the price. | Add both prices and check whether either leaves removal, storage, reinstallation, or testing unpriced. |
| Handoff | Identify who schedules the solar and roofing crews and who is the homeowner’s contact. | Confirm which contractor calls the other, and what happens if one date moves. |
| Equipment and approvals | Identify responsibility for stored equipment, nonreusable parts, provider permission, and permit fees. | Check that these items are assigned to one contractor and included in a price or clearly marked as an open cost. |
| Completion | Require roof closeout and confirmation of solar reconnection, testing, and any required inspection. | Confirm that the solar contractor returns after roofing and that someone owns a failed test or inspection. |
The main selling point that we had: it was one price that did everything.
Mike describes his own roof-and-solar project. His experience does not establish what another homeowner’s proposal includes; check the written scope and price terms for your home.
The FTC advises comparing detailed, written estimates and asking about large differences in prices. A lower roof-only bid may still be the right choice, but you cannot compare it fairly with a combined bid until the solar work and all handoffs are also priced. If an insurance claim is involved, compare the construction scope with the insurer’s estimate as separate documents; Remi can document the roofing work, while the insurer decides coverage and payment.
The useful test is your own proposal. Can you identify the roof work, every solar crew visit, equipment handling, approvals, and what confirms the system is producing again? If any item is unclear, ask Remi to put the answer in writing before you sign. You can request a roof quote and inform the team at the start that the replacement is beneath an existing solar array.
Sources
- 01How to Avoid a Home Improvement Scam (opens in a new tab), Federal Trade Commission. Accessed 2026-08-30.
- 02Should I Replace My Rooftop Solar System? (opens in a new tab), U.S. Department of Energy. Accessed 2026-09-29.
- 03Roofing (opens in a new tab), Sunrun. Accessed 2026-09-29.
