If you own solar panels in Dallas-Fort Worth and your roof is due for repairs or replacement, you have a question most roofers are not equipped to answer: how do the panels come off, and who puts them back on?
Roofing and solar are two different trades. A roofer knows shingles, flashing, and underlayment. A solar installer knows torque specs, inverter wiring, and how to remove glass panels without cracking them. When those two trades do not coordinate, the homeowner pays for it in damaged equipment, delayed timelines, and unexpected costs.
Solar panel removal and reinstallation — R&R, in industry shorthand — is a specialty service. Not every solar company offers it. Not every roofer understands why it matters. This guide covers what we have learned after two decades of handling R&R projects across North Texas, including what it costs, who is qualified to do the work, and how to protect your investment while the roof is open.
Most solar arrays in the Dallas-Fort Worth area sit on pitched asphalt shingle roofs. A few sit on tile or metal. Whatever the surface, panels mount to a racking system that is bolted through the roof deck into the rafters. Every penetration is sealed with flashing. The wiring runs through conduit to an inverter, usually mounted on an exterior wall or in the garage.
When a roof needs replacement, every one of those penetrations has to come up. The flashing has to be removed. The racking has to be unbolted. The panels have to be lifted off, stored safely, and reinstalled after the new roof is complete. This is not optional. A roofer cannot install a proper underlayment or new shingles around an existing mounting system.
Common reasons homeowners in DFW need a remove and reinstall include hail damage, which is why March through May is our busiest season for R&R calls. A roof that is fifteen to twenty years old may simply be worn out. Storm damage, leaks around flashing, or structural repairs can also trigger the need. In some cases, a homeowner wants to upgrade to a more durable roofing material, like Class 4 impact-resistant shingles, and the panels have to come off first.
If you are replacing your roof because of hail damage, your insurance claim may cover the solar R&R cost if the panels were damaged or if removal was required to access the roof. We can provide the documentation your adjuster needs, including pre-damage photos, system specifications, and reinstallation estimates. The more documentation you provide upfront, the smoother the claim process.
A remove and reinstall is not one flat fee. It is a bundle of separate costs, and understanding each line item helps you compare quotes and avoid surprises.
A planned R&R coordinated with a scheduled roof replacement typically runs 20 to 30 percent less than an emergency R&R done after a leak appears. The reason is simple: emergency work means rushed scheduling, separate contractors billing separately, and potential temporary storage. If you are already replacing the roof, the solar R&R is an add-on to an existing mobilization, not a separate event.
This is the single most important point in this entire guide. Roofers are excellent at roofs. They are not trained to handle solar hardware. Panels are fragile. The racking is precision-mounted. The electrical connections are live circuits. A roofer who treats your panels like skylights can crack glass, strip threaded bolts, or mismatch inverter wiring in ways that void your warranty.
The North American Board of Certified Energy Practitioners, or NABCEP, is the industry standard for solar installer certification. A NABCEP-certified installer has passed rigorous exams covering electrical code, system design, safety protocols, and roof-penetration best practices. They understand how to remove panels without deforming the rails. They know how to label every connection so reinstallation goes smoothly. They carry insurance specific to solar equipment, rather than standard general liability alone.
We have seen roofers remove panels by prying instead of unbolting. We have found clamps dropped into gutters. We have had to replace entire racking systems because a roofing crew did not understand torque specs. In one case, a roofer disconnected the DC wiring without shutting down the inverter first. The arc flash damaged the unit. The homeowner needed a new inverter, and the roofer's insurance would not cover it because the policy excluded electrical work. The cleanest split is usually this: the solar company handles the remove and reinstall, and the roofer handles only the roof. That keeps liability clear and puts the hardware in hands that know the inverter wiring and torque specs. The roofer does what they do best. The solar company does what they do best. Everyone stays in their lane.
DFW Solar Electric treats remove and reinstall as a standalone service. We can step in even if we did not install your original array. Our crews are NABCEP-certified, licensed, and insured specifically for solar work. We assess the existing hardware, document the system configuration, and reinstall with full warranty coverage.
Solar panels are tougher than they look, but they are not indestructible. The tempered glass surface can withstand hail up to a certain size, but a corner impact from a dropped clamp or a panel leaning against a gutter can spiderweb the whole module. During removal, protection is everything.
A professional crew will shut down the system at the inverter first, then disconnect the DC wiring at each string or micro-inverter. Panels come off the roof in reverse order of installation, which prevents racking from becoming unbalanced mid-job. Each panel should be labeled with its original position and circuit number. The labels matter because your system was designed for a specific electrical layout, and mixing up panel positions can reduce production or trigger fault codes.
Storage matters too. Panels should sit on padded racks, not directly on concrete or gravel. The glass face should point inward if panels are stacked. Shipping crates are ideal if you still have them from the original install. Panels should be stored indoors or under cover to protect them from North Texas wind, dust, and sudden hail. Leaving them in the driveway uncovered for three weeks is asking for trouble.
The inverter and any battery storage should stay mounted if possible, but the disconnects should be tagged and locked out. If the inverter has to come down temporarily, it should be stored in a climate-controlled space. Extreme Texas heat can damage sensitive electronics.
Before work begins, take photos of every panel, every serial number, and every connection point. These photos are your insurance if something goes wrong. They also help the reinstalling crew verify that everything goes back exactly where it was.
North Texas is not a gentle place for roofs or solar panels. Our hail season runs from March through May and can drop stones large enough to damage asphalt shingles, crack tile, and dent metal roofing. Homeowners in Frisco, McKinney, Plano, and Trophy Club often need roof replacements after spring storms, and those replacements cannot happen until the panels are safely removed.
The type of roof you have affects the R&R complexity. Asphalt shingles are the most common in Dallas-Fort Worth and are relatively straightforward. Tile roofs require extra care because the tiles are brittle and the mounting feet sit on raised battens. Metal roofs need specialized flashing that matches the panel profile. Flat roofs, common on some modern homes and additions, use ballasted or membrane-penetrating mounts that are entirely different from pitched-roof racking.
Texas building codes have tightened around roof penetrations in the past five years. A reinstall done by someone who is not current on local codes can fail inspection, which means your system sits offline until the fixes are made. That is lost production and lost savings. Your installer should know the current Dallas, Fort Worth, or suburban municipal codes and should pull permits accordingly.
The Texas property tax exemption under Section 11.27 is still active, which means your solar system does not increase your property tax assessment. A proper remove and reinstall should not affect that exemption, but the system must be re-permitted and re-inspected to maintain compliance. Make sure your contractor documents the reinstallation for your county appraisal district.
A well-coordinated R&R project follows a clear sequence. The solar crew arrives first. They shut down the system, disconnect the inverter, and remove the panels in reverse order of installation. They label every panel and every connection. The panels are stored on padded racks or in their original shipping crates. The roofer then tears off the old roof and installs the new one.
Once the roof is complete and inspected, the solar crew returns. They reinstall the racking, mount the panels, reconnect the inverter, and test every circuit. Then they commission the system and verify that production matches the original baseline. Finally, they pull the electrical permit and schedule the municipal inspection. Once the inspector signs off, the utility approves reconnection and your meter starts spinning backward again.
Done right, the whole cycle takes three to five days. Done wrong, it takes three to five weeks. The difference is almost always coordination. If your roofer and your solar installer are not talking to each other, you are the one who pays for the delays.
One more thing. The company that installed your original system may not be available for the reinstall. Companies close. Homeowners move. Records get lost. If the original installer is gone, the new crew has to verify that the racking is still structurally sound and that every roof penetration gets re-flashed to code. This is why it pays to choose a solar contractor with local roots who plans to be around for the long haul.
If you are planning a roof replacement and you have solar panels on your roof, call a solar installer before you sign the roofing contract. Get the R&R scoped, priced, and scheduled in writing. Ask about NABCEP certification, liability coverage, storage protocols, and permitting timelines. Your panels are a long-term investment. A little coordination up front protects that investment and keeps your project on track.
At DFW Solar Electric, we have handled removal and reinstall projects across the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex for nearly two decades. We work directly with roofing contractors to coordinate schedules, protect your equipment, and get your system back online fast. Whether we installed your original array or not, we can assess the hardware, handle the permitting, and reinstall with full warranty coverage.
If you are facing a roof replacement and need your panels removed and reinstalled safely, schedule a consultation with our team. We will walk you through the costs, the timeline, and exactly what to expect before anyone touches your roof.