If a panel is already cracked or your system stopped producing before solar panel removal for roof replacement, say so before anything comes off. Pre-existing problems get photographed and recorded at the start, so they are not argued about at the end.
Phoenix Solar Removal documents the array before removal on every job across Phoenix, Glendale, Peoria, Surprise, and Scottsdale. Here is how to handle a system with known issues going into a re-roof.
Why existing damage needs to be on record first
A re-roof touches every panel on the roof. If a module cracked last summer, or a string has been down for months, it is easy for that problem to get blamed on the roof job afterward.
That is bad for everyone: the homeowner, the roofer, and the solar crew. A clear before-record turns a future argument into a known fact.
What to tell the solar crew up front
Share whatever you know, even if you are not sure:
- Panels you can see are cracked, chipped, or discolored
- Production that dropped and never came back
- Inverter error lights or app alerts
- Any section that seems to make nothing
- Past storm damage or past repairs
- Whether the original installer is still around
You do not need a diagnosis. Just mention what you have noticed.
What happens at the start of the job
Before anything comes off, the array is documented in photos, and that documentation goes to you. The system is then shut down at the inverter and locked out on the DC side, and removal begins.
The roof deck under the array is photographed too, before tear-off, so its condition is on record.
Why a re-roof is a good moment to deal with it
With the array off the roof, every panel and connection is handled anyway. Known problems are easier to talk through while the system is apart than after it is back up and producing less than it should.
What happens with a damaged module or a dead section depends on what is found. That conversation belongs before remount, not after.
How reset shows where things stand
After the new roof is on, the array is remounted on new feet and flashing and reconnected. Then production is checked at the inverter, string by string where the layout calls for it. If a string is not reporting the way it should, it gets tracked down before the crew leaves.
That production check is useful even if the system had problems before. It tells you where the system stands now, instead of leaving you to find out from a utility bill.
The full remount and reconnection steps are on the solar panel reinstallation page.
When the original installer is gone
Plenty of Phoenix-area homes have panels from an installer that is no longer around. That alone does not block the solar side of a re-roof. Mention it when you reach out, along with any paperwork or monitoring login you still have.
Storm claims and the photo record
If the re-roof is tied to a storm claim, before-and-after photos are formatted for an insurance claim file rather than a raw camera roll. Pre-existing damage shows up in that record along with everything else. What a claim covers is between you and your insurer, so share the photos with your adjuster.
Roofers running claim jobs can set up documentation on the for roofing companies page.
FAQ
Should I deal with a cracked panel before the roof job? Tell the solar crew first. With the array coming off anyway, next steps are easier to sort out during the job than separately.
My system stopped producing months ago. Can it still be removed and reset? Yes. Say so up front so it is documented before anything comes off, and the production check after reset will show where it stands.
Will I get the before photos? Yes. Documentation from before removal goes to you.
Next step
Send the address, rough panel count, the roofer's deck-clear date, and what you know about existing damage through the contact page. Phoenix Solar Removal will document the array before removal and take it from there. The removal process is on the solar panel removal page.