If your Scottsdale home has a flat foam roof with solar on it, the panels and racking need to come off before the foam is recoated or replaced, then go back on once the roof work is done. That is true whether the job is a routine recoat or a full foam replacement.
Phoenix Solar Removal handles that solar side for Scottsdale homeowners and roofing companies. Here is how a foam roof job with panels on top usually comes together.
Why foam roofs show up so often in Scottsdale
Scottsdale is not one kind of roof. Central and south Scottsdale run mostly tile and shingle on older, established homes. Further north, large custom homes - especially newer contemporary builds - are more likely to carry a flat foam roof.
Foam is serviced differently from tile or shingle. It gets recoated on its own schedule, and sometimes it gets replaced outright. Neither one can be done properly with an array sitting on top of it.
Recoat versus replacement
A foam recoat is routine roof upkeep, not always a full tear-off. Even so, the roofer needs the surface clear to prepare it and apply the new coating evenly. Coating around rails and feet leaves gaps exactly where water likes to sit on a flat roof.
A full foam replacement is closer to a tile or shingle tear-off for scheduling purposes. The old roof comes off, a new one goes on, and the solar has to be off the whole time.
Either way, the order does not change: panels off before the roof work starts, back on once it is finished.
How the solar side runs
- Shutdown and lockout on the DC side before any panel is touched
- Labeling of every panel by row and position, with wiring tagged to fit
- Panels and racking off, down to the mounting feet, with hardware kept together by row
- Staging out of the roofing crew's way until the new roof is ready
- Remount with new mounting feet and new flashing at every point, using flashing suited to the new roofing material
- Reconnection and a production check at the inverter before the job is called done
The old mount penetrations belong to the roof once the array is off. Your roofer details them into the new foam the same way they would any other penetration, which is the main reason the panels should be off before the work starts.
What to sort out with your roofer
- The scope. Is this a recoat or a replacement? It changes how long the roof will be in progress.
- The schedule. Removal happens before the roofer starts. Reinstall happens once the roof is ready for racking.
- The layout. Racking goes back in the same layout the array had before, re-measured against the new surface where needed.
- The paperwork. If the roof work is tied to an insurance claim, ask for photo documentation.
If you already know how your racking is attached, mention it when you ask for a quote. If you do not, photos of the array help.
Documentation on a custom-home re-roof
A re-roof on a high-value custom home is still a re-roof, and if it is tied to a claim, the file needs a complete paper trail. We document the panels and racking with before-and-after photos formatted for the claim file, so the roofing company and the adjuster have what they ask for.
Central and south Scottsdale too
Not every Scottsdale job is foam. On tile and shingle homes in central and south Scottsdale, the same order applies. Our post on tile versus shingle roofs under solar covers how roof type affects the job, and the Scottsdale page has more on the area.
FAQ
Do the panels really need to come off for a recoat?
Yes. The surface needs to be clear for the roofer to prepare it and coat it evenly, including around the old mounting points.
Do you work on foam roofs, or only tile and shingle?
All of them. The process is the same regardless of the roof material under the panels.
Will the array go back the way it was?
Yes. Panels are labeled for row and position when they come off and go back in their original positions on new feet and flashing.
Can you provide photos for an insurer or property manager?
Yes. Before-and-after photos of the panels and racking are formatted for the claim file and provided with the job.
Next step
Send your Scottsdale address, a rough panel count, and your roofer's planned dates through the contact page. Phoenix Solar Removal will come back with what the solar side of your foam roof job takes. Details on the work itself are on the solar panel removal page.