After solar panel removal for roof replacement, the old mounting holes become part of the roof job. Your roofer details those penetrations into the new roof, and the solar crew sets new feet and new flashing when the array goes back on.
Phoenix Solar Removal handles the solar side of that handoff across Phoenix, Glendale, Peoria, Surprise, and Scottsdale. This is the part of a re-roof where leaks start if nobody is sure who owns what.
Why the mounting feet matter so much
Every solar mount is a hole in your roof. For years, the feet and flashing on those mounts are what kept water out of the deck under the array.
When the roof is replaced, every one of those points is touched twice: once when the old feet come off, and again when new feet go down on the new roof. Both moments need a clear owner.
Step one: old feet come off with the array
Once the system is shut down and the panels are off, racking and rails come down to the mounting feet, and the feet come off too.
What is left is the old penetrations in the roof deck. From that point, they belong to the roof. Anything staying in place gets pointed out to your roofer before tear-off.
Step two: the roofer details the old penetrations
Your roofer deals with the old holes the same way they would any other penetration on the new roof. That is exactly why the panels should be off before tear-off rather than worked around. A roofer cannot properly detail a hole that still has a foot bolted over it.
Before tear-off, the roof deck under the array is photographed, so there is a record of its condition.
Step three: new feet and new flashing on remount
When the new roof is ready, remount uses new mounting feet and new flashing at every point. Old hardware is not reused on a surface it was never sized for.
- Each mounting point is checked against the new roof surface before anything is bolted down
- Each foot is set and flashed before racking goes back on
- Flashing is suited to the new roofing material, not the old one, since the two are rarely the same product
Remount details are on the solar panel reinstallation page.
Why reusing old hardware invites a leak
Reusing feet and flashing that came off the old roof saves time on remount day. It is also the step that most often comes back as a leak under equipment nobody wants to lift twice.
The new roof and the new mounts should be built for each other. That is the point of doing the work in order.
The handoff, in two lines
Here is a simple way to write it into the job:
Solar crew: removes old feet with the array, sets new feet and flashing on remount, reconnects, and confirms production.
Roofer: details old penetrations into the new roof and installs the roofing.
Roofing companies can set this up as a standing split on the for roofing companies page.
What homeowners should ask before the roof starts
- Who removes the old mounting feet?
- Who details the old holes into the new roof?
- Are new feet and flashing part of the solar remount scope?
- Will I get photos of the deck before tear-off and of the array after remount?
- How is production confirmed after reconnection?
Clear answers to those five questions head off most finger-pointing later.
FAQ
Can the array go back in the same layout? Racking goes back in the original layout where one exists, using the labels from removal. Each mounting point is re-measured against the new deck, since a new roof does not always sit exactly like the old one.
Does tile vs shingle change the flashing? Flashing is suited to whatever the new roofing material is. Tell us the roof type when you ask for a quote.
When is the job actually done? When the array is remounted on new feet and flashing, reconnected, and confirmed producing at the inverter.
Next step
Send your address, rough panel count, and the roofer's deck-clear date through the contact page. Phoenix Solar Removal will scope the solar side, including the remount. The removal steps are on the solar panel removal page.