Getting ready for solar removal day mostly comes down to access, space, and a few minutes of record keeping. If the crew can reach the roof, the inverter, and a staging spot without waiting, the panels come off on schedule and your roofer gets a clear deck when they expect it.
Phoenix Solar Removal handles the solar side of re-roofs across Phoenix, Glendale, Peoria, Surprise, and Scottsdale. Here is what happens that day and what you can do the week before.
What happens on removal day
The order is the same on every job:
- Shutdown and lockout. The inverter is powered down, the DC disconnects are opened and locked out, and the array is confirmed de-energized before any panel is touched.
- Labeling. Each panel is labeled for its row and position, and the wiring is tagged to fit.
- Panels off. Modules are disconnected at the connector, unbolted, and carried down by hand. Glass is set down, not stacked hard.
- Racking off. Rails and mounting feet come off next, with hardware kept together by row.
- Staging and photos. Equipment is staged out of the roofing crew's way, the roof deck is photographed, and you get a written count of what came off and where it is staged.
Your house stays on utility power the whole time. What stops is solar production, from shutdown until the system is reconnected and confirmed producing after the new roof.
The week before - a short prep list
Confirm the roofer's date
Removal is scheduled around your roofer's tear-off, not the other way around. If you hired us directly, we coordinate timing with your roofing company. Still, confirm the tear-off date with your roofer once more in the days before, so everyone is working from the same calendar.
Clear a path to the equipment
The crew needs to reach:
- The inverter and the DC disconnects, wherever they are mounted
- The side of the house where ladders go up
- The spot where panels and racking will be staged
Move vehicles, patio furniture, trash bins, and anything stored against that wall. If equipment is inside a locked garage or behind a gate, plan for access that morning.
Think about staging space
Panels and racking are staged where the roofing crew is not working. That is usually somewhere on the property, sometimes in a garage or side yard. If you already know where you would like them, or where they should not go, say so when you schedule.
Gates, pets, and codes
- Share gate codes or leave side gates unlocked
- Keep dogs inside or away from the work side of the house
- Let anyone else at home know a crew will be on the roof
Take your own baseline
Before shutdown, open your monitoring app and save a screenshot of recent daily production. Note the inverter's display if it shows a reading. Photos of the array from the ground are worth a minute too.
We document the array in photos before anything comes off, and that documentation goes to you. Your own screenshot simply gives you a personal before-and-after to compare once the system is back up.
If a panel is already cracked or the system was not producing before we arrive, tell us. Pre-existing problems get recorded at the start rather than argued about later. Our post on a cracked panel or dead solar before a re-roof covers that situation.
What happens after removal
Once the deck is clear, the old mount penetrations belong to the roof. Your roofer details them into the new roofing during the re-roof. When the new roof is on, we come back for panel reinstallation - new feet and flashing, remount from the labels, reconnection, and a production check at the inverter before the job is called done.
How long the system stays offline depends on the roof scope. The cost drivers and offline window post explains what affects it.
FAQ
Do I need to be home on removal day?
Not necessarily, as long as the crew can reach the roof, the inverter, the disconnects, and the staging area. Tell us what access looks like when you schedule.
Will my power go out?
No. The house stays on utility power. Only solar production stops until the system is reconnected and tested.
Where do the panels go?
They are staged out of the roofing crew's way, usually on site. You get a written count of what came off and where it is staged.
What should I tell my roofer?
The date the panels will be off. If you hired us first, we reach out to your roofer and work out that schedule directly.
Next step
Send the address, a rough panel count, and your roofer's target date through the contact page. Phoenix Solar Removal will come back with what the solar side of the job takes, and you can read more about solar panel removal before then.