If you need both a new roof and solar, you have a decision to make: do them separately, or do them together. The right answer depends on roof age, your financial situation, and your timeline. This article walks through the math so you can make the right call.

The basic rule of thumb

Solar panels last 25-30 years. Asphalt shingle roofs last 20-25 years. If you install solar on a 10-year-old roof, you'll be replacing the roof while the solar panels still have 10+ years of life — meaning you'll pay $3,000-$8,000 to remove and re-install the panels to replace shingles underneath. That's a real cost most homeowners don't see coming.

The basic rule: if your roof has less than 12-15 years of remaining life, replace the roof first or do both projects together.

Option 1 — Replace roof first, then add solar later

This is the conservative path. You replace the roof with a 25-30 year warranty material, then 6-12 months later, you start the solar process. Pros and cons:

Pros:

Cons:

Option 2 — Solar now, replace roof later

This is the riskiest path if your roof is under 15 years old. Skipping or delaying the roof now means paying for removal/re-install later.

Pros:

Cons:

This path only makes sense if your roof has 15+ years of remaining life and is in good condition.

Option 3 — Combined solar + roof project

This has become much more common in 2024-2026 as specialized financing emerged that bundles both projects into a single monthly payment.

How it works: The installer handles both projects on the same timeline — typically replacing the roof first (1-3 days), then immediately installing solar on the fresh roof (1-2 days more). Combined financing (often through GoodLeap, Service Finance, Sunlight, or similar lenders) creates one monthly payment that covers both.

Pros:

Cons:

The decision framework

Here's how to think about which option fits you:

How Energy Pros handles this

When you complete the qualification check, we ask about roof age and condition. If your roof is over 15 years old, we match you with installers who handle combined solar + roofing projects. They'll quote both options:

  1. Solar only (if you accept the future removal/reinstall risk)
  2. Roof replacement first, then solar in 6-12 months
  3. Combined solar + roofing on one financing structure

You get to see the numbers side-by-side and pick what works for your situation. No commitment to do both — sometimes after seeing the quote, homeowners decide to do just the roof now and revisit solar in a year.

The energy-price angle

Timing matters in both directions. If electricity rates are rising in your area, delaying solar can mean another year of high utility bills. But installing solar on a roof that may fail soon creates extra removal-and-reinstallation costs later. That's why comparing solar and roofing together is often smarter than treating them as separate projects — you avoid wasted work and can finance both as one payment.

Weighing roof vs. solar first? See how to do both together →