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Roofing Services

Solar Removal & Reinstallation in New Jersey

If you've got solar on your roof and the roof needs to come off, you need a crew that's done this specific sequence many times. A removal-and-reinstall is not a regular solar install in reverse — it's a coordinated project that has to line up with a roofing contractor's schedule, protect the existing modules and microinverters from damage during storage, account for wiring that may or may not be reusable, and end with an array that's flashed properly to the new roof and still meets current NJ electrical code. We do this work across our service area for homeowners whose original solar installer is gone, unreachable, or unwilling to take the job on. We can pair with your chosen roofing contractor or handle the roof replacement ourselves as a single project. Either way, the goal is the same: your roof gets replaced, your solar comes back online producing at or above its pre-removal output, and the whole thing finishes inside the timeline we quoted you at the start.

  • 25-Yr Warranty
  • Licensed & Insured
  • NABCEP Certified
  • $0-Down Financing
What's Included

Everything you get when you work with us.

  • Array removal

    Complete detachment of modules, microinverters or optimizers, rapid-shutdown devices, rails, and flashings — labeled and photographed for correct reinstall.

  • On-site secure storage

    Modules palletized and covered, electronics stored indoors or in a locked trailer. We don't leave expensive equipment exposed in a driveway for a week.

  • Coordination with your roofer

    We schedule removal for the day before tear-off and reinstall the day after final roofing inspection — so the roofer gets an empty deck and you get solar back quickly.

  • New flashings on reinstall

    Every attachment point gets a new QuickMount PV or equivalent flashing. We do not reuse old flashings, even if they look fine.

  • Code compliance update

    If your original install predates current NJ rapid-shutdown or grounding requirements, we'll flag what's needed and quote any updates separately before we proceed.

  • Commissioning & production check

    After reinstall, we verify every microinverter or optimizer is reporting, confirm production matches pre-removal performance, and file any required utility notification.

How We Work

From first call to flipped switch.

  1. Pre-project Evaluation

    We come out, look at the array, pull monitoring data to baseline production, and confirm the roofing timeline. You get a written scope that specifies exactly what's removed, stored, and reinstalled — plus anything that needs updating for current code.

  2. Removal Day

    Usually a single day for a residential array. Modules labeled by position, wiring harnesses coiled and tagged, electronics boxed. Roof penetrations are weatherproofed temporarily so the roofer isn't exposed to bare holes.

  3. Roofing Window

    Your roofing contractor (or our roofing crew) tears off and replaces the roof. We stay in touch with the roofer about where the array will return so the shingles get laid correctly and any pre-flashing is installed at the right locations.

  4. Reinstallation

    New flashings, new rails where warranted, modules and electronics returned to their mapped positions. Typical residential reinstall is one to two days depending on array size and whether any code updates are bundled in.

  5. Recommissioning

    We energize the system, walk the production data module by module, confirm the array is producing at expected levels, and update your monitoring app if anything changed. You get a written closeout report.

Deeper Dive

Why this matters.

Why this is harder than it looks

A removal-and-reinstall carries more risk than a fresh solar install because the equipment isn't new. Modules from ten years ago have connectors that have been torqued once and sometimes don't re-seat cleanly. Older Enphase microinverters have been weathering NJ summers and winters for a decade and need careful inspection during reinstall — occasionally one fails from the handling itself, and we need to catch that during commissioning. Wiring insulation degrades over time. Flashings from an original install cannot be reused reliably. None of this is a reason to avoid the project, but it is a reason to hire a crew that does this specific work regularly. We've reinstalled arrays originally put up by installers who are no longer in business, and we know where the surprises hide.

Coordinating with your roofing contractor

The most common failure mode on removal-and-reinstall projects is scheduling. Roofer finishes the tear-off, shingles go on, and then the solar team is three weeks out — meaning the homeowner loses three weeks of production and has to deal with an array sitting in their driveway. We try hard to prevent that. When homeowners bring us in alongside their own roofing contractor, we ask for the roofer's start date and plan removal for one business day earlier and reinstall for one business day after the final inspection. When we handle the roofing ourselves, we run both scopes on a single integrated schedule, which is usually the fastest path. Either way, we communicate proactively with the roofer about penetration locations and flashing handoff.

Bringing older systems up to current code

New Jersey's electrical code for solar has tightened meaningfully since 2017 — module-level rapid shutdown became required on most rooftop systems in the 2017 NEC, grounding requirements evolved, and newer utility interconnection standards apply to any system altered in certain ways. When an older array comes off for a roof replacement, we have to evaluate whether the reinstall triggers compliance updates. Sometimes the answer is no — simple like-for-like reinstalls often don't — but sometimes a rapid-shutdown retrofit or a grounding update is required to get the system re-inspected and re-approved. We'll tell you in writing before the project starts which updates apply and what they'll cost. Nothing gets added to the invoice mid-project.

Typical timeline and what to expect

For a standard residential array of twenty to thirty-five modules, a full removal-and-reinstall project coordinated with a roof replacement runs about five to eight calendar days end to end. Removal day is typically a Monday, roofing happens Tuesday and Wednesday, final inspection Thursday, and reinstall Thursday-Friday. Larger or more complex residential jobs — bigger arrays, architectural shingle with ridge vents to rework, or multiple service visits from the township — can stretch to two weeks. We give you a written day-by-day schedule before work starts, and if weather or an inspector's schedule shifts something, we call you the same day to revise. You should not be surprised by your own project timeline.

Warranty considerations when reinstalling

If your original installer is still in business and the system is under their workmanship warranty, check with them first — some installers void their own warranty if another company touches the array. Most of our removal-and-reinstall customers don't have an active installer warranty anymore (the original company has dissolved, been acquired, or stopped servicing NJ), so the question is moot. Manufacturer warranties on the modules and microinverters are carried by the product, not the installer, and are unaffected by our handling as long as we follow the manufacturer's reinstallation guidance — which we do, and document in our closeout report. Our own workmanship warranty applies to everything we install during the reinstall, including the new flashings and rails.

Common Questions

FAQs about removal & reinstallation.

Can I just leave the panels on during the roof replacement?

Not advisable. Replacing shingles under an array means the roofer can't properly install underlayment, ice-and-water shield, or flashing at the array footprint — which leaves you with a compromised roof underneath expensive equipment. A few very small jobs can technically work around the panels, but on any meaningful roof replacement the array needs to come off.

Will my production be the same after reinstall?

It should be, within a small margin. We baseline your production before removal using monitoring data and confirm reinstalled production matches that baseline. If a microinverter or module failed during removal or storage, we flag it during commissioning and file the warranty claim on your behalf before closing the project out.

Do you work directly with my roofing contractor?

Yes, and this is the most common arrangement. Once we understand your roofer's schedule, we handle all the coordination — permit updates if needed, on-site communication about flashing and penetrations, and pacing the reinstall against their final inspection. You don't need to referee between the two crews.

What if my inverter or panels are at end of life?

Sometimes a removal-and-reinstall is the natural moment to update older equipment, especially if the original string inverter is twelve years old and unreliable. We don't push this — if the equipment is healthy, we reinstall what you have. If it isn't, we give you the option of bundling an inverter replacement or module swap into the reinstall at a modest incremental cost.

Is there a permit for removal and reinstallation?

Most NJ townships treat a like-for-like removal and reinstall as not requiring a new electrical permit, but some do. If any code updates are bundled in (rapid shutdown retrofit, inverter swap, service panel work), a permit and inspection are required. We handle whichever path applies and include it in the written scope up front.

Also Consider

Other ways we can help.

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