If your roof needs replacing and there are solar panels on it, the panels have to come off first and go back on afterward. That work is called a solar detach and reset, and it is a real line item on the project. The first thing most homeowners want to know is who pays for it.

Homeowners insurance usually covers solar panel removal and reinstallation when the roof is being replaced because of a covered loss, such as hail or wind damage. It generally does not cover removal when the roof is being replaced because of age or normal wear.

The rest of this article explains why, what you may still owe on a covered claim, and what to ask your insurer. For the work itself, see our complete guide to solar detach and reset in Colorado.

Why insurance usually pays on a covered roof claim

Most insurers treat roof-mounted solar panels as part of the home’s structure, covered under the dwelling portion of the policy. When a covered event damages the roof, the insurer owes the cost of repairing or replacing it.

A roof can’t be torn off and replaced underneath a mounted array. Taking the panels down and putting them back is a necessary cost of the covered repair, so solar panel removal and reinstallation normally appears on the insurance estimate as its own line, next to tear-off, underlayment, and flashing.

The panels do not need to be damaged for this to apply. If hail ruined the shingles around an undamaged array, the array still has to come off.

When insurance does not cover solar panel removal

• The roof is worn out. Insurance covers sudden, accidental damage, not maintenance. If you are re-roofing because of age, the detach and reset is your cost. Our guide to planning a roof replacement with solar panels and our breakdown of what it costs to remove and reinstall solar panels in Colorado will help you budget.
• The policy excludes the damage. Some policies limit wind and hail coverage, exclude cosmetic damage, or carve out solar equipment.
• The insurer approves a repair, not a replacement. If the repair area is not under the array, nothing needs to come off. The Colorado Roofing Association reports that insurers are increasingly weighing repairs before approving a full replacement.
• The loss is smaller than your deductible. There is no claim payment to cover anything.
• You are making elective changes. Moving the array to a different roof plane or adding panels during the reset is an upgrade, not part of the loss.

What you may still pay on a covered claim

Covered does not mean free. Three things decide your out-of-pocket cost.

Your deductible. Many Colorado policies now carry a separate wind and hail deductible set as a percentage of your dwelling coverage, typically 1% to 5%, according to the Colorado Roofing Association. On a home insured for $500,000, a 2% deductible is $10,000. That deductible typically applies once to the whole claim, roof and solar together.

How your roof is valued. A replacement cost policy pays to replace the roof with new materials. An actual cash value policy subtracts depreciation, which can leave a gap on an older roof. Ask your agent how your policy treats the solar removal labor.

The gap between the first estimate and the real job. An adjuster’s first estimate may price the detach and reset with a generic per-panel number. Steep pitch, multiple roof planes, and older racking can all push the real cost higher. A detailed scope from your solar contractor is what supports a revised amount. We walk through that step in how a detach and reset insurance claim works in Colorado .

One Colorado rule to know: under Senate Bill 38, a roofing contractor cannot pay, waive, or rebate your deductible. Treat any “free roof” offer as a warning sign.

What if the panels themselves are damaged?

That is a separate question from removal. Hail-damaged panels are usually claimed as damage to the dwelling, and a damaged panel is replaced, not reset.

The detach is the best time to find out. With the array down, each panel can be inspected and tested for cracks that are invisible from the ground. Start with what to do after hail hits your solar panels, or see our solar hail damage repair service.

What if your system is leased or under a PPA?

The solar company owns the equipment, so your agreement controls who may remove it and at what price. Some providers require their own crew or an approved contractor.

Your homeowners claim may still pay for the removal as part of the roof work. Call the provider before you schedule anything, and send your insurer a copy of the agreement.

Questions to ask your insurance company

1. Are my roof-mounted panels covered under dwelling coverage, and are there any solar or hail exclusions?
2. Is panel removal and reinstallation included in the roof replacement scope?
3. What is my wind and hail deductible in dollars?
4. Is my roof covered at replacement cost or actual cash value?
5. Do I have ordinance or law coverage if the reinstall has to meet newer Colorado wind-load requirements?
6. Can I choose my own licensed solar contractor, and what paperwork do you need from them?

Frequently asked questions

Does insurance cover solar panel removal if my roof is just old?

No. A roof replaced for age or wear is maintenance, and the detach and reset is part of that cost.

Do I pay a second deductible for the solar work?

Typically not. Removal and reinstallation is part of the roof claim, so one deductible normally applies. Confirm this with your insurer.

Can my roofer remove the panels under the claim?

The insurer pays for the work, not for a particular crew. A solar array is a live electrical system, and most manufacturers require qualified handling to keep warranties intact, so use a licensed solar contractor.

How much will insurance pay for a detach and reset?

It depends on system size, roof complexity, and mounting type. A project-specific estimate is the only reliable figure.

Get an insurance-ready estimate

Vanguard’s in-house estimating team prepares detailed detach and reset scopes that adjusters can work from, and our NABCEP-certified crews do the removal and reinstallation themselves. Read the complete guide to solar detach and reset in Colorado, or request a free estimate.

This article is general information, not insurance or legal advice. Coverage depends on your policy. Confirm the details with your insurer or agent.

Related Articles: Do Solar Panels Need to Be Removed When Replacing a Roof? A Homeowner’s Planning Guide

Why There’s No One-Size Price

A detach and reset is a labor-intensive, skilled job: documenting and testing a live electrical system, safely removing and storing equipment, then reinstalling it to code and re-sealing your roof. The amount of work involved swings widely from house to house. A small, simple, single-plane array on a one-story home is a very different job from a large system spread across a steep, multi-level roof. So rather than quote a number that could mislead you, it’s more useful to understand what moves the price.

The Factors That Affect Cost

1. System Size

The most direct driver. More panels mean more labor to remove, label, store, and reinstall — and more electrical connections to disconnect and re-verify. A larger array simply takes more crew hours on both ends.

2. Roof Complexity

A steep pitch, significant height, or multiple roof planes all make the work harder and slower. Panels on a simple, walkable, single-plane roof come off and go back on faster than an array split across a complex roofline.

3. Racking and Mounting Type

Some racking systems come apart and reassemble cleanly; others are more labor-intensive. The mounting method your system uses affects how much time the detach and reset takes.

4. Whether Any Components Need Replacing

A true detach and reset reuses your existing panels and racking, which keeps costs down. But if inspection reveals hail-cracked panels, corroded racking, or components at the end of their life, replacing them adds cost. (The upside: catching this while the array is already down is far cheaper than discovering it later.)

5. Code-Compliance Upgrades

This one is Colorado-specific. Following the Marshall Fire, the state updated wind-load requirements affecting how solar systems must be secured. If your system is older, a code-compliant reinstall may require different or additional mounting than you originally had — which can affect the cost. (See How Colorado’s Wind Load & Building Code Changes Affect Solar Installations.)

6. Coordination, Permitting, and Utility Requirements

Sequencing with your roofing contractor, any required permits, re-inspection, and utility notification all factor into the overall scope.

The Big One: Insurance Often Covers It

Here’s what changes the cost conversation entirely for a lot of Colorado homeowners. If your roof replacement is the result of covered storm or hail damage, the cost of removing and reinstalling your solar panels is often included in the insurance claim — because the panels have to come off for the covered roof repair to happen.

Coverage depends on your specific policy, deductible, and how clearly the detach-and-reset scope is documented for your adjuster. But in practice, when the paperwork is prepared correctly, many homeowners pay little to no out-of-pocket cost for a covered D&R. This is why working with a solar company that prepares insurance-ready estimates and coordinates directly with your carrier can make a real financial difference — sometimes the difference between a big bill and almost none.

Why the Cheapest Bid Isn’t Always the Cheapest

It’s tempting to let a general roofing crew handle the panels for less, or to take the lowest number. But a detach and reset done poorly has expensive tails:

• Voided warranties on panels and inverters worth tens of thousands of dollars, if unqualified hands touch the equipment
• Leaks from improperly sealed roof penetrations, damaging your brand-new roof
• Lost production from panels reconnected wrong or remounted at a bad angle — quiet losses that show up as higher utility bills for years

A qualified specialist who protects your warranties, seals your roof correctly, and verifies your production is usually the cheaper choice once you count the risks the low bid ignores.

How to Get an Accurate Number

The only way to know your real cost is a project-specific estimate based on your system size, roof, racking, and — if applicable — your insurance claim. A good contractor will document and assess your system, prepare a clear scope, and, when insurance is involved, coordinate directly with your carrier so you know your actual out-of-pocket up front.

Get Your Free Estimate

At Vanguard, our in-house estimating team prepares detailed, insurance-ready scopes and coordinates directly with carriers and roofing contractors — so Colorado homeowners get an accurate number and, on covered claims, often little to no out-of-pocket cost. Our NABCEP-certified crews handle the whole detach and reset in-house.

Request your free detach-and-reset estimate today.

For the full picture, read our complete guide to residential solar detach and reset in Colorado, or explore our Solar Removal & Reinstallation service and Solar Hail Damage Repair.

If you’ve been told your solar panels need to come off — for a roof replacement, a repair, or a renovation — it’s natural to wonder what that actually involves. Is someone just unbolting panels and stacking them in the driveway? Not if it’s done right. A proper solar panel removal and reinstallation (also called a detach and reset, or D&R) is a careful, documented process from start to finish.

Here’s the full walkthrough, step by step, the way our crews run it.

Step 1: System Documentation and Baseline Testing

Before a single panel comes off, the array is documented and tested. This is the step amateurs skip and professionals never do. It includes:

• Array mapping and documentation — recording exactly how the system is laid out
• Inverter diagnostics — confirming the inverter’s current health
• Voltage testing — measuring the system’s electrical performance
• Photographic documentation — a visual record of the starting condition
• Warranty issue identification — flagging any pre-existing faults

Why bother? Because this establishes a performance baseline. It puts any pre-existing issues on record, supports manufacturer warranty claims if something’s already wrong, and gives us a benchmark to prove the system performs just as well after reinstallation.

Step 2: Safe Shutdown and De-Energizing

A solar array is a live electrical system carrying DC current, so it can’t just be unbolted. Licensed technicians power the system down and safely de-energize it before anyone handles the hardware. This is electrical work, and doing it correctly is both a safety issue and a code-compliance issue — one of the clearest reasons this job belongs with qualified solar professionals rather than a general labor crew.

Step 3: Panel and Racking Removal

With the system safely de-energized, the crew removes the panels, then the racking and mounting hardware. Every component is handled methodically to avoid scratches, cracks, or damage. As pieces come off, they’re labeled and organized so that every panel, rail, and bracket can be accounted for and reinstalled correctly.

Step 4: Safe Storage

The removed panels, racking, and hardware are stored safely while the underlying work happens — labeled, organized, and protected from damage, either in a secure on-site staging area or transported off-site depending on the project. The principle is simple: everything that came down goes back up, undamaged. Careless storage is a common way panels get cracked or lost, so this step matters more than it seems.

Step 5: Inspection While Everything’s Apart

With the array off and the roof exposed, components are accessible in a way they never are once the system is back up. It’s the ideal moment for a thorough inspection of:

• The panels for micro-cracks, hail damage, or delamination
• The wiring and connectors for wear or corrosion
• The racking for corrosion or fatigue
• The roof attachments and flashing, which will be replaced and resealed on reinstall

In Colorado, where many removals are triggered by hail in the first place, this inspection can catch panel damage that belongs in an insurance claim — before the panels go back up.

Step 6: The Underlying Work (Usually Roofing)

This is the middle of the project — the reason the panels came off. Most often it’s a roof replacement, done by a roofing crew on a now-clean, unobstructed deck. Because this involves a separate trade, coordination is critical: the schedule has to be sequenced so the roof isn’t left exposed and the system isn’t offline any longer than necessary. We regularly coordinate directly with homeowners’ roofing contractors to keep this tight.

Step 7: Reinstallation (the “Reset”)

Once the roof (or other work) is finished, the array goes back up. Reinstallation means:

• Remounting the panels and racking on the new surface
• Re-flashing and sealing every roof penetration with fresh flashing and sealant, so the new roof stays watertight
• Reconnecting the electrical system correctly and to current code
• Reinstalling to today’s standards — in Colorado, updated wind-load requirements may call for different or additional mounting than the system originally had

This is where roofing knowledge and solar knowledge overlap, and where shortcuts cause the water damage that shows up months or years later.

Step 8: System Testing and Reconnection

The final step is proving the system works. Technicians power the array back up and verify:

• Inverter function
• Wiring integrity
• System output against the baseline from Step 1

Any required re-inspection or utility notification is handled here too. The project isn’t finished until the system produces exactly as it did before it came down.

Why the Process Order Matters

Every step in this sequence exists to protect something — your warranty, your production, your new roof, or your safety. Skip the baseline testing and you can’t prove performance. Rush the storage and you damage panels. Let an unqualified crew handle the electrical or the flashing and you risk voided warranties, failed inspections, or leaks. The whole point of a professional detach and reset is that nothing is left to chance.

How Long Does It Take?

A typical residential removal and reinstallation runs 2–4 days, depending on system size and whether roof work happens in between. Removal is usually one day; reinstallation and reconnection follow once the middle work is done.

Ready to Get Started?

If your panels need to come off, the process is only as good as the crew running it. At Vanguard, our NABCEP-certified technicians perform every step in-house — documentation, removal, storage, inspection, reinstallation, and testing — with decades of combined solar and roofing expertise behind them.

Request a free removal and reinstallation estimate.

Learn more in our complete guide to residential solar detach and reset in Colorado, or explore our Solar Removal & Reinstallation and Solar Troubleshooting & Diagnostics services.

Solar is everywhere on Colorado rooftops now, which means more and more home sales involve a house with an existing solar system. And that raises questions a standard home inspection often doesn’t answer: Is the system working properly? Who owns it? Is it a selling point, or a liability?

Whether you’re buying, selling, or the realtor guiding the deal, a dedicated solar inspection before closing protects everyone involved. Here’s why it matters and what it covers.

Why a Standard Home Inspection Isn’t Enough

A general home inspector will note that a house has solar panels, but most aren’t equipped to evaluate the system itself. A solar array is specialized equipment, electrical, structural, and roof-integrated all at once, and assessing it properly takes solar-specific expertise.

A standard inspection typically won’t tell you:

• Whether the panels are actually producing at the level they should
• If there’s hidden damage, like hail micro-cracks, reducing output
• Whether the system was installed and mounted to code
• If the roof penetrations are properly sealed
• What condition the inverter and electrical components are in
• How the system is owned or financed, and what transfers to the buyer

Those unknowns are exactly where solar deals go sideways. A focused solar inspection fills the gap.

What a Solar Inspection Covers

A proper pre-sale solar inspection looks at the whole system, not just whether the lights are on:

Panel condition — Checking for cracked or damaged panels and hidden hail micro-cracks that quietly reduce output. Colorado’s hail history makes this especially important.

Production and performance — Verifying the system is generating the energy it should, so a buyer knows they’re getting what they’re paying for.

Mounting and structural integrity — Confirming the array is securely attached and meets code, which matters given Colorado’s wind load requirements.

Roof penetrations and sealing — Making sure mount points are properly flashed and sealed, since poorly sealed penetrations lead to leaks in a roof the buyer will inherit.

Electrical components — Assessing the inverter, wiring, and connections for condition and safety.

Documentation — Reviewing permits, warranties, and system records that should transfer with the home.

For Sellers: Solar as an Asset, Not a Question Mark

If you’re selling a home with solar, a clean inspection turns your system from a potential sticking point into a genuine selling feature. Buyers are understandably cautious about equipment they don’t understand. A recent, professional solar inspection reassures them that:

• The system works and produces as advertised
• There’s no hidden damage or looming repair
• The roof underneath is sound and properly sealed
• The paperwork, warranties, and ownership are in order

That confidence can be the difference between a solar system that helps sell your home and one that gives buyers cold feet. It also heads off surprises that could stall or renegotiate the deal late in the process.

If the inspection does turn up an issue, better to know before you list. Repairing a problem, or a detach and reset to fix roof sealing, on your own timeline is far less stressful than scrambling during a contract contingency period.

For Buyers: Know What You’re Inheriting

If you’re buying a home with solar, that system is now your responsibility, along with any problems it has. A pre-purchase solar inspection tells you exactly what you’re getting before you’re committed.

Key things to understand:

Ownership and financing. Is the system owned outright, financed with a loan, or under a lease or power purchase agreement? This dramatically affects what you’re taking on. Owned systems transfer cleanly; leases and PPAs require assuming an agreement, which needs careful review. Clarify this early.

Actual condition. An inspection confirms the panels, inverter, and mounting are sound, and flags issues like hail damage or improper installation before they become your expensive surprise.

Roof implications. Because panels are mounted through the roof, their condition and sealing directly affect the roof you’re buying. This is a package deal.

Walking into a purchase with a clear picture of the solar system, rather than assumptions, is simply smart.

For Realtors: Protect Your Deal and Your Clients

For real estate agents, solar systems are an increasingly common wildcard. A trusted solar inspection partner helps you:

• Close deals smoothly by resolving solar questions early
• Protect your clients from inheriting hidden problems
• Turn a seller’s solar into a marketable asset with documented performance
• Avoid last-minute contingency surprises that threaten closings

Having a go-to solar professional you can call for a fast, clear assessment makes you the agent who handles solar deals confidently while others get stuck.

Don’t Let Solar Be the Unknown in Your Deal

A home’s solar system shouldn’t be a mystery that everyone hopes works out. Whether you’re listing, buying, or brokering, a professional solar inspection replaces guesswork with clear answers, protecting the deal and everyone in it.

If a home sale in Colorado involves solar, reach out for a free assessment. As a Colorado-owned company with decades of combined solar and roofing expertise, we inspect the full system, panels, mounting, sealing, and electrical, and give buyers, sellers, and agents the clear picture they need to close with confidence.

Related reading: Solar Hail Damage in Colorado: What to Do After a Storm and our complete guide to solar panel removal and reinstallation in Colorado.

Short Answer: Yes, the Panels Come Off First

In nearly every case, your solar panels must be removed before a new roof can go on, then reinstalled afterward. Your array is bolted through the roof deck and covers much of the surface, and a proper roof replacement means stripping down to the deck and starting clean. There’s no re-roofing around panels, and leaving old penetrations under a new roof is how leaks begin. This removal-and-reinstall job is called a solar detach and reset.

For the full “why it has to happen this way” explanation, see our companion post, Do You Need to Remove Solar Panels for a Roof Replacement?. This article picks up where that one leaves off: how to plan the project.

The Right Sequence — and Who Does What

A roof replacement with solar is two trades that have to be choreographed. Here’s the sequence a well-run project follows:

1. Solar detach — a solar specialist documents and tests the system, powers it down, disconnects it safely, and removes the panels, racking, and hardware, labeling and storing everything.
2. Re-roof — the roofing crew tears off and replaces the roof on a clean, unobstructed deck.
3. Solar reset — the solar specialist remounts the array, re-flashes and seals every penetration, reconnects the system, and powers it back up.
4. Testing — the system is confirmed to be producing at full output, with any re-inspection or utility notification handled.

The make-or-break detail is timing steps 1 through 3 so your roof is never left open to Colorado weather and your system is offline for the shortest possible window. This is why so many homeowners now prefer a team that understands both the solar and roofing sides and can schedule the whole thing as one coordinated project rather than juggling two contractors who don’t talk to each other.

What to Budget For

Your roof replacement and your detach and reset are two separate line items. When you’re budgeting, plan for:

• The re-roof itself (your roofer’s scope)
• The detach and reset (your solar contractor’s scope), which varies with system size, roof complexity, and racking type
• Any code-compliance upgrades — in Colorado, updated wind-load rules can mean your reinstall needs additional or different mounting
• Any equipment that shouldn’t go back up — if inspection finds hail-cracked panels or corroded racking

If the roof job stems from covered storm or hail damage, the detach and reset is often included in the insurance claim — potentially with little to no out-of-pocket cost. We break the numbers down in How Much Does It Cost to Remove and Reinstall Solar Panels in Colorado?

How Long Will My System Be Offline?

A typical detach and reset runs 2–4 days, depending on system size and how the roofing slots in between. Removal is usually a single day; reinstallation and reconnection follow once the roof is done. A good contractor schedules it so your downtime is minimal and your roof is never exposed overnight to weather.

Will This Affect My Warranty or Production?

It can — for better or worse — depending entirely on who does the work:

• Warranties stay intact when qualified solar professionals handle the equipment to manufacturer specifications. An untrained crew can void panel and inverter warranties worth tens of thousands of dollars.
• Production stays consistent when the array is remounted at the correct angle, wired correctly, and reconnected to code. Sloppy reinstalls can quietly underproduce for years, showing up only as higher utility bills.

This is the core reason to keep your panels in the hands of a dedicated solar specialist rather than a general roofing crew — a point we make in detail in our companion article.

The Questions to Ask Before Work Starts

Before you sign anything, ask:

• Who is physically removing and reinstalling my panels — the roofer, or a qualified solar contractor?
• Are the crews NABCEP-certified, and is the electrical work done by licensed technicians?
• Will you document and test my system before removal so there’s a performance baseline?
• How will you re-flash and seal every roof penetration on reinstall?
• Will you reinstall to current Colorado wind-load code, and will that require new mounting?
• How will the solar and roofing schedules be coordinated so my roof isn’t left exposed?
• If this is an insurance claim, can you prepare a documented D&R scope for my carrier?

If a contractor can’t answer these cleanly, keep looking.

A Smart Moment to Inspect Your Panels

Because so many Colorado roof replacements are triggered by hail, the detach is the ideal time to inspect the panels themselves for micro-cracks and marginal components before they go back up. Since the array is already down, it costs nothing extra in access — and it can catch damage that belongs in your insurance claim. See Solar Hail Damage in Colorado: What to Do After a Storm for more.

The Bottom Line

Yes, your panels have to come off for a roof replacement — that part is simple. What separates a smooth project from an expensive headache is the planning: the right sequence, a

Related reading: Buying or Selling a Home with Solar Panels in Colorado? Get an Inspection First

If you own a home with solar panels in Colorado, there’s a good chance you’ll eventually need those panels taken off and put back on. A roof replacement, a hailstorm, a renovation, or an insurance claim can all lead to the same place: your array has to come down temporarily and go back up correctly. In the solar industry, that job is called a solar detach and reset.

This guide walks through the entire process from start to finish — what detach and reset actually means, why homeowners need it, how the work is done, what it costs, who pays when insurance is involved, and what makes Colorado a little different from anywhere else. Whether you’re staring down a roof replacement or just planning ahead, here’s what you need to know.

If you’d rather talk it through with a person, you can request a free detach-and-reset estimate at any point.

What Is a Solar Detach and Reset?

A solar detach and reset is the process of safely removing a solar panel system from a roof and then reinstalling it — usually so that work underneath the panels, most often a roof replacement, can be completed. “Detach” is the removal half. “Reset” is the reinstallation half. Together the industry shortens it to D&R.

It’s a bigger job than it sounds, because a solar array isn’t just resting on your roof. The panels are bolted through the roof deck at dozens of points, wired into a live electrical system, and connected to your inverter and your utility meter. Taking that apart and putting it back together safely takes a qualified solar removal and reinstallation crew — not a general labor team.

At its core, a proper detach and reset means the panels, racking, and hardware come off; the underlying work gets done; and the system goes back up, gets resealed at every roof penetration, gets reconnected to code, and gets tested to confirm it produces exactly as it did before.

Detach and Reset vs. Remove and Reinstall vs. Remove and Replace

These terms get used interchangeably, and that causes confusion, so here’s the plain-language breakdown:

• Detach and reset (D&R) and remove and reinstall (R&R) mean the same thing: your existing panels come off and the same panels go back on. Nothing is being bought new. Different companies simply prefer different labels — you’ll hear “solar D&R,” “solar R&R,” “detach and reset,” and “removal and reinstallation” all describing this one service.
• Remove and replace is different in an important way. “Replace” implies the old panels come off and new equipment goes on — typically because the original panels are damaged, obsolete, or underperforming. So “remove and replace” is really a removal plus a partial or full system replacement, not a reset of your existing array.

For most Colorado homeowners facing a roof job, what you actually want is a detach and reset — the same panels, reinstalled properly. You only move toward remove-and-replace if an inspection shows your panels are no longer worth putting back up.

Why Homeowners Need Solar Panels Removed

There are a handful of common reasons a homeowner ends up needing a detach and reset:

• Roof replacement — by far the most common reason. Panels have to come off to re-roof the surface underneath.
• Roof repair — significant repairs to the area under an array require temporary removal.
• Hail and storm damage — Colorado’s specialty. A hailstorm can total a roof and damage panels at the same time.
• Home renovations — additions, dormers, or structural work under the array.
• Relocating the array — moving panels to a sunnier roof plane for better production.
• Correcting a bad original install — re-mounting a system that was installed poorly the first time.

The single biggest driver, though, is roof replacement — so it’s worth its own section.

Solar Removal for Roof Replacement

In nearly every case, solar panels must be removed before a roof can be replaced, then reinstalled afterward. There’s no working around them. A roof replacement means tearing the old roof down to the deck and starting fresh, and that can’t happen with an array bolted over the top of it. Trying to re-roof around panels — or leaving old flashing and penetrations in place under a new roof — is exactly how leaks start.

Done right, a roof replacement with solar is really two coordinated jobs in a specific order: detach the system, re-roof the clean surface, reinstall the array with fresh flashing and sealant at every penetration, then test to confirm full production. The tricky part is timing those steps so your roof is never left exposed and your system is offline for the shortest time possible.

We cover this scenario in depth in Do You Need to Remove Solar Panels for a Roof Replacement?

Hail and Storm Damage

Colorado sits in one of the most hail-prone regions in the country, and hail is the reason a huge share of local roof replacements happen in the first place. When a storm damages your roof, two things are often true at once: the roof needs replacing, and the panels may have taken a hit too.

That makes the detach a smart moment to inspect the panels themselves. Hail can cause micro-cracks in solar cells that don’t show up visually but quietly reduce output for years. Since the panels are already coming down for the roof work, it’s the ideal time to check them for damage before they go back up and the next storm rolls through. If damage is found, that finding can also become part of your insurance claim.

For more on this, see our Solar Hail Damage Repair service and our article Solar Hail Damage in Colorado: What to Do After a Storm.

Insurance Claims and Solar D&R

Here’s news that surprises a lot of homeowners: if your roof replacement results from covered storm or hail damage, the cost of removing and reinstalling your solar panels is often included in the insurance claim. The logic is simple — the panels have to come off for the covered roof repair to happen, so the D&R is part of the covered scope.

Coverage varies by policy and situation, so you’ll always want to confirm the specifics with your insurer. But in practice, when the paperwork is documented clearly, many Colorado homeowners pay little to no out-of-pocket cost for a covered detach and reset. The key is working with a solar company that can prepare a detailed, insurance-ready scope of work and coordinate directly with your carrier — which is exactly how our in-house estimating team approaches these claims.

What Happens During the Detach Process

A professional detach follows a careful sequence:

1. System documentation and baseline testing. Before anything comes off, technicians document the array layout, run inverter diagnostics, test voltage and output, and take photos. This establishes a performance baseline so any pre-existing issues are on record and post-reinstall performance can be verified.
2. Safe shutdown and de-energizing. The system carries live DC current. Licensed technicians power it down and safely disconnect it before anyone touches the hardware.
3. Panel and racking removal. Panels, racking, and mounting hardware are removed methodically.
4. Labeling and storage. Components are labeled and stored so nothing is damaged, mixed up, or lost while the roof work happens.

You can read a fuller step-by-step in our supporting article, How Does Solar Panel Removal and Reinstallation Work?

Where Panels Are Stored During Roofing

Once panels come off, they need somewhere safe to wait out the roofing. A quality crew stages and stores the panels, racking, and hardware carefully — labeled, organized, and protected from damage — either on-site in a secure staging area or transported off-site, depending on the project. The goal is simple: every component that came down goes back up, undamaged and accounted for. Loose handling and careless storage are a common way panels get scratched, cracked, or lost, which is one more reason this work belongs with a dedicated solar team.

Inspection of Panels, Wiring, Racking, and Attachments

With the array down and the roof exposed, everything is accessible in a way it never is otherwise — so it’s the perfect time for a thorough inspection. A good detach and reset includes checking:

• The panels for cracks, micro-fractures, delamination, or hail damage
• The wiring and connectors for wear, corrosion, or damage
• The racking and rails for corrosion or fatigue
• The roof attachments and flashing that will be replaced and resealed on reinstall
• The inverter and electrical components for proper function

This inspection is where problems get caught before they become expensive — and where warranty claims on faulty equipment can be identified while everything is apart.

Reinstallation and System Testing

The reset half is where craftsmanship really matters. Reinstallation means:

• Remounting the array on the new roof surface
• Re-flashing and sealing every penetration with fresh flashing and sealant, so your brand-new roof stays watertight
• Reconnecting the electrical system correctly and to current code
• Powering the system back up and testing it to confirm inverter function, wiring integrity, and full output

Any required re-inspection or utility notification is handled at this stage too. The finish line is simple: your system produces exactly as it did before, and your new roof is sealed to last.

Can the Same Panels and Racking Be Reused?

In most cases, yes. If your panels and racking are in good condition — which they often are — the same equipment goes right back up. That’s the whole point of a detach and reset versus a full replacement: you protect your existing investment rather than buying new hardware.

The exceptions come up when inspection reveals a problem: hail-cracked panels, corroded racking, outdated mounting that no longer meets current code, or components already at the end of their service life. In Colorado specifically, updated wind-load requirements can mean a code-compliant reinstall needs different or additional mounting than the system originally had. A qualified crew will tell you honestly what can be reused and what should be upgraded — and why.

How Long the Process Takes

A typical residential detach and reset takes 2–4 days, depending on your system size and whether roof work happens in between. Removal itself is usually completed in a single day. Reinstallation and reconnection follow once the roofing is finished. The whole thing is scheduled so your system is offline for the shortest time possible and your roof is never left exposed between trades.

What Detach and Reset Costs

Honest answer: it depends. Detach and reset isn’t a flat fee, because no two systems or roofs are identical. The factors that move the price include:

• System size — more panels means more labor to remove, store, and reinstall
• Roof complexity — steep pitch, height, and multiple roof planes add difficulty
• Racking and mounting type — some systems come apart more easily than others
• Whether components need replacing — reusing your existing equipment costs less than upgrading it
• Code-compliance upgrades — Colorado wind-load requirements may call for additional mounting
• Coordination with roofing and permitting

Because of all that, the most accurate way to know your cost is a project-specific estimate. We break down the cost factors more fully in How Much Does It Cost to Remove and Reinstall Solar Panels in Colorado? — and you can request a free estimate any time.

Who Pays for D&R When Insurance Is Involved

When your roof replacement is tied to a covered storm or hail claim, the detach and reset is frequently part of the covered scope — meaning your insurance carrier, not you, often covers most or all of it. As noted above, many homeowners end up with little to no out-of-pocket cost on covered claims.

The determining factors are your specific policy, your deductible, and how clearly the D&R scope is documented for the adjuster. This is precisely where a solar contractor who can prepare an insurance-ready estimate and coordinate directly with your carrier makes a real financial difference.

Why Homeowners Should Use a Qualified Solar Contractor

It’s tempting to let a roofing crew “just handle the panels” to save a step. This is the mistake that costs Colorado homeowners the most. Here’s why a dedicated solar contractor matters:

• It protects your warranties. Most panel and inverter manufacturers require qualified personnel to handle the equipment. Untrained handling can void warranties on hardware worth tens of thousands of dollars.
• It’s a live electrical system. Disconnecting and reconnecting a DC array correctly and to code is electrical work, not roofing work. Mistakes are both a safety hazard and a failed-inspection risk.
• Roof penetrations need expert sealing. Every mount point is a hole through your new roof. Sealing those correctly sits right at the intersection of roofing and solar knowledge — and it’s the most common place shortcuts cause water damage.
• Your production is protected. Panels reconnected wrong, remounted at a bad angle, or left with pinched wiring can underproduce for years with no obvious sign except higher bills.

At Vanguard, our NABCEP-certified crews perform all detach and reset work in-house rather than outsourcing it, which means tighter quality control, clearer communication, and full accountability from documentation to final testing. Our team also brings decades of combined solar and roofing expertise — the two skill sets a D&R actually requires.

Working With the Homeowner’s Roofing Company

Most detach and reset projects involve a separate roofing contractor doing the re-roof in the middle. The smoothest projects are the ones where the solar and roofing schedules are tightly coordinated so there are no gaps that leave your roof exposed or your system offline longer than necessary.

We regularly coordinate directly with homeowners’ roofing contractors — sequencing the detach before the roof job and the reset once it’s complete, and making sure roof penetrations are properly sealed and the array is properly aligned afterward. If you already have a roofer, we’ll work with them. The point is that both your roof and your solar get done right, on one coordinated timeline.

Colorado-Specific Considerations

A few things make detach and reset in Colorado different:

• Hail drives the demand. Colorado’s frequent, severe hail means a large share of roof replacements — and therefore detach and reset jobs — are storm-triggered and insurance-related.
• Building codes have changed. Following the Marshall Fire, Colorado updated wind-load requirements affecting how solar systems must be engineered and secured. An older system may need different or additional mounting to be reinstalled to today’s code. (See How Colorado’s Wind Load & Building Code Changes Affect Solar Installations.)
• Local matters. Codes, permitting, and utility coordination are handled best by a Colorado-owned, Colorado-based contractor who reinstalls to current standards — not the ones that applied when your panels first went up.

Frequently Asked Questions

• Why would I need my solar panels removed and reinstalled? The most common reason is a roof replacement or repair, since panels must be removed to access the roof deck. Other reasons include renovations, relocating the array for better sun exposure, or correcting a faulty original installation. Your existing system is removed, stored, and reinstalled — no need to buy new equipment.
• How long does a detach and reset take? Typically 2–4 days, depending on system size and whether roof work happens in between. Removal is usually one day; reinstallation and reconnection follow once roofing is done.
• Will removing my panels void the manufacturer warranty? When the work is performed by qualified solar professionals following manufacturer specifications, your warranty typically stays intact. Improper handling by an unqualified crew can void it.
• Can you coordinate with my roofing contractor? Yes. We routinely sequence the work directly with roofing contractors — detaching before the roof job and resetting afterward — so there are no scheduling gaps and every penetration is properly sealed.
• Can I reuse my existing panels and racking? Usually, yes, if they’re in good condition. Reuse is the whole point of a detach and reset. Panels or racking are only replaced if inspection finds damage, corrosion, or a code issue.
• Does insurance cover detach and reset? Often, when the roof replacement stems from covered storm or hail damage. Coverage depends on your policy, but many homeowners pay little to no out-of-pocket cost on covered claims when the scope is documented clearly.
• What happens to my panels while the roof is being replaced? They’re labeled, organized, and stored safely — protected from damage — until the roofing is finished and the array goes back up.
• Will my system produce the same after reinstallation? That’s the goal, and we test to confirm it. After reset, we verify inverter function, wiring integrity, and output so your array performs exactly as it did before.

Ready for a Detach and Reset Estimate?

If you’ve got a roof replacement, a hail claim, or any project that means your panels have to come down, the smartest first step is a project-specific estimate from a qualified solar team. As a Colorado-owned company with NABCEP-certified crews and decades of combined solar and roofing expertise, Vanguard coordinates the entire process — documentation, removal, storage, inspection, reinstallation, and testing — so your roof and your solar are both done right.

Request your free detach-and-reset estimate today.

Explore related services: Solar Removal & Reinstallation · New Residential Solar Installation · Solar Panel Maintenance · Solar Troubleshooting & Diagnostics · Solar Inspections for Home Buyers & Sellers · Residential Solar FAQs

A quick note: Energize Denver’s rules, deadlines, and incentives have been adjusted several times, and the city continues to update its technical guidance. Treat the figures below as a general overview, and confirm your building’s specific targets and deadlines with the city or a compliance professional before making decisions.

What Energize Denver Requires

Energize Denver applies to commercial, multifamily, and municipal buildings, with requirements that scale by building size.

Buildings 25,000 square feet and larger must submit annual benchmarking reports and meet progressive Energy Use Intensity (EUI) targets, with interim checkpoints leading to final targets around 2030 (or later for buildings granted a timeline extension). The overarching goal is roughly a 30% reduction in site energy use, though no building is required to reduce more than 42%.

Buildings between 5,000 and 24,999 square feet don’t get an EUI target. Instead, they meet a prescriptive requirement, typically upgrading 90% of lighting to LED or sourcing about 20% of their energy from renewables.

Buildings under 5,000 square feet generally face electrification requirements when they replace gas-fired heating and cooling equipment.

Miss a performance target and the penalty is assessed per unit of energy over the limit, charged annually until the building comes into compliance. For a large, energy-intensive building, that can add up to a substantial recurring cost.

Understanding EUI (The Metric That Matters)

For larger buildings, everything revolves around Energy Use Intensity. EUI measures a building’s energy use per square foot, expressed as kBtu divided by floor area. The lower the number, the more efficient the building.

There are two ways to lower your EUI: use less energy, or offset the energy you use with on-site renewable generation. Solar is the primary tool for the second approach.

How Solar Lowers Your EUI

Here’s the mechanism that makes solar so useful for compliance. The clean electricity your solar system generates is credited against your building’s energy consumption, which directly lowers your EUI. In other words, every kilowatt-hour your panels produce is a kilowatt-hour subtracted from what counts against your target.

That makes solar unique among compliance strategies. Efficiency upgrades like LED retrofits or better controls reduce how much energy you consume. Solar attacks the number from the generation side, offsetting consumption with power you produce on-site. Depending on your building’s starting point and available roof space, a well-sized system can close a significant portion, sometimes all, of the gap to your target.

For a rough sense of scale: a mid-sized office roof can host a system large enough to reduce that building’s EUI meaningfully, in many cases enough to bring a building that’s modestly over its target into compliance. Your building’s actual numbers depend on its use type, baseline, roof capacity, and current EUI, which is exactly what a site-specific assessment determines.

On-Site Solar Now Counts for More

Denver has strengthened the incentive to build solar directly on your own building. Under recent updates to the policy, on-site renewable energy generation counts toward compliance at a 1.5x credit multiplier, rather than the previous one-to-one basis. That means a rooftop array can go further toward your target than the same amount of off-site generation, rewarding owners who invest in solar on the building itself.

This is worth factoring into any compliance plan. If you were weighing on-site versus off-site options, the enhanced credit for rooftop solar tilts the math toward putting panels on your own roof.

Solar for Smaller Buildings, Too

If your building falls in the 5,000-to-24,999-square-foot range, solar is a direct path to compliance. Rather than committing to a full LED lighting overhaul, you can meet the renewable requirement by generating the equivalent of roughly 20% of the building’s annual energy use through on-site or off-site solar. For many owners, that’s a cleaner, longer-lived investment than a lighting-only approach, and it delivers ongoing energy savings on top of compliance.

Solar Does More Than Check a Box

The reason solar stands out among Energize Denver compliance strategies is that it pays you back. Beyond lowering your EUI and helping you avoid penalties, a commercial solar system cuts your utility bills for decades, qualifies for federal tax incentives, and adds a long-lived asset to the property. Most compliance measures are pure cost. Solar is one of the few that generates a return while satisfying the requirement.

A Few Things to Confirm First

Solar is powerful, but it isn’t automatic. Before counting on it for compliance, you’ll want to confirm a few things: your building’s specific EUI target and deadline, how much usable roof area you have, whether rooftop HVAC equipment or shading limits your layout, and how a system’s size translates into EUI reduction for your particular building.

If your rooftop is crowded with mechanical equipment, our guide on installing solar on a roof with HVAC units explains how a good design works around the clutter. And to gauge whether your property is a strong solar candidate overall, see our overview of what makes a commercial building a good fit for solar in Denver.

Getting Started

Energize Denver deadlines arrive on a fixed schedule, and the analysis and installation timeline for a commercial system takes planning. The sooner you understand your building’s targets and your solar potential, the more room you have to make a smart, unrushed decision.

Vanguard Solar Services offers environmental compliance and energy assessment services built specifically to help Denver building owners navigate Energize Denver, alongside full commercial solar design and installation. Schedule a consultation to review your building’s targets and map out a compliance strategy.

Related reading: How Colorado’s Wind Load & Building Code Changes Affect Solar Installations

Most people think of a solar installation as a one-time event: the panels go up, and that’s that. But the building codes that govern how solar systems must be engineered and secured aren’t frozen in time. In Colorado, they’ve changed in recent years, and those changes matter, particularly if your system was installed a while ago or is about to be reinstalled after roof work.

If you’re planning a roof replacement, a detach and reset, or a new installation, understanding how current wind load and building code requirements affect your system can save you from failed inspections, and, more importantly, protect your home when the next big storm hits.

Why Building Codes Changed in Colorado

Colorado has always been a demanding environment for anything mounted on a roof. High winds, intense hail, and dramatic weather swings put real stress on solar systems. But recent events sharpened the focus on how securely rooftop equipment needs to be attached.

Following the Marshall Fire, which was driven in part by extreme wind conditions, Colorado jurisdictions updated commercial building code requirements, including wind load standards that affect construction and rooftop systems like solar. The goal is straightforward: make sure what’s mounted on a roof stays there under severe wind, rather than becoming a hazard.

For solar specifically, this means the engineering behind how your panels are anchored, how many attachment points are used, and how the racking is spec’d, has to meet stricter, current standards.

What “Wind Load” Actually Means for Your Solar

Wind load is the force that wind exerts on a structure. For a rooftop solar array, high winds create both downward pressure and, crucially, uplift, the force that tries to peel the panels off the roof like a giant kite.

A properly engineered system resists that uplift through the right combination of:

• Attachment points — how many places the racking is anchored to the roof structure
• Mounting hardware — rated to handle the calculated loads for your location
• Racking design — engineered for the specific wind zone your home sits in
• Proper anchoring into structural members, not just the roof deck

When wind load requirements increase, a system that was compliant years ago may no longer meet current code. That’s not a knock on the original installer, it’s simply that the standard moved.

Why This Matters If Your System Is a Few Years Old

Here’s the practical takeaway for existing solar owners: if your system was installed several years ago and you’re now having it reinstalled, the reinstall may need to meet today’s stricter requirements, not the ones that applied originally.

This most often comes up during a detach and reset, when panels are removed for a roof replacement or repair and then reinstalled. A reinstall is generally expected to bring the system up to current code. In practice that can mean:

• Additional or relocated attachment points
• Updated mounting hardware rated for current wind loads
• Racking adjustments to meet today’s engineering standards
• Permitting and inspection under current requirements

A solar company that only knows how to bolt panels back exactly where they were may hand you a system that fails inspection, or worse, one that’s under-secured for Colorado’s winds. A specialist who works with current code reinstalls it right the first time.

Permitting and Inspection

Solar work in Colorado typically requires permits and inspection, and the exact requirements vary by jurisdiction. Front Range municipalities and counties each have their own building departments and can interpret and enforce code differently.

This is one of the biggest advantages of hiring a local, Colorado-based solar company. A contractor who works across the Front Range knows:

• Which permits your specific jurisdiction requires
• How local building departments interpret current wind load standards
• How to pass inspection the first time without costly re-work
• How to keep your project fully compliant and documented

An out-of-state or non-specialist crew is far more likely to stumble on these local details.

Why Code Compliance Protects You

It’s tempting to view code requirements as red tape, but for rooftop solar in Colorado they’re genuinely protecting your investment and your home. A system engineered and installed to current wind load standards:

• Stays put in severe wind, reducing the risk of panels lifting or detaching
• Protects your roof from damage caused by an under-secured array
• Keeps warranties intact, since improper mounting can void coverage
• Passes inspection cleanly, avoiding delays and re-work
• Holds its value, which matters if you ever sell the home

Cutting corners on mounting to save a little on labor is a poor trade in a state where a single windstorm can test every attachment point on your roof.

The Bottom Line

Colorado’s building codes have evolved, and wind load requirements are stricter than they were a few years ago. Whether you’re installing new solar or having an existing system reinstalled after roof work, meeting current standards isn’t just about passing inspection, it’s about making sure your array stays secure through Colorado’s toughest weather.

If you’re planning a new installation, a roof replacement, or a detach and reset and want it done to current code, reach out for a free assessment. As a Colorado-owned company with decades of combined solar and roofing expertise, we engineer and install every system to today’s standards, so it’s secure, compliant, and built for Colorado.

Related reading: our complete guide to solar panel removal and reinstallation in Colorado, and Do You Need to Remove Solar Panels for a Roof Replacement?

The short answer is yes. Rooftop HVAC and solar coexist on commercial buildings across the Front Range every day. It takes thoughtful design, but a cluttered roof rarely rules out a strong solar system. Here’s how it actually works.

Yes, Solar and HVAC Can Share a Roof

Solar panels and rooftop mechanical equipment are not an either/or proposition. On flat commercial roofs, which is what most Denver offices, warehouses, retail centers, and multifamily buildings have, panels are typically mounted on a ballasted or tilted racking system that sits above the roof membrane. That gives a designer flexibility to route arrays around obstructions rather than through them.

The goal isn’t to cover every square foot of roof. It’s to fit the largest, most productive array possible while keeping every unit accessible and every panel out of the shade. A good commercial solar design treats HVAC units as fixed features to design around, the same way it accounts for parapets, skylights, and drains.

What HVAC Placement Actually Affects

Rooftop equipment influences a solar design in three main ways.

Usable area. Every unit, curb, and duct run takes up space that can’t hold panels. A roof that looks big can lose a surprising amount of capacity to mechanical equipment and the clearances around it. This is why a site assessment measures usable roof area, not total square footage.

Shading. This is the one that matters most for production. A tall packaged rooftop unit or an exhaust stack casts a shadow that moves across the roof through the day and shifts with the seasons, sitting longer and lower in Denver’s winter months. A panel shaded for even part of the day produces less, and depending on how the system is wired, shading on a few panels can drag down a whole string. Designers model these shadows across the full year and keep panels out of the problem zones.

Access and clearance. HVAC units need to be serviced. Fire codes and equipment manufacturers require clear pathways and working room around each unit, and Denver’s permitting authority enforces setback and access requirements for rooftop arrays. Panels can’t box in a rooftop unit or block a technician’s path to it.

How a Good Design Works Around the Clutter

An experienced installer has several tools for turning a busy roof into a productive one.

They map every obstruction first. Before a single panel is placed on the plan, the design captures the exact location and height of every unit, vent, and curb, then models the shading each one throws throughout the year.

They lay out arrays in the open zones. Panels are grouped into the clear areas of the roof and oriented for maximum production, with intentional gaps preserved for equipment access and code-required pathways.

They use smart electronics to protect production. Module-level electronics like microinverters or power optimizers let each panel perform independently, so partial shade on one or two modules doesn’t drag down its neighbors. On a roof with unavoidable shadows, this can meaningfully protect your output.

They plan around your equipment’s lifespan. If a rooftop unit is near the end of its service life, it’s often smarter to replace it before the array goes in, so a future swap doesn’t mean working around or temporarily removing panels.

Plan HVAC and Solar Together, Not Separately

The most common and most expensive mistake is treating solar and HVAC as unrelated projects. If you install a large array and then need to replace a rooftop unit two years later, crews may have to detach and reset nearby panels to get the old unit out and the new one in. That’s avoidable cost and downtime.

Before you commit to a layout, it’s worth asking: which rooftop units are nearing replacement? Are any upgrades or additions planned? Is the roof itself due for work in the next few years? Coordinating solar with your mechanical and roofing timelines up front saves money and headaches later. If your roof is also nearing replacement, our guide to removing and reinstalling solar panels for roof work covers how detach and reset services keep that transition smooth.

What About the Roof Itself?

A crowded roof is often an older roof, and it’s worth confirming the membrane has enough life left before adding a 25-plus-year solar asset on top of it. Solar racking is designed to distribute weight and protect the roof, but the underlying structure and waterproofing still need to be sound. A proper commercial assessment looks at roof age, condition, and load capacity alongside the solar layout. Not sure whether your building is a strong candidate overall? Our overview of what makes a commercial building a good fit for solar in Denver walks through the full checklist.

The Bottom Line

Rooftop HVAC units make a solar design more involved, but they rarely make it impossible. With careful shading analysis, code-compliant access planning, and smart panel-level electronics, a busy commercial roof can still host a system that meaningfully cuts your energy costs and supports compliance with programs like Energize Denver.

The key is working with a team that understands both solar and roofing, and that plans your array around your building’s real-world constraints from day one.

Vanguard Solar Services designs and installs commercial solar systems across Colorado, and our team brings decades of combined solar and roofing expertise to every rooftop. Schedule a consultation to see what your roof can do.

Related reading: How Solar Helps Meet Energize Denver Requirements and Is Your Commercial Building a Good Fit for Solar in Denver?

Colorado’s Front Range sits squarely in “Hail Alley,” one of the most hail-prone regions in the United States. Every season brings storms capable of denting cars, shredding roofs, and, yes, damaging solar panels. If you’ve got solar and a big storm just rolled through, you’re probably wondering whether your system took a hit and what you should do about it.

The good news: modern solar panels are built tough and often survive hail that wrecks the roof around them. The important part is knowing how to check, what to do first, and how to get any damage properly documented and repaired. Here’s your step-by-step guide.

Are Solar Panels Actually Damaged by Hail?

Most quality solar panels are tested to withstand hail up to about one inch in diameter striking at high speed, and they hold up remarkably well in typical storms. But Colorado isn’t a typical-storm state. When hail reaches golf-ball or baseball size, even well-built panels can crack, shatter, or suffer damage you can’t see from the ground.

There are two kinds of hail damage to watch for:

• Visible damage — cracked or shattered glass, obvious dents, or spidering across the panel surface.
• Hidden damage (micro-cracks) — tiny fractures in the cells that don’t show up to the naked eye but reduce output and worsen over time. This is the sneaky one, because your system keeps running while quietly underproducing.

Because hidden damage is invisible and progressive, a storm that “looks fine” from the driveway can still have compromised your system. That’s why proper inspection matters.

What to Do Right After a Hailstorm

If a significant hailstorm hits, take these steps in order:

1. Stay off the roof

Don’t climb up to inspect panels yourself. Wet or damaged roofs are dangerous, and a live solar array adds electrical risk. Leave the up-close inspection to professionals.

2. Do a ground-level check

From a safe vantage point, look for obvious signs: shattered or cracked panels, visibly dented roofing, downed branches on the array, or debris. Take photos of anything you can see.

3. Check your system’s production

Log into your solar monitoring app. A sudden, unexplained drop in production after a storm is a red flag that something was damaged, even if nothing looks wrong from the ground.

4. Document everything

Photograph your panels, roof, and any other property damage. Note the date and time of the storm. This documentation is valuable for an insurance claim.

5. Call a solar professional for an inspection

A qualified solar company can safely inspect the panels up close, test for hidden micro-cracks and output loss, and give you a clear picture of what’s actually damaged.

Solar Hail Damage and Your Insurance

Here’s something many homeowners don’t realize: solar panels are typically covered under your homeowner’s insurance policy, much like your roof. If hail damages your panels, the repair or replacement is often a covered claim.

And here’s the connection to your roof: when a storm damages both your roof and your solar, the panels usually have to be removed so the roof can be replaced anyway. That removal and reinstallation, known as detach and reset, is frequently part of the same insurance claim, since the panels can’t stay on during a covered roof replacement.

A few tips for the insurance process:

• Document before you touch anything. Photos and monitoring data strengthen your claim.
• Get a professional solar inspection. An expert assessment carries weight and catches damage an adjuster might miss, especially hidden micro-cracks.
• Work with a company that understands claims. A solar contractor experienced with insurance work can document the damage and scope clearly, which helps your claim go smoothly.

Coverage and deductibles vary by policy, so confirm the specifics with your insurer. But don’t assume damaged panels aren’t covered, they often are.

Why You Need a Solar Specialist, Not Just a Roofer

After a big Colorado hailstorm, roofing crews are everywhere, and many will offer to handle “the whole thing,” solar included. Be careful here.

Panels are electrical equipment. Removing, inspecting, and reinstalling them safely requires solar-specific training, not just roofing experience.

Hidden damage needs real testing. Spotting micro-cracks and verifying output requires the right tools and know-how. A roofer glancing at panels can’t tell you whether cells are compromised.

Warranties are on the line. Most manufacturers require qualified personnel to handle the equipment. The wrong crew can void warranties worth tens of thousands of dollars.

Reinstalls must meet current code. In Colorado, wind load requirements changed following the Marshall Fire. A specialist reinstalls your system to today’s standards, not the ones from when it was originally installed.

A dedicated solar company can inspect for both visible and hidden damage, coordinate with roofers if the roof also needs work, document everything for your insurance claim, and reinstall your system correctly and to current code.

Don’t Wait to Get It Checked

Hail damage doesn’t fix itself, and hidden micro-cracks only get worse. The longer a compromised system runs, the more production you lose, and waiting too long can complicate an insurance claim. If a serious storm has hit your area, the smart move is a professional inspection sooner rather than later.

If your solar system may have taken hail damage, reach out for a free assessment. As a Colorado-owned company with decades of combined solar and roofing expertise, we inspect for both visible and hidden damage, handle the insurance documentation, and get your system safely back to full production.

Related reading: Do You Need to Remove Solar Panels for a Roof Replacement? and our complete guide to solar panel removal and reinstallation in Colorado.