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Solar removal and reinstall estimator

For owners who need the panels off for a new roof, a repair or an addition, and want a budget before the quotes arrive.

Checked . Data as of October 22, 2026. HyreSolar sells and installs nothing.

This solar removal and reinstall estimator gives an estimate from your own numbers in under a minute, with every assumption listed under the result.

Most installers price detach-and-reset per panel: across the 12 per-panel figures we collected, the median band runs $225 to $375 a panel.

A 20-panel system with a $500 permit therefore lands around $5,000 to $8,000, before any roofing work.

The per-panel rate covers taking the array down, protecting the equipment while the roof is replaced, and putting it back with new flashing at every roof penetration.

What it often leaves out is listed separately in the calculator: the electrical permit and inspection for the reinstall, off-site storage if the job runs for weeks, and an allowance for broken tiles on a tile roof. Ask each quote which of those it includes before comparing them.

Two things push a job above the band. Tile, slate and steep roofs take longer and break more often.

Older systems may not go back up as they were: if a panel model is discontinued or a part fails during removal, the reinstall can need replacement equipment and an updated design.

When the system is more than a decade old, compare the reinstall figure with the cost of new panels on reinstall vs a new system.

Detach-and-reset budget

Panels × a per-panel band, plus the lines charged once.

Example values The filled-in numbers are an example, not your home. Type over them with your own.

Median low of published prices.

Median high of published prices.

Example. Check your building department.

More assumptions (2)
— Estimated total
— Midpoint to plan around
— Per-panel work
— One-off lines

How this result was worked out

Working it out from the numbers above.

A budget from published prices, not a quote for your roof.

HyreSolar does not install or remove solar.

What the result means

The range is a budget, not a quote. It is built from published installer prices, not from inspections of your roof. Use it to judge whether the quotes you receive are in the usual band.

The midpoint is the figure to plan around. Quotes well below the low end may leave out the permit or the new flashing; quotes well above the high end should say why (tile, height, equipment replacement).

How to use it

Where each input comes from, so nothing is a guess.

1. Count the panels

The number of modules on the roof.

Where to find it: Your permit set, monitoring app or the original contract. Or count them from the street.

2. Keep or replace the per-panel band

The defaults are the median low ($225) and median high ($375) of 12 published per-panel prices.

Where to find it: Once you have a quote, type its per-panel figure into both boxes.

3. Add the permit

Most jurisdictions want a permit and inspection for the reinstall, separate from the reroof permit.

Where to find it: Your city or county building department fee schedule.

4. Add storage and tile allowances

Leave at zero if the panels stay on site and the roof is shingle.

Where to find it: Ask the installer whether storage is charged, and the roofer for a tile breakage allowance.

Assumptions

  1. 1
    Per-panel band from published prices

    Median of the low ends and median of the high ends across 12 per-panel prices in our cost dataset, retrieved 2026-10-21.

  2. 2
    One-off lines added once

    Permit, storage and tile allowance are not multiplied by panel count.

  3. 3
    Roofing is separate

    The roof itself is priced by the roofer. See solar and roof replacement costs.

  4. 4
    No federal credit

    §25D ended for property placed in service after 31 December 2025.

The formula, in full. Low = panels × low rate + permit + storage + tile. High = panels × high rate + permit + storage + tile. Midpoint = (low + high) ÷ 2.

The 18 published prices behind the default

Per-panel figures set the band. Whole-system totals are shown for comparison and are not used in the band.

PublisherFigureBasisRetrieved
OC Solar$200 to $300national benchmark (cites EnergySage May 2026)2026-10-21
Home Repair One$2,600 to $3,900 totaltypical system, reroof2026-10-21
Helios Energy$250 to $350Southern California2026-10-21
RemovalReinstall.com$200 to $500national2026-10-21
Forme Solar$4,900 to $9,300 total20-panel line-item estimate, plus permit2026-10-21
Well Built Florida$2,000 to $6,000 totalmost residential setups2026-10-21
GreenLancer$1,500 to $6,000 total15-25 panel residential system2026-10-21
Design Transition Studio$1,400 to $3,000 totalaverage system without major roof work; low-quality outlier source2026-10-21
Solar Bid Analyzer$350 to $850Minnesota re-roof2026-10-21
Surf Clean Energy$75 to $150New York, basic detach and reset2026-10-21
Estimate on Demand$300 to $400some installers, 20262026-10-21
Fixr$3,80014-16 panels, excl. roof2026-10-21
Southern Energy Management$300 to $400North Carolina installer, 20262026-10-21
NRG Clean Power$200 to $350California, 20262026-10-21
The Roofing Brief$200 to $500REMOVE+REINSTALL per panel2026-10-21
A1 Solar Store$250 to $350REMOVE+REINSTALL per panel; $3,000 minimum common (search snippet; fetch 403)2026-10-21
California Home Solar$200 to $300remove + reinstall per panel (attributed to EnergySage); full system $1,500-$6,0002026-10-22
Forme Solar$350remove + reinstall per panel, Southern California; page also states $75-$150 later (internal conflict)2026-10-22

Installer and marketplace pages, fetched and checked by HyreSolar. Published prices, not invoices.

Next step

Read the full price breakdown on solar panel removal and reinstall cost, and if the roof is being replaced, solar and roof replacement cost. Check whether the roof needs work at all with the roof before solar checker.

To get a priced reinstall quote, send your estimate to an installer with the form under the calculator.

Embed this calculator

Free to use on any site, including news and installer pages. Paste this where you want the calculator to appear. Keep the credit line: it is the only condition.

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<p><a href="https://hyresolar.com/tools/removal-reinstall-estimator/">Solar removal and reinstall estimator</a> by HyreSolar</p>

What this calculator leaves out

The result is a planning estimate. A real proposal accounts for these; this page does not.

  • Does not price the roof.

    The roofer quotes that separately.

  • Does not cover replacement panels or inverters if equipment fails or is discontinued.
  • Published prices, not invoices.

    Local labor rates move the band.

Questions this calculator answers

How much does it cost to remove and reinstall solar panels?
Published installer prices put the median band at $225 to $375 per panel, plus permit and any storage. For 20 panels that is roughly $5,000 to $8,000 with a $500 permit.
Who should do the removal, the roofer or a solar installer?
A solar installer, ideally the original one, so the equipment warranty and the roof penetrations stay covered. Many roofers subcontract this.
Will my warranty survive a removal and reinstall?
Ask in writing. Some manufacturers and installers require their own crew or certified installers to keep the warranty in force.
Is it cheaper to buy a new system instead?
Sometimes, for old, small systems. Compare the reinstall total with new equipment on our reinstall vs new system comparison.

Sources and methodology

Figures dated October 22, 2026. Last reviewed by the HyreSolar research desk, which writes and checks every tool on this site.

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Your real numbers come from a proposal drawn for your roof, your usage and your utility. Tell us about your home: a person reads it, and nothing goes to a solar company until you agree.

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