It seems convenient — have your roofer pull the panels while they're up there. But solar panels carry live DC electricity even when the inverter is off. There's no breaker that cuts DC power from the panels during daylight. An uncertified person handling your panels can cause serious electrical hazards, damage components, and void every warranty you have.
During daylight, your solar panels are generating up to 600V DC — regardless of whether the inverter is on or off. Only someone trained in DC electrical safety should be handling live panel connections.
Check your panel and inverter warranty documents. Nearly all require that removal and reinstallation be performed by a certified solar professional. One sentence from your roofer voids years of coverage.
Every racking mount is a sealed roof penetration. We reinstall with properly torqued hardware and new flashing seals — ensuring your brand-new roof stays watertight under your solar array.
Your roof has reached end of life and needs full replacement. We remove your array before the roofing crew starts and reinstall once the new roof is complete and cured.
Illinois hail storms are brutal. Insurance-covered roof replacements after storm damage often require panel removal as part of the claim. We coordinate directly with your insurer and roofer.
A leak under or near your solar array requires panel removal to access the damaged area. We remove only the panels needed, your roofer makes the repair, and we reinstall.
Adding more panels, upgrading your inverter, or reconfiguring your array layout. We remove the existing system, make the changes, and reinstall the upgraded configuration.
Adding a dormer, skylight, HVAC equipment, or modifying the roofline requires clearing the affected area. We relocate or temporarily remove panels as needed.
Moving and taking your solar system with you, or the buyer wants the panels removed. We professionally decommission and package the system for reinstallation at a new location.
We coordinate everything — you just make sure your roofer is ready.
We visit your property to assess your system size, panel brand, racking type, roof pitch, and access conditions. You get a written quote with a clear timeline — usually within 24 hours of your request. We also note any existing wiring or hardware issues so there are no surprises during reinstallation.
We communicate directly with your roofing contractor to align schedules. We remove the panels the day before (or morning of) the roofing crew starts, so they have a clean, unobstructed roof surface to work on. We're also available to answer any roofing-specific questions about the mounting footprints.
Our certified crew safely shuts down the system, disconnects all DC wiring using proper arc-flash safety procedures, and removes panels from the racking. All panels are labeled, organized, and stored safely on-site or in a secure location. Racking is removed and the roof is left clean and ready for your roofer.
With the panels and racking fully removed, your roofing team has complete, unobstructed access to your entire roof surface. New shingles, membrane, or metal roofing is installed without any solar obstacles. We stay in contact throughout so we're ready to return the moment they're done.
Once your new roof is complete, we reinstall the racking using new stainless steel mounting hardware and fresh flashing seals — never reusing old penetration hardware on a new roof. All panels are reinstalled in the original configuration, wiring is reconnected and inspected, and all roof penetrations are properly sealed and watertight.
We power the system back on, verify all strings are producing correctly, confirm inverter communication, and test production against your pre-removal baseline. We don't leave until the system is performing as it should. You receive a written recommissioning report for your records and insurance documentation.
When Illinois hail or wind damages your roof and triggers an insurance claim, solar panel removal and reinstallation is typically a covered line item under your homeowner's policy. Many Illinois homeowners don't realize this — and end up paying out of pocket unnecessarily.
The Illinois solar market has seen many installers come and go. If the company that installed your system is no longer operating, you're not stuck. SolarAbility services all solar systems regardless of who installed them — we're familiar with every major panel brand, inverter, and racking system used in Illinois.
When you call a national solar company for removal and reinstallation, you're talking to a call center that dispatches a subcontractor you've never met. When you call SolarAbility, you're talking to the people who will actually be on your roof — local, licensed, and personally accountable for the work.
PVA-060921-032707 — the highest credential in the solar industry.
Fully licensed and insured in Illinois for solar and electrical work.
Chicago metro, suburbs, Quad Cities, Springfield, Peoria, Champaign, and downstate.
We coordinate directly with roofing crews. Many roofers refer us specifically because we make their jobs easier.
"Jonathan recognized the problem, got the part ordered through SolarEdge, and had everything fixed fast. Very prompt and professional. From quote to finished was a remarkably short amount of time. His price was fair."
"He is HONEST, thorough, respectful, follows the law and takes no shortcuts. In my 76 years I can't think of another consumer experience that is close to this one. #1 and no close 2nd."
"Jonathan was great to work with. The work is professional and expertly done. Would call again."