Summary:
- Solar panels can cut your utility bills and help the environment, but they might void your roof warranty depending on how your installer completes the job. Drilling holes into the roof or ignoring best practices can lead to coverage gaps when you least expect it.
- Solar panels come with their own product, performance, and workmanship warranties. These usually cover issues like defects, energy output, and incorrect installation procedures.
- If your installer does poor work, their workmanship guarantee should cover any damage to your roof. Be sure to confirm this in advance before you start any work.
- Improper installation or adding elements like flashing without your roofer’s knowledge may also void the warranty. To avoid this, keep both your roofing company and solar installer in the loop and encourage them to coordinate.
- After installation, get all warranty details from your solar installer and inspect your roof annually for problems. If issues arise, contact your roofer or installer for help.
Solar panels are a great investment that can lower your utility bills and may pay for themselves over time. They are an eco-friendly energy source, allowing you to take part in helping save the planet for future generations.
But solar panels may also void your roof warranty, depending on how the installation is done and the terms and conditions of your warranty.
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The Two Parts to a Roofing Warranty
There are two types of roofing warranties: materials and workmanship. In most cases, your roof will be warranted for both.
- Materials warranty: Covers problems caused by defects in the materials used.
- Workmanship warranty: Covers problems caused by the installation.
In most cases, solar panels will not void your roof warranty as long as your installer follows the roofing manufacturer’s instructions. However, if you start drilling holes in the roof, that might not be covered in the materials part of the warranty since you have damaged the materials.
Do Solar Panels Come with Warranties?
Solar panels typically come with three types of warranties: a product warranty, a power or performance warranty, and a workmanship guarantee.
Product Warranty
This covers any defects in the solar panels or the other materials used in your system. It typically covers inverters for 10-12 years, while the panels themselves are covered for a longer period.
Power or Performance Warranty
This covers your panels’ energy production. The power or performance warranty typically lasts ten years and guarantees 90% of the predicted energy output.
Workmanship Guarantee
This covers the quality of the installation itself. If your installers did a poor job that causes your system to have problems, the workmanship guarantee should cover the repairs.
What Situations Void a Roofing Warranty with Solar Panels?
If the racking system for the solar panels is not installed according to the manufacturer’s instructions, that could void the roofing warranty. The company that installed your roof is not responsible for problems caused by faulty solar panel installation.
The roofing company will also not cover any additions to your roof under its warranty. For example, if the solar panel installer installs flashing, the flashing is not covered under your roofing warranty since it was not installed by the roofing company.
The best way to ensure that your solar panels will not void your roof warranty is to consult with your roofing company before having the panels installed. Your roofing company may want to handle part of the installation to ensure that their work is not damaged while installing solar panels.
Even if you had the solar panels installed before your roofing work was done, there are issues to consider. In that case, the solar installer usually removes the solar panels first, then the roofing company takes care of replacing the roof. Afterward, when your solar installer reinstalls the solar panels, they must follow the roofing company’s guidelines to ensure they don’t void the roof warranty.
How to Deal with a Voided Roof Warranty
If the solar installation does void your roof warranty, you should take up the issue with the solar installer. Their workmanship guarantee should cover the damage. It would not be the roofing company’s fault if the solar installer damaged the roof. The solar installer’s guarantee should cover that.
What to Do After the Installation
After the solar installation is completed, make sure to get the warranty information from your solar installer so you know what’s covered under the product warranty, power or performance warranty, and workmanship guarantee.
Check your roof annually to make sure there are no obvious problems. If something seems wrong, contact your roofing company or the solar installer, depending on the problem. You might want to put together a checklist of things to look for when inspecting the roof and solar panels.If you have any questions about your roof, including its warranty, consult with the experts at Roof Maxx by calling (855) ROOFMAXX
