Removing & Reinstalling Solar Panels
For Re-Roofing or Roof Repair (2026)

When the panels have to come off

Panels sit on the roof for decades, and the roof under them ages at its own pace. At some point most arrays have to be lifted for roof work. Typical reasons:

• A full re-roof or re-tiling because tiles are cracking, battens are rotting or the sheeting is rusting through.
• Renewing the waterproofing on a flat concrete roof where the frames sit on the membrane.
• Leaks at the mounts that need the fixings opened and re-flashed; ClickBina's solar roof leak guide covers that repair.
• Structural work on trusses or battens that cannot be reached with the array in place.

Small repairs well away from the array can often be done without touching the panels. A re-roof of the face the panels sit on cannot.

The timing lesson: roof first, panels second

The cheapest re-roof under solar is the one that happens before the solar goes up. ClickBina's solar panel cost guide lists it as a mistake to avoid: installing panels on a roof that needs re-tiling within 3 years means dismounting and remounting the array, adding RM3,000 – RM8,000 in extra cost. The same guide advises fixing roof issues such as cracked tiles and failing battens before installation, because the panels will be up there for 25 years or more.

If your array is already up and the roof is failing, the aim is to do the roof work once, properly, while the panels are off, so they do not have to come off again for the life of the system.

Who does what

This is a two-trade job, and the solar roof leak guide is clear that refitting is the solar contractor's work, not the roofer's. Agree the split in writing before anything starts.

The sequence, step by step

1. Get a roof assessment and a written re-roofing scope first, so you know how much of the roof is involved.
2. Ask the solar contractor to inspect the array and quote removal, storage, refit and recommissioning as separate lines.
3. Agree one programme: the date the array comes off, the roof sections, weather allowances and the refit date.
4. Solar contractor isolates the system, labels strings and panels, and removes the array.
5. Roofer strips, repairs the structure, lays underlay and the new roof, and forms flashed mounting points.
6. Solar contractor refits the mounts and panels, reconnects and checks generation on the inverter.
7. Roofer water tests around the mounts; any fault is fixed before the job is signed off.

The solar roof leak guide notes that the two trades need to be sequenced rather than booked separately a fortnight apart. A roof left half-open with panels waiting on the ground is the risk you are paying to avoid.

Electrical isolation and safety

Nobody should be lifting panels or working between rails on a live array. ClickBina's solar cleaning guide explains why: panels produce electricity whenever light reaches them, so damaged cables or connectors are a live hazard in daylight. The solar roof leak guide adds that the solar contractor books the isolation and the reinstatement.

The inverter and its connection to the home's wiring are electrical work. Do not let a roofer disconnect connectors or move cables to get them out of the way; that is exactly how a string is damaged or refitted wrongly.

Handling and storing the panels

Once off the roof, the panels need a flat, dry, protected spot where no one will walk on them or lean ladders against them. Ask how the contractor will label each panel and string so the array goes back in the same layout, and who is responsible for a panel damaged while it is off the roof. Get that answer in writing before removal day.

Access is the other practical cost. The solar roof leak guide notes that an array often forces proper access, such as a roof ladder or a scaffold tower, where a bare roof would not, and that the cost belongs on the quote rather than in a surprise.

The roof work under the array

With the panels off, this is the moment to get the mounting details right for the next two decades. The solar roof leak guide describes what good looks like on each roof type:

• Tiled roofs: brackets fixed into a rafter or batten, with a purpose-made flashing tile or a dressed metal flashing carrying water over each fixing. Sealant is a secondary seal, never the primary one.
• Metal roofs: fixings on the crest of the rib, not the pan, with new bonded washers, tightened correctly. Clamp systems that need no holes suit some profiles.
• Flat concrete roofs: renew the membrane first and mount afterwards, with proper upstands at each bolt, or use ballasted frames that make no hole at all.

Check the underlay and the gutters while the roof is open. Panel edges concentrate run-off into narrow lines, and a gutter that coped before the solar went up can overflow after.

Refitting and checking the system

After refitting, ask the solar contractor to confirm the system is back to normal: no errors on the inverter, every string producing, and generation on the monitoring app in line with the same weather before the work. ClickBina's guide to a solar system underperforming explains how to read the app. A string that comes back weaker than before usually points to a connector or a panel fitted in the wrong place.

On the roof side, ask for a hose test around the mounts, working uphill, with someone watching inside the roof space. The solar roof leak guide calls it simple, cheap and the difference between a repair that has been checked and one that has been hoped for.

Records and responsibility

ClickBina's solar installer guide notes that the homeowner remains responsible for the safe operation and maintenance of the installation up to the interconnection point. Keep the removal and refit records, the string layout, and each trade's written scope together with the original system paperwork. If a different company from the original installer does the removal and refit, ask both which of them stands behind the system afterwards, and check that the company doing the work appears in SEDA's RPVSP directory.

What it costs

These are the published ranges on ClickBina's guides (indicative 2026, Klang Valley). Panel removal and refitting is quoted by the solar contractor and sits outside the roofing figure, so ask for it as a separate line.

Doing the full roof face once while the panels are off costs less over the life of the system than a partial repair now and another removal later.

How ClickBina can help

Solar and roofing work under an array is quoted case by case, so WhatsApp us your job details for a quote: the roof type, what is wrong with it, the size and age of the array, and who installed it. ClickBina is an experienced KL & Selangor contractor for whole-house refurbishment and trade coordination, so a re-roof under solar can be planned as one programme with the other trades. Roof leaks are assessed through ClickBina's leak detection at RM300 – RM800 per visit, charged separately. We reply within the hour, and the price we agree is a flat price with no hidden charges. A site visit is RM150, waived if you go ahead.

Sources & methodology

• ClickBina solar panel cost guide — the re-tiling timing mistake and the dismount/remount cost; fixing roof issues before installation.
• ClickBina solar roof leak guide — mounting details by roof type, isolation, access, sequencing the two trades, hose testing and roof repair prices.
• ClickBina re-roofing cost guide — terrace re-roofing, strip-out and scaffolding prices.
• ClickBina solar cleaning and inverter guides — live DC in daylight; ClickBina solar installer guide — owner responsibility and the RPVSP directory.

How we estimated prices: every RM figure on this page is quoted unchanged from the ClickBina guides named above; they are indicative Klang Valley ranges for 2026, not fixed rates.