# Roof restoration with solar panels: what happens to the panels (2026)

> Restoring a roof with solar panels? When panels stay or come off, who's allowed to lift them, the $800 to $1,700 refit cost and what to put in the quote.

Canonical: https://rnrroofrestorations.com.au/blog/roof-restoration-with-solar-panels
Last updated: 2026-11-02

Yes, you can have a full roof restoration with solar panels on the roof. The panels either stay put while the roof around them is cleaned, repaired and recoated, or a licensed electrician lifts them off and refits them afterwards. Lifting and refitting typically adds $800 to $1,700 in Brisbane, according to Sparky's September 2026 cost guide. At R&R Restorations, we do the [roof restoration](/services/roof-restoration-gold-coast) on concrete tile, terracotta and Colorbond roofs. Our quote says plainly whether the roof under your panels is in the job or out of it.

Solar was meant to be the smart money move. Then the tiles around it started to look like an old dinner plate: faded, mossy, a hairline crack here and there. Now you're staring up at a roof that needs work, with rows of glass and wiring bolted on top of it.

Most of the worry comes from one gap. Your roofer doesn't touch electrical gear, and your electrician doesn't fix roofs. Get the handover between the two right, in writing, and the panels become the easy part of the job.

## In summary

- **Solar panels don't stop a roof restoration.** Either the roof is restored around them, or a licensed electrician lifts them for the job and refits them afterwards.
- **Lift them when the roof underneath needs work:** cracked tiles, leaks near the mounts, rust under the panels, or you want every tile coated.
- **Only a licensed electrician should disconnect, lift and refit panels.** Queensland's Electrical Safety Office says doing your own electrical work is illegal.
- **Budget $800 to $1,700 for the lift and refit** (Sparky, Brisbane, September 2026), on top of the roof restoration. Our published guide puts a medium tiled home at $6,500 to $9,500.
- **Put the handover in writing:** who books the electrician, which days, whether the roof under the panels is included, and how damage found there is priced.

## Can you restore a roof with solar panels on it?

Yes. Solar panels change how a roof restoration is planned, not whether it can happen. The roof around the panels gets the same work as any other roof. The real decision is what to do about the strip hidden underneath them.

On our jobs, that work starts with a full clean. Then broken tiles are replaced and ridge caps rebedded and repointed, or on metal, rust is treated and failed screws replaced. Last comes a seal and recoat in the colour you choose. The repairs come before the paint, because a coating over a cracked tile only hides the leak for a while.

There are two ways to handle the panels:

| | Panels stay in place | Panels lifted and refitted |
|---|---|---|
| What happens | The panels are covered and the roof is restored around them, with the coating taken a little way under the panel edges | A licensed electrician isolates the system and lifts the panels off, usually leaving the rails and brackets on the roof. The roof is restored, then the panels go back on |
| The roof under the panels | Not cleaned, repaired or coated | Cleaned, repaired and coated with the rest of the roof |
| Extra cost for the panels | Little or none | About $800 to $1,700 in Brisbane (Sparky, September 2026) |
| Best for | A sound roof with no faults hidden under the array | Cracked tiles or leaks under the panels, rust under panels on a metal roof, an older roof, or when you want the whole roof coated |

Oz-Roof, an Adelaide and Brisbane roofer, says the coating can usually run about 100 mm under the panel edges, so no uncoated roof shows from the ground. Both Oz-Roof and LMS Electrical, a Brisbane solar installer, describe the lift as panels only, with the rails and mounting hardware left in place.

Which way suits your home comes down to the roof under the panels, not the panels themselves. We check the roof's material, condition, pitch and access before we quote. The quote then lists the roof areas included and any exclusions, so if the area under your panels is left out, you'll see it in writing.

## Do solar panels need to be removed for a roof restoration?

Not always. If the roof is sound and nothing points to a fault under the array, the panels can stay and the roof is restored around them. Lift them when the hidden roof needs repairs, or when you want every tile cleaned and coated.

Signs the panels should come off for the job:

- **A ceiling stain below the array,** or water showing near where the solar mounts pass through the roof.
- **Cracked or slipped tiles at the edge of the panels.** Installers walk the roof to fit a system. LMS Electrical notes tiles are slid back, notched or ground to fit the brackets, and some break along the way.
- **Rust or a build-up of leaves and dirt at the panel edges on a metal roof.** That's often worse underneath (more on why below).
- **An old roof that has had little or no care.** Oz-Roof recommends lifting the panels on roofs over about 30 years old that have never been maintained. Roofs around 20 years old in reasonable condition can usually keep them on.
- **You want the whole roof coated,** with no untreated tiles left under the array.

If none of those fit, leaving the panels in place is usually the simpler and cheaper choice. At the assessment we'll tell you what we can see around the array, and the quote shows whether the roof under it is included.

## Who removes solar panels for a roof restoration?

A licensed electrician removes and refits them, ideally the company that installed your system or another accredited solar installer. Roofers shouldn't disconnect or lift panels, and neither should you.

Queensland's [Electrical Safety Office](https://www.electricalsafety.qld.gov.au/electrical-safety-home/electrical-safety-during-storms) is blunt about it: doing your own electrical work is illegal and dangerous, so always use a licensed electrician. You can check a licence on the Office's Electrical Licence Search. Its roof-space guidance also warns that solar PV systems have DC supply cables that may be live during daylight hours, even with the main switches off.

Then there's your panel warranty. Canstar notes it could be voided unless a certified installer removes and refits the panels, so read the warranty before anyone books a date.

On a typical lift, the electrician switches off and isolates the system, then lifts the panels and stores them safely. Once the roof restoration is finished, they refit the panels and should check the system is producing power again before they leave.

To be clear about our part: solar panel removal isn't one of our services. We're roofers. We restore the roof, and a licensed electrician handles the panels.

## What happens to the panels, step by step?

Here is how a roof restoration runs when the panels come off. If they stay on, steps 5 and 7 drop out, and step 6 happens around the covered panels.

| Step | Who | What happens |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Enquiry | You and us | You tell us your suburb, the roof type and that there are solar panels on it. Photos taken safely from the ground help, and are optional |
| 2. Assessment and quote | Us | We check the roof's material, condition, pitch and access. Our quote sets out the areas, repairs, preparation and finish, with exclusions made clear, including the roof under the panels |
| 3. Panels and warranty | You and your electrician | Check the panel warranty and get the electrician's written quote to lift and refit |
| 4. Scheduling | You, us and the electrician | We agree access, weather and timing with you before work starts. Line the lift up for before our start, and the refit for after we finish |
| 5. Lift | Electrician | The system is isolated and the panels are lifted off. The rails usually stay on the roof |
| 6. Roof restoration | Us | Clean the roof, replace broken tiles and rebed and repoint ridge caps, or treat rust, replace failed screws and refix lifted sheets, then seal and recoat |
| 7. Refit and test | Electrician | Panels go back on and the system is checked |

Tell your electrician the refit date depends on the weather. Coating needs suitable conditions, and if rain comes in, we pause and tell you when the next step can go ahead.

Expect the panels to be off for the length of the roof restoration. Most tile roof restorations take a few working days, depending on the roof's size, its condition and the weather.

## How much does it cost to remove solar panels for a roof restoration?

Lifting and refitting solar panels for a roof restoration usually costs $800 to $1,700 in Brisbane, according to Sparky's September 2026 guide. Canstar's figure is $700 to $2,000. The number of panels, the storeys and how easy the roof is to reach all move the price.

| Source and date | What it covers | Price |
|---|---|---|
| [Sparky, Brisbane roof painting cost guide](https://www.sparky.fyi/costs/roof-painting/brisbane), September 2026 | Removal and refit by a licensed, CEC-accredited electrician | $800 to $1,700 |
| [Canstar](https://www.canstar.com.au/home-loans/roof-restoration-cost/), citing Vivify Roofing | Panels removed before roof work and refitted after | $700 to $2,000 |
| LMS Electrical, Brisbane, 2025 prices | Lift and refit, rails left in place | From $100 + GST per panel on a single-storey home; 20% to 40% more on two-storey or split-level homes |
| Oz-Roof, 2021 | 24 panels, single-storey, good access | About $800 to $1,000 + GST |
| [Yakka Labour](https://yakkalabour.com.au/cost-guides/roof-replacement-cost/), 1 October 2026 | Lift and refit during a full re-roof | $1,000 to $3,000 per system |

Per-panel pricing adds up on a big array. At LMS Electrical's starting rate, a 20-panel system on a single-storey home would be from $2,000 + GST.

Now add the roof. Our published guide puts a tiled roof restoration at $6,500 to $9,500 for a medium home and $9,000 to $13,000 for a larger roof. Metal and Colorbond roof restorations usually sit between $5,000 and $12,000. So a medium tiled home with the panels lifted at Sparky's range comes to about $7,300 to $11,200 all up.

The electrician's fee isn't part of our price, so get it as its own written quote. Our [roof restoration cost guide](/blog/roof-restoration-cost) breaks down what moves the roof side of the bill.

## What's hiding under your solar panels?

The roof under a solar array ages differently from the rest. It's shaded, rain doesn't rinse it, and leaves and dirt collect there. On a metal roof, that makes it a likely place for rust to start.

BlueScope's [solar panel bulletin TB-36](https://cdn.dcs.bluescope.com.au/download/tb-36) (revision 5, August 2025) calls the roof directly beneath panels an "unwashed" area. Dirt, salt and leaves build up there and hold moisture, which may speed up corrosion of Colorbond and Zincalume roofing. BlueScope's guidance includes:

- leaving a gap under the panels, commonly more than about 75 mm above the top of the rib, so debris clears and the roof can be cleaned;
- replacing any corroded roof screws that will sit under new panels when the system goes in;
- keeping solar brackets away from sheet side laps, where they can distort the sheet and let water in. Our guide to [metal roof leak repair](/blog/metal-roof-leak-repair) covers those leaks;
- washing unwashed areas with fresh water at least every 3 months in coastal or industrial areas, and at least every 6 months elsewhere.

Near the beach or a canal, the roof under your panels is working harder than the rest. If your metal roof shows rust at the panel edges, lifting the panels lets us treat the rust underneath and replace the screws with the rest. Our [metal and Colorbond roof restoration](/services/metal-roof-restoration-gold-coast) covers rust treatment, failed screws, lifted sheets and a full recoat.

On a tiled roof, the risk is broken tiles rather than rust. A tile cracked by an installer's boot, or notched around a bracket, can sit under the panels for years before a leak shows up in a ceiling.

## What should a roof restoration quote say when you have solar panels?

A roof restoration quote for a home with solar panels should say four things. Do the panels stay or come off? Is the roof under them included? Who books and pays the electrician? And how is damage found under the panels priced? Those four lines stop the job falling into the gap between two trades.

Use this checklist with every quote you get, ours included:

| Agree this in writing | Why it matters |
|---|---|
| Panels stay in place, or lifted and refitted | It decides the price and how much of the roof gets done |
| The roof under the panels: included or excluded | Cracked tiles or rust there are only fixed if it's in the scope |
| Who books the electrician, who pays them, and on which days | The lift happens before we start, and your panels aren't down longer than needed |
| What happens to the refit date if rain delays the coating | Your electrician needs to know the date can move |
| How the panels are protected if they stay | Cleaning water, overspray and treatment chemicals should stay off the glass |
| How extra work found under the panels is priced | Faults under the panels can only be priced once they're seen |
| Who is responsible if a panel or tile is damaged | Canstar suggests asking your roof restorer about their insurance and what happens if their workers damage your panels |
| Panel warranty checked before the lift | A certified installer may be needed to keep it valid |
| The system tested after the refit | You want it producing power before the electrician leaves |

Our quote sets out the areas, repairs, preparation and finish included, with any exclusions and possible changes made clear. Our guide to [comparing roof restoration quotes](/blog/roof-restoration-quote) shows how to line two quotes up item by item.

## Should you restore your roof before installing solar panels?

Yes, if the roof is already tired. LMS Electrical says solar panels are engineered to last 25 to 30 years. Fixing and recoating the roof first means you won't pay to lift the panels a few years later.

If you're doing both soon, agree the order with both trades. LMS Electrical suggests three stages on tiled roofs. The solar installer fits the brackets first. Then the roof restoration replaces any tiles broken during that work. Then the rails and panels go on, over a roof with every disturbed tile already fixed.

Already have an old, small system? It may not be worth refitting. LMS Electrical's 2025 Brisbane prices put the lift and refit of an older 1.5 kW system from $1,200 + GST. A new 6.6 kW system starts from $4,500 + GST after rebates. That's a question for your electrician, but ask it before you pay to put old panels back on a freshly restored roof.

## Is R&R Restorations right for you?

We're owner-operated by Alex Rowe and rated 5.0 from 10 Google reviews. We're licensed and insured, with QBCC Licence No. 15404087. We restore concrete tile, terracotta and Colorbond roofs across the Gold Coast, Brisbane and Logan, and the Tweed and Northern Rivers.

**We're a good fit if:**

- your concrete tile, terracotta or Colorbond roof has solar panels on it, or is about to;
- you want the repairs done before the paint, and the roof under the panels clearly in or out of the quote;
- you want an itemised roof quote you can line up next to your electrician's quote;
- you're getting several quotes and want to compare them line by line.

**We're not the right fit if:**

- you want one company to lift the panels as well as restore the roof. Solar panel removal isn't one of our services, so a licensed electrician does that part;
- your roof is made of solar roof tiles, which need a specialist for that system;
- the battens have failed, or rust has eaten through the sheets across much of the roof. Then a new roof is the honest answer, re-roofing isn't one of our services, and we'll tell you that at the assessment;
- your home is outside our service areas.

Julie's Google review from 20 October 2026 describes what a finished roof restoration should feel like: "the whole roof is completely watertight." And Dylan Robinson, reviewing us on 21 October 2026, wrote: "Alex and the team have completed over five roof restorations for me, and the quality of their work has been excellent every time."

Pick R&R Restorations if you want the roof under your solar restored properly, so your panels go back on a roof that keeps the rain out.

## Get a roof restoration quote for a roof with solar panels

Call us on 0422 630 075, or send an enquiry through our [roof restoration page](/services/roof-restoration-gold-coast). To get the most useful first answer, tell us:

- your suburb, and whether the roof is concrete tile, terracotta or metal;
- roughly how many solar panels there are, and which parts of the roof they sit on;
- any leaks, ceiling stains or cracked tiles near the panels;
- whether the house is single or two storeys;
- who installed the system, if you know.

Photos taken safely from the ground help, and are optional. Please don't climb up to look under the panels.

## Frequently asked questions

### Can you paint under solar panels?

Only if the panels are lifted. With the panels in place, the coating can usually be taken about 100 mm under the edges, Oz-Roof says, so no unpainted roof shows from the ground. The roof directly underneath stays as it is.

### Can I remove my solar panels myself?

No. Queensland's Electrical Safety Office says doing your own electrical work is illegal and dangerous. Solar DC cables may be live in daylight, so use a licensed electrician to isolate, lift and refit the panels.

### Does removing solar panels void the warranty?

It can. Canstar notes a panel warranty could be voided unless a certified installer removes and refits the panels. Read your warranty, and ask the original installer first if they're still trading.

### How long are solar panels off the roof during a roof restoration?

For the length of the roof restoration. Most tile roof restorations take a few working days, depending on the roof's size, condition and the weather. Rain pauses coating work, so the refit date can move.

### Do the solar rails come off for a roof restoration?

Usually not. Oz-Roof and LMS Electrical both describe lifting only the panels and leaving the rails and mounting hardware on the roof. Oz-Roof says the mounting hardware does come off for a full re-roof.

### Does a roof restoration cost more with solar panels?

Usually only a little if the panels stay in place, for the extra care around them. Lifting and refitting them typically adds $800 to $1,700 in Brisbane (Sparky, September 2026), paid to the electrician on top of the roof restoration price.


## Related

- [Roof restoration advice](https://rnrroofrestorations.com.au/blog)
- [Get a roof restoration quote](https://rnrroofrestorations.com.au/contact)