How to judge whether your roof is “too old”
The real question isn’t the age alone but the age against its expected life. An asphalt shingle roof that’s halfway through its expected life will likely need replacing while the panels are still producing. A newer roof, or a long-life material like standing-seam metal, usually doesn’t.
Along the Front Range, hail history matters as much as age. A roof that has taken a couple of hailstorms may have bruised shingles and granule loss that shorten its life even if it isn’t leaking. We inspect before we quote.
Why doing both at once usually costs less
One crew mobilization, one set of permits where the jurisdiction allows, and flashing that’s integrated with the new roof instead of retrofitted to an old one. The bigger savings is avoided future cost: removing and reinstalling an array later is a separate job that someone will have to be paid to do.
If an insurance claim is replacing your roof after hail, that’s often the best moment to add solar, since the roof work is already happening. See our hail page for that specific case.
Roofing materials and hail
Many Colorado homeowners now choose impact-resistant shingles or metal after hail. Colorado’s SB26-155, signed in June 2026, creates a program funded by an insurer fee starting in 2027 that is meant to pay mostly for resilient-roof retrofit grants. Program details weren’t available as of September 2026, so don’t count on a grant for a roof you replace now.
What to do next
- 1Find out your roof’s installation year and material, or send us photos.
- 2We inspect for hail damage and remaining life before quoting solar.
- 3Use the roof-timing calculator to compare roof-first, together, and no-rush options.
- 4If the roof needs work, we quote the roof and solar as one project.
FAQ
Questions we hear
Can panels go on a 10-year-old roof?
Often yes, if it’s a material with a long expected life and it has no hail damage. A roof that’s used up much of its expected life is a different story. We decide after inspecting it.
Do you price the roof and solar together?
Yes. Solar is priced in our $2.80–$3.25 per watt range; the roof is quoted after inspection because materials, layers and decking condition vary too much to price blind.
What happens if my roof needs work after the panels are on?
Small repairs can sometimes be done around the array. A full replacement means taking the array off first, which we don’t offer. That’s the main reason we push to settle the roof first.
Do panels protect the roof underneath?
They shade and shield the section they cover from sun and some hail, but they don’t make an old roof new. The exposed areas age normally.