Considerations Before Installing a Solar System on Your Shingle Roof

L&S Home Improvements

| August 7th, 2026

(Modified: August 7, 2026)

Solar systems can help you significantly reduce energy costs, but can your asphalt shingle roof support an installation? Learn more.

Roof

Installers carrying a solar panel from the ground, preparing to install it on a roof

Michigan is one of the leading states pushing solar roof initiatives. The Solar Energy Industries Association reports that there were just over 28,000 solar roof installations performed in 2025. However, as energy prices rise and solar technology improves, this number is likely to grow quickly in the coming years.

Going solar can certainly help homeowners save money and reduce energy usage, but the installation process isn’t as easy as it seems. The first question you should be asking before installing a solar system is: can my roof support it?

The Age of Your Roof

Curling shingles on an old composite roof

Solar panel installations require drilling. If your roof is aging, the shingles can be easily damaged during installation and compromise the roof’s overall integrity.

If you’re not sure how old your roof is, we recommend scheduling an inspection. Asphalt roofs, if well-maintained, can last for up to 30 years, while solar panels typically last up to 25 years. It’s best practice to time your roof to match the lifetime of your solar system. If your roof is already old and damaged, replace it before the installation. It’ll save you the headache of removing and reinstalling the panels when your roofing system inevitably needs to be replaced.

The Current Condition of Your Roof

A chalk circle showing a puncture in an asphalt roof shingle

Structure: Is your roof structurally sound? Solar systems add 2 to 4 pounds per square foot, or 600 to 800 pounds of extra weight, following installation. The overall structure of your roof must be strong enough to support this. Consider, too, that your roof must also be able to support snow and ice during the winter months.
Water Damage: Are your shingles curling? If so, you’re likely dealing with water intrusion, and depending on how long this has been going on, there may be rot on your roof decking that needs to be fixed before it impacts the structural integrity of your roof.
Shingle Layers: If your roof has more than one layer of shingles, we do not recommend installing a solar system. While L&S Home Improvements only performs tear-off replacements, some roofing contractors perform re-roofing replacements, which means that a new layer of shingles is installed over the old or damaged shingles, increasing the weight of the roofing system. Adding solar panels will increase the weight, and the added layer of shingles will make it more challenging to secure the mounting bolts.

Existing Warranties

Do you know what your existing roof warranty covers? It’s always important to check this before you make any modifications.

In many cases, solar panels won’t void your entire roof warranty, but they can cancel coverage for certain parts of it. For instance, material manufacturers provide coverage for defects, but that doesn’t usually include leaks deemed to be caused by the drilling required in a solar installation. This means that if your roof starts to leak after a solar installation and it’s determined that the installation itself caused the leak, the warranty will not cover the shingle repairs.

Workmanship warranties may also be voided, and homeowners can run into a he-said, she-said problem, where the roofing company blames the solar installer and the solar installer blames the roofers.

Bottom Line: Always Check Before You Install

Solar panels can save you a lot of money, but it can also be a headache if you don’t do your due diligence.

L&S Home Improvements doesn’t provide solar panel installations, but we can act as a trusted partner for these types of installations. If we installed a roof on your home and you’re considering a solar panel installation, we can coordinate with your solar contractor, supervise the installation, and ensure the work is done without damaging the roof or voiding any existing warranties. We can also conduct a thorough inspection before solar installation to ensure your roof is healthy enough to support the panels.