roofer to add extra layer of shingles?

We are planning to put solar panels on the back of our house and may want to add an extra (second) layer of roof shingles there before the panel installation. Can anyone recommend a good contractor for that kind of a job? Thank you! 

I really urge you not to do this. Layering shingles is never a good long term solution.  If your roof is near the end of its life replace it. After the tear off the roofer can fix any deck problems before reroofing.  I have solar panels, and I put in a new roof first.  My solar installers said removing and reinstalling the panels to replace the roof later would cost me 6000 bucks.  Even if this expense delays your installation for a year or two it is worth it.

Why do you want to add a second layer of shingles?  If your present roofing material will not support solar panels, adding a second layer won't help.

Reroofing, adding a 2nd layer, is an accepted practice in some situations. When I did my roof 18 years ago, I removed 2 layers, repaired the decking, covered the entire roof w 1/2" ply, used ice and water shield on all eaves and valleys,30 lb felt, and covered w 3 tab shingles knowing that I would be able to go over that roof at some point in the future with Timberline dimensionals. This past summer I did just that. Looks great. Lay flat. No extra expense or disruption to landscaping due to tear off process. Projected to last 25 years. Wish I was projected to last that long. No one size fits all.One caveat, Timberlines can not go over Timberlines. Will not lay flat nor seal correctly.

The company doing the solar installation will want to know about the condition of the roof, and if it is a second layer over an old roof, they might not want to do it. Generally, I believe, they want the roof they put the panels on to be newer, but that refers to the entire structure (i.e., including rafters and decking) to be sure it can hold the weight. So talk to them before investing any money in the roof.

they will have an engineer inspect the structure, but they may not see any damage or potential leaks in the roof itself.  The solar company may recommend a new roof, but they won't require it.  They will guarantee that they won't cause any leaks.  The rest is on you.

Georgieboy, you controlled your situation from the start.  Would you reroof over a roof if you didn't know about the substrate or flashing details?

This often (always?) voids the shingle warranty.

Back in the 60s and 70s when I was roofing full time,most jobs were re roofs. Every now and then,we would have a tear off,[groan]but most of the homes were built in the 40s/50s so this was their 2nd roof. When ice and water shield became code, tearing off was the only way to go.If there was any question regarding the roof deck or flashing details then of course I wouldnt be willing to stand behind a reroof.One layer of roofing in our neck of the woods suggests a roof that was done since codes were upgraded and had been previously torn off which also suggests that ice/water was used and flashings repaired or replaced.If solar panels are being added, I guess I assumed the section was without dormers,valleys,etc and that the reroof was being done primarily to "clean up" prior to installation of panels.To be clear, a tear off is always preferable in most cases unless you have a clear knowledge of exactly what you have. Again, no Timberlines over existing Timberlines.  

shingle or roof warranties are worthless anyway, good luck getting any manufacturer to honor them

grahamb said:

This often (always?) voids the shingle warranty.

Thank you, everyone, for all the advice and warnings. We'll look into this carefully.

Hi, I'm Scott. I work for SolarCity and I'm from Maplewood. My mother still lives in the same house I grew up in. I'm not here simply to find leads or make money. I really do care about the community and would love to help educate its residents on solar, whether they decide to sign up or not.

With that being said, I can tell you what our company policy is regarding roof replacement. When someone receives their initial proposal from SolarCity and decides that they want to start the process of going solar, the next step we would take is scheduling a site survey for their home. During which we would take more exact measurements and inspect the roof, electrical box, structural integrity of the rafters, etc. So essentially by getting a free quote for solar you're also getting a free roof inspection. If the surveyor determines that the roof is very close to the end of its life then we wouldn't install the system. However, the roof doesn't have to be brand new to qualify for solar. We offer a very reasonable option for those who want to go solar and start seeing the benefits even if they know their roof only has a few years left. For a fixed one-time fee of $499., SolarCity will remove your panels, store them while you have your new roof put on, and reinstall when your new roof is ready. 

FilmCarp, the $6000. quote your solar company gave you for future removal/reinstall is ludicrous and was probably a scare tactic to motivate you to do the new roof first. That's crazy.

Hope this helps. If anyone else has any questions or concerns about solar I would be glad to answer them for you. Thanks so much.

Sincerely,

Scott Richardson

Retail Energy Consultant

SolarCity

973-738-3663:C

srichardson1@solarcity.com

well, it didn't matter because my roof was 3 years old.  How can you completely remove and reinstall a system, including the mounts, for that price?  It took my installers a few days with a crew to properly layout and install my system, half on my house and half on my barn.  I have been in the trades for almost 30 years, so I don't scare easily.  It was a high quote, but I would guess a crew of 4 for a day to remove, and 4 for two days to reinstall, plus reinspect.  That would have to include reestablishing all of the mounting points.  12 days of labor for 499?  Are you just eating the cost to reassure customers?  

Yes, I think it's safe to say that SolarCity does absorb part of the cost in the hopes of gaining more business and reassuring their customers with questionable roofs. But most average-sized systems are typically installed by SolarCity in one day with a crew of 3-4 guys. So you can figure one day to remove and one day to re-install. Just the wages alone for the crew would probably come out to around $1000, not including transportation costs, storage costs, and lost opportunities by having the crew tied up for two days.