Roof age and solar panels in Perth: when to re-roof before or after installing solar

If your roof has plenty of life left, install solar now, there's no need to wait. If it's already showing real wear, cracked tiles, rusting steel, crumbling mortar, sort the roof first. Once solar goes up, any roof work that needs the panels out of the way means paying someone to remove them, store them, and reinstall them afterwards. That's an avoidable cost if you get the sequencing right.

Quality panels carry a performance warranty of 25 years or more, often outlasting the roof underneath them. Tile roofs can run for decades too, but the failure usually shows up in the bedding and mortar years before a tile ever cracks, and that's exactly the kind of job that means pulling panels off first.

Quick answer:

1. Roof in good condition, or recently inspected? Install solar now.
2. Roof showing some wear but no clear sign of major work coming? Get a professional inspection before you commit, then decide.
3. Roof needs real work within the next 5–7 years, or it's an old asbestos cement roof? Re-roof before solar.

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How long does a roof in Perth actually last?

How much life your roof has left depends on the material, not a single number that applies to every house.

Terracotta and concrete tile (the most common Perth roof): The tiles themselves are tough, they can outlast the house. What actually fails first is the bedding and pointing, the mortar holding the ridge capping and bedding in place. Most Perth tile-roof problems show up there long before a tile cracks. Re-bedding and re-pointing resets that clock and buys the roof a solid stretch of extra life.

Colorbond or Zincalume steel (common on newer homes): Colorbond steel can carry a corrosion warranty of up to 36 years under the right conditions (roof pitch of at least five degrees, no exposed eaves, and enough distance from the coast), plus a separate paint-finish warranty of up to 20 years. In practice, most Colorbond roofs in Perth run 30 to 50 years before they need full replacement, and they need little more than periodic cleaning along the way. Generally very compatible with solar. Our Colorbond solar installation guide covers the fixing details.

Asbestos cement (older Perth homes): Some older Perth homes still have asbestos cement roofing, fibrous cement corrugated sheeting, sometimes called "super six." It's stable while intact but becomes hazardous once cut or drilled, so solar installation on an asbestos cement roof needs licensed asbestos-handling contractors and adds cost. Many owners choose to re-roof before going solar rather than pay for that specialist handling. See our guide to solar on asbestos and fibro roofs for what's involved.

Flat concrete roof (granny flats, some commercial-style homes): Flat roofs use waterproofing membranes that need replacing well before the building itself needs attention. Solar on a flat roof typically uses ballasted mounting, weighted frames with no penetrations into the membrane, which makes removing panels for membrane work straightforward. Our flat roof solar guide walks through the mounting options.

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What does it cost to remove and reinstall solar for roof work?

If your roof needs real work after solar is installed, tile replacement, re-bedding, a full re-roof, the panels have to come off first. That means an installer or specialist removal crew de-installs the system, stores it safely while the roofing work happens, then reinstalls and recommissions it afterwards, including retesting to confirm it's still performing and compliant.

That's real labour on top of whatever the roof work itself costs, and it's the exact expense this whole comparison is about. Ask your solar installer for a firm de-install-and-reinstall quote before you sign anything, especially if your roof is more than 15–20 years old. It's a call worth making before the panels go up, not after.

This cost applies whenever:

• Replacing roof tiles
• Re-bedding and pointing a tile roof
• A full roof replacement, any material
• Repairing a roof leak under panel locations

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How do I check my roof before getting solar quotes?

Signs a tile roof needs work soon:

• Cracked, broken, or missing tiles visible from ground level
• Visible mortar deterioration around ridge capping
• Loose ridge caps, visible from the ground with binoculars, or after wind events when cap movement is obvious
• More than 20 years old with no previous re-bed or re-point work
• Staining or moss growth, a sign of moisture retention that speeds up tile and bedding wear

Signs a steel roof needs attention:

• Visible rust spots or coating failure, especially along seams and around fixings
• Damaged corrugations or panels from storm, hail, or impact
• More than 30 years old without an inspection

Getting a professional roof inspection: A licensed roofing inspector can tell you how much life is left and whether work is needed before solar goes up. It's a modest cost set against pulling installed panels off later, and cheap insurance if your roof is more than 20 years old and hasn't been checked recently. If the inspector finds meaningful work needed within 5–7 years, get it done before the solar installation, not after.

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Should I re-roof first or install solar first?

Re-roof first if:

• Your roof shows clear signs of needing work within 5–7 years
• It's an older asbestos cement roof
• The cost difference between re-roofing with panels installed versus without is significant

Solar first if:

• Your roof is Colorbond, or tile from after 2000, in good condition
• It's been re-pointed within the past 10–15 years
• A professional inspection has already given it a clean bill of health

Do both at once: Some Perth households coordinate a partial tile re-roof, ridge capping, bedding repair, with the solar installation appointment, using the same roofing contractor for the structural work and the solar installer for panels and electrical. That eliminates the future reinstallation cost entirely.

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Do different tile types matter for solar installation?

Terracotta tiles: Common on older Perth homes from the 1970s through the 1990s. Durable while intact. Solar mounting rails attach to the roof battens beneath the tiles using custom brackets that hook under the adjacent tile, and the penetrations get sealed. Well suited to solar once the bedding is confirmed sound. Our tile roof solar guide covers mounting on each tile type in more depth.

Concrete tiles: Common on 1990s and 2000s Perth homes. Mounted the same way as terracotta, and generally in better condition given they're newer.

Decramastic (pressed steel) tiles: Less common, and they need special mounting hardware. Some installers charge extra for a decramastic roof.

Flat-profile tiles: Good solar mounting compatibility, the flatter profile allows cleaner rail runs.

High-profile (barrel or Roman) tiles: More complex installation. Brackets have to accommodate the higher profile, and some installers charge a premium for it.

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What about roof penetrations and warranties?

Solar mounting means drilling through the roof cladding into the battens or rafters underneath. Those penetrations get sealed with a weatherproof sealant, and a good-quality seal holds up well without needing attention. If a tile roof is re-bedded after solar goes in, that sealant is usually redone as part of the roofing work anyway.

Solar installers in Australia have to provide a minimum five-year workmanship warranty under the New Energy Tech Consumer Code, and that sits on top of your rights under Australian Consumer Law. Check your retailer is a current NETCC Approved Seller before you sign. Our solar warranty guide breaks down what a workmanship warranty covers versus a panel or inverter warranty. If you sell the house, the electrical Certificate of Compliance documents the installation, so future owners know where the roof has been penetrated. For a closer look at what proper penetration and flashing work should look like, see our roof penetrations and flashing guide.

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Before getting solar quotes, take a look at your roof from ground level, or better, arrange a proper inspection if you have any doubts. It's a small cost set against a typical $6,000 solar installation, and it's worth doing if your roof is more than 20 years old and hasn't been checked recently.