Going FORTIFIED: But First, The Panels

So, you are getting a FORTIFIED Roof. You may be one of the up to 400,000 homes over 13 parishes that have received a new roof since Hurricane Ida. Or, you luckily got past Ida, but it is time to take the FORTIFIED Roof plunge. Regardless of your category, if you currently have solar panels on the Roof, they must be removed before the FORTIFIED Roof installation. Then, after completion of the new FORTIFIED Roof, your solar will be reinstalled.

Surely, there is a cost to uninstall, discard waste, remount the panels, and verify proper solar functioning. This process can extend several days depending on the size and complexity of the roof and surrounding structures.

Solar Removal And Reinstallation: What To Expect

As with anything related to construction and technology, the price to remove and reinstall solar can fluctuate greatly. However, having been in the industry for decades, we can offer a broad range to consider for the purposes of this article.

The cost to remove and reinstall residential roof solar panels typically ranges from $275 to $350 per panel. For a typical 15-panel system, it is from $4,000 to $5,500, and for a 30-panel system, it is from $8,000 to $10,000.
This cost includes:

Uninstalling and disconnecting panels

Removing mounting hardware

Reinstallation and reactivation

New mounting hardware (if needed)

Unfortunately, due to the age of the existing system’s materials and the nature of solar reinstallation, upgrading existing hardware or purchasing new materials will also cost money. When reinstalling your solar panels after a new roof, you’ll likely need to purchase new mounting hardware, flashing, bolts and fasteners, and wiring.

FORTIFIED And Solar Reinstall: Additional Considerations

Warranty: Removing solar panels may void the manufacturer’s warranty. Contact your original solar installer before making further decisions about new roofing.

Contractor: Working with your original solar installer is recommended, as they’ll be familiar with your system.

However, so many solar companies that once were are now no longer. Unfortunately, solar companies have come and gone in Louisiana, and except for a handful of them, you’ll need to reach out to one you have not worked with before.

If you are looking to remove and reinstall solar panels, please call us at 504-273-7779. We’ll be happy to connect you with a professional contractor who can help with this process.

Evaluator: When installing a new FORTIFIED Roof with existing solar panels, the FORTIFIED Evaluation process will require additional work and inspections from the FORTIFIED Evaluator.

Many Are Foregoing FORTIFIED The More They Find Out

While proven to be unpredictable or thought by some to have excessive eligibility requirements and unknown upfront costs [learn more about eligibility] , many homeowners have been awaiting the next round of Louisiana Fortify Home Program funding to help provide some reprieve to the costs of a new FORTIFIED Roof.

However, beginning in 2024, the first two rounds of the grant program, open to LA Citizens policyholders only, occurred on October 2 and 16, and available funding was immediately exhausted. The third round, open to policyholders of all insurers, occurred on November 6, and the fourth round followed on November 27.

As of March 2025, there has not been an official notice regarding the next round of grants.

Those who are not waiting for the financial assistance of the Fortify Grant Program may still consider the FORTIFIED Roof Program a non-starter.

With the additional solar reinstallation costs, the extra FORTIFIED steps that’ll be involved, and the thought of replacing a fresh new roof that may have even been designed to IBHS standards but not deemed FORTIFIED, many are forgoing the IBHS roof designation altogether. Unfortunately, for possibly no other reason than FORTIFIED not having a presence in Louisiana at the time of one’s new roof installation, many will no longer benefit from the insurance discounts that became state-mandated by Act 1 of the 2023 Legislative Session.

FORTIFIED Solution: Sealed Roof Deck Supplemental Deck Attachment

For the overwhelming majority of Louisiana homeowners who’ve already reroofed since Ida, many will be eligible for the FORTIFIED Sealed Roof Deck Supplemental Deck Attachment.

The Insurance Institute for Business and Home Safety has developed a FORTIFIED Sealed Roof Deck Supplemental Deck Attachment alternative that avoids the need for a costly new roof by properly installing an approved closed-cell adhesive on your roof deck.

Per 2020 FORTIFIED Home™ Standard, Section 3 Designation Requirements for FORTIFIED Roof –Existing Roof, pages 22, 23, and 24:

The FORTIFIED Roof – Existing Roof designation provides prescriptive methods to create a qualified. From Section 1.1: Existing Roof designations are appropriate for existing homes that have a roof and roof covering with greater than 5 useful years of life remaining that do not show visible signs of damage or deterioration. FORTIFIED homes seeking re-designation without re-roofing are only eligible for an Existing Roof designation.

IBHS 2020 FORTIFIED Home Standard lists eligibility for sealing and strengthening the roof deck with the Supplemental Deck Attachment alternative.

The existing roof cover shows no signs of damage or deterioration.

There is only one layer of roof covering.

Existing roof covering is estimated to have at least 5 years of useful life.

Adequate access to the attic allows the application of closed-cell spray urethane-based foam adhesives along joints between sheathing and Roof framing members and all seams between the roof sheathing panels.

The existing presence of a drip edge.

Note: Consult a Certified FORTIFIED Evaluator to determine if the existing roof qualifies per Section 3 Designation Requirements.

* Qualification is determined by your Certified FORTIFIED Evaluator. Although these criteria are per FORTIFIED guidelines, some Evaluators may limit the roof up to 10 years of age.

** Diversified Energy defines accessibility as the ability to access 100% of existing roof rafters. Cathedral ceilings, vaulted ceilings, dormer windows, and other similar structural characteristics, prohibiting access to any portion of roof rafters disqualify the existing roof from Section 3 Designation Requirements alternative if no access is provided to the existing hidden rafters between sheetrock and roofline.

Cost Of The Alternative

You might ask, “This Supplemental Roof Deck Attachment you speak of sounds too simple. First, you’re saying that we don’t need a solar contractor to remove and reinstall my existing solar system? We would also go through fewer FORTIFIED Evaluator steps than would normally be required if installing a new FORTIFED Roof with the solar replacement process? But, more important than all this, we may not need to tear away our new 2-year existing Ida replacement roof, only to replace it with another new roof? And, reduce what could easily be over a couple week-long replacement process into a single day completion? If true, this sounds like it may be a fraction of the cost too?”

You may be in luck.

Suppose your existing attic and roof assembly allows access to the entire underside of the roof deck within the attic per the IBHS 2020 FORTIFIED Home Standard. In that case, Diversified Energy can pick up the process from here to qualify for a FORTIFIED Roof Certificate with all the same structural and safety assurance and insurance benefits rather than suffering through an entirely new FORTIFIED Re-roof process. This is the case whether a solar replacement is required or not.

Contact Diversified Energy to inquire about avoiding a new new roof replacement in order to qualify for all the same benefits and incentives of a new FORTIFIED Roof.