Before paying a solar company to bundle a new roof with panels, verify the roofing subcontractor and limit the upfront payment. If the solar company fails after collecting roof money, the roofing subcontractor may not be paid and you may still need a roof.
Who is actually responsible for your new roof?
The first decision is not whether you want panels; it is who is contractually responsible for the roof beneath them. Solar companies may need a roofing company to perform the reroof because solar installation and roofing are separate trades.
That separation matters if the solar seller bundles both services into one proposal. A homeowner may pay the solar company for roofing, while the actual roofer is a subcontractor paid later. In the Salem, Oregon case involving Jennifer Jones, the family paid the solar company for the needed roof, but the company went bankrupt before the roof was installed.
Do not assume the company selling the panel system will perform or stand behind the roofing work itself. Identify the roofing business before signing and read the documents closely enough to determine which company is obligated to install the roof, collect payment, correct defects, and handle any subcontractor dispute.
- Get the roofer's full business name. You need more than a solar salesperson's assurance that a roofing crew has been arranged.
- Request the roofer's license and insurance information. Confirm local licensing requirements with the appropriate state or local authority.
- Check references for roofing work. Ask neighbors and trusted contacts rather than relying on a listing alone.
- Read the roofing scope separately. It should identify the roofing materials, installation work, and the party responsible for each portion.
- Find out how the roofer gets paid. This reveals whether your money is moving directly to the work or passing through the solar company.
Why a large solar-company deposit changes the risk
A large upfront payment can turn a bundled sale into a financing risk for the homeowner. If the solar company becomes insolvent after collecting your money, that money may not reach the roofing contractor or pay for your roof.
Levi Auslan of IBEX Roof advised that a 10% to 15% down payment was a reasonable amount in the situation described and viewed a request for more than half of the project price as a serious warning sign. That is an opinion about prudent payment practice, not a universal rule or a required amount in every state or contract.
The concern is practical: a company seeking a very large advance may be using incoming customer funds to cover earlier obligations instead of reserving funds for your project. The account described a solar-company owner who allegedly left a roofing company unpaid for a completed roof. Whether a particular payment request signals financial trouble cannot be known from the percentage alone, but the exposure rises when substantial money leaves your control before visible work begins.
For a homeowner, the safer conversation is about payment milestones. Ask what work or materials trigger each payment and whether the payment is made to the party doing that work. Do not treat a promise that the roof and panels will be coordinated as proof that funds are protected.
What a bundled roof-and-solar agreement should make clear
A workable bundle has a clear chain of responsibility from the first payment through the completed roof and panel installation. Vague language creates room for each company to point to the other when work or payment stalls.
Before you commit, make sure the agreement addresses these concrete points:
- The roof condition that led to replacement. If reroofing is required before panels go on, the proposal should say that plainly.
- The exact roofing contractor. Do not accept an unnamed future subcontractor as the only answer.
- The roofing materials and work scope. The documents should state what roofing work is included.
- The payment recipient and schedule. Each payment should connect to a defined stage rather than a broad request to fund the entire bundled project in advance.
- What happens if one company stops operating. Ask whether the roofer can proceed, who holds deposits, and whether any remaining work can be reassigned.
- How the roof and solar work will be sequenced. The scopes should fit together so one trade does not leave the other unfinished.
Do not mistake a business listing for financial protection
Reviews, ratings, and a business-profile listing can help you research a company, but they do not establish that the company can finish a project after a financial failure. A Better Business Bureau presence alone would not solve a homeowner's loss if a listed company went out of business.
Use reputation research as one screen, not the entire decision. Look for a documented roofing track record, verify the roofing subcontractor independently, and compare the proposed payment structure with another qualified roofing company. A lower bundled price is less useful if the contract leaves you dependent on one solar company's ability to pass money to a separate roofer.
What to say before paying a solar company for roofing
You do not need to accuse a company of financial trouble to insist on a safer structure. State that you need the roofing contractor, scope, and payment path documented before you release a major deposit.
- “Please identify the licensed roofing company that will perform my roof work and provide its insurance information.”
- “Which company receives each payment, and what completed work does that payment cover?”
- “Can the roofing agreement and solar agreement be provided as separate documents?”
- “If the solar company cannot complete the project, what happens to the roof deposit and the roofing contract?”
- “Who will be my point of contact if the roofing subcontractor has not been paid?”
If the answers remain verbal, the deal is not ready for a large payment. Contract terms, state requirements, and financing arrangements vary, so consider having a qualified local attorney review a confusing agreement before signing.
When you need to evaluate the roofing side independently, Directorii lists verified contractors.
Source: Solar Roof Nightmare and Good Samaritan Roofer story
FAQ
Should I pay a solar company upfront for a new roof?
Avoid treating a large upfront payment as routine until you know who will perform the roofing work and how that roofer will be paid. In the Salem case, a family paid a solar company for a required roof before the company went bankrupt. Tie payments to documented work and contract terms instead.
How much deposit should a roof-and-solar bundle require?
There is no single deposit amount that is right for every project, contract, or state. Levi Auslan characterized 10% to 15% as reasonable and viewed a request for more than half as a major warning sign. Focus on whether each payment matches specific materials, work, or milestones.
Can a solar company subcontract the roofing work?
Yes, a solar company may subcontract roofing because solar installation and reroofing are separate trades. That setup is not automatically a problem, but you should know the roofer's identity, credentials, scope, and payment arrangement before signing. Do not rely only on the solar company's promise that a roofer will be assigned.
What happens if my solar company goes bankrupt before the roof is installed?
The outcome depends on your contract, the payment path, and the companies involved. You may be left without the planned roof if the solar company collected funds but did not pay the roofer.
Should I trust a company because it has reviews or a BBB profile?
Use reviews and a BBB profile as part of your research, not as proof that a company can complete a bundled project. A listing would not itself replace funds or finish a roof after a business failure. Independently check the actual roofing contractor and the payment terms.
