Free, no-obligation estimates
Solar Roofers in Pittsfield for Roof-Mounted Arrays, Solar Shingles and Reroofs
We put solar on the roof without opening a leak, install solar shingles as part of a new roof, and take the panels off and put them back when the roof under them is replaced.
We answer the phone or call back the same working day.
Licensed and insured
Every roof attachment flashed and sealed
We clean up when the work is done
The roof and the array, together
Solar roofers in Pittsfield
Solar roofers in Pittsfield mount solar on the roof without causing leaks, install roof-integrated solar, and remove and reinstall panels when the roof under them is replaced.
That last job is the one owners trip over. Most roofers will not take solar panels off or put them back, so a reroof under an array needs a solar crew on the roof before the shingles come up and again after the new ones go down.
We plan the two trades as one job: the array comes off on schedule, the roofers start right away, and the system goes back on new "flashing" and gets tested before we leave.
- We show up when we say we will.
- We quote the whole job before we start, with no surprise charges after.
Roof-mounted solar, solar shingles and panel removal
Our solar roof work is rack-mounted arrays, roof-integrated solar shingles and tiles, and removal and reinstallation of panels for a reroof.
These are the four kinds of solar roof work we take on.
Rack-mount solar
Rails on flashed feet over the roof you already have, the usual way an array goes up.
Roof-integrated solar
The solar becomes the roof surface itself, laid in during a full reroof.
Solar shingles
Solar shingles and tiles that sit low and flush where a rack would stand proud.
Panel removal and reinstallation
Known in the trade as "R&R", unwiring, storing and remounting an array you already own.
Off for the roofers, back on for good
Solar panel removal and reinstallation for a reroof
We disconnect and remove the panels, racking and attachments before the roofers start, store them, then reinstall them on new flashed mounts and test the system.
Taking an array apart without experience leads to costly mistakes, from cracked glass to wiring that never quite works again. We work directly with your roofing contractor so the house spends as little time as possible without its power.
Here is how a removal and reinstallation runs, in order.
Disconnect
We shut the system down and unplug the wiring; a full removal also takes the solar circuit off the main line.
Remove
Panels unbolt from their mounts, then the rails and roof attachments come up, timed so the roofers can begin the same day.
Store
Everything that came off the roof is kept safe and together while the old roof is stripped and the new one goes on.
Inspection
The job goes through its code compliance inspection, the step the work has to pass before the array returns to service.
Reinstall
The array goes back on new flashed mounting feet with stainless hardware, never the old holes in the old roof.
Test
We reactivate the system and test its output so you know it is producing before we hand it back.
Where a roof leak usually starts
Flashing and sealing every roof attachment
Every roof attachment we make is flashed and sealed, since missing flashing is the leading cause of leaks under solar arrays.
Each place a mount meets the roof gets the same three things.
Flashing under the course above
Each "roof penetration", every bolt hole, gets a metal flashing plate lapped under the shingles so water runs over it, not into it.
A sealed bolt
Sealant goes around the fastener as well, so a shingle roof keeps its waterproofing where the array is fixed.
New feet on a reinstall
When an array comes back after a reroof, it goes onto fresh flashed feet and stainless hardware.
Asphalt, clay or metal
Racking for shingle, tile and standing seam metal roofs
Shingle, tile and standing seam metal roofs all take solar, each with its own racking, and standing seam panels clamp on without drilling.
The roof you have decides how the "racking", the rails and mounts, holds on. Here is how we attach an array to each roof type.
Shingle
Asphalt shingle takes flashed, waterproofed mounts at each attachment.
Tile
Tile needs specialized racking to hold the panels securely without cracking the roof.
Standing seam metal roof
Clamps grip the raised seams, a "non-penetrating" mount that puts no holes in the metal.
Two ways to put solar on a roof
Rack-mount vs roof-integrated solar cost
A rack-mount array costs less upfront than roof-integrated solar, while solar on a roof that needs replacing soon adds a later removal and reinstallation cost.
Lower first cost
Rack-mount solar
Rails over the roof you have. It is the cheaper of the two to put up and starts producing sooner, and it suits a roof with years of life left.
Roof-integrated solar
Solar shingles and tiles laid in as part of a full reroof. The roof looks lower and cleaner, and one warranty covers both the roof and the energy system.
If the roof will need replacing soon, plan for taking the array down and putting it back. In Massachusetts, that removal and reinstallation for a whole system typically runs $4,500 to $6,500. Your exact figure comes from the call and a look at the roof.
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Cost guide
What sets the price of each option, from roof type and system size to the equipment and the permits.
Solar Panel Cost
Residential and commercial solar roofs
We handle solar on residential roofs and on commercial buildings, including condo roofs where the board approves the work.
On a condo building the association board controls the rooftop space and any decision to add solar, and the array usually powers the common areas rather than individual units. We size it that way and work through the board.
(413) 724-0582Close to home
Solar roofing around Pittsfield
We do solar roofing work across Pittsfield and the nearby towns our service area lists. A job farther out than that is a question for the call, and we will tell you straight.
The towns we cover, and our whole service area, are on one page.
On every roof we keep the same promises.
- Free, no-obligation estimates
- We answer the phone or call back the same working day
- We show up when we say we will
- We clean up when the work is done
We take calls Monday to Friday during business hours. Calls outside those hours go to voicemail and we return them the next working morning.
In their own words
What neighbors say about the work
These are our Google reviews, as their writers left them.
The representatives we worked with at Incite - Jonathan and Daniella were incredible and kept us informed every step of the way. The electrical team and installation team were wonderful and efficient and did an amazing job under brutally hot conditions! We are thrilled that we decided on Incite Solar Solutions and know that going forward it will be the best decision we ever made. We are fortunate that all of our panels are in the back and we actually forget they are there. Great installation.
We're in line to get a system thru SunPower with Derek as our rep. So far so good--he's been great! We had a hiccup with our first home site inspection--seems that the info never made it back to Incite. Then Peter Walters was assigned to come out--night and day difference from our first home site visit. Peter totally knew what he was doing. Hope all continues to go well!
We had Pete survey our property and he did an amazing job, took his time explaning to us everything he was doing and in what condition our home was in. He did a pretty awesome job!
Before the roof work starts
Other solar roof questions
The questions below sit next to solar roofing and point to the pages that answer them in full.
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Solar and the roof warranty
A solar installation can void a roof warranty, which is why one contractor for both the roof and the array keeps responsibility in one place. Third-party system warranties can also cover resealing and reflashing the penetrations around the mounts.
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Solar in historic districts
In historic districts, panels visible from the street can draw the most review, so designs favor rear and side roof planes and low-profile racking on the sections that face the road.
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Adding battery backup with a new roof
A battery can go in alongside new roof-mounted solar so the system carries essential circuits through an outage. It charges from the panels for home backup power, with no fuel or noise as a generator would have.
Battery Installation in Pittsfield
Asked on the phone
Solar roof questions we hear
What is the average cost of a solar roof?
There is no single average worth quoting, because system size, roof type and condition, the electrical service, the equipment and the permits all move the price. Solar shingles arrive with a whole new roof, so they start higher than rails over the roof you have. Our Solar Panel Cost guide walks through each factor, and a site survey gives you the firm figure.
Are solar roofs worth the money?
That depends on the roof under them. Roof-integrated solar looks lower and cleaner and comes with one warranty for the roof and the energy system, which makes sense when the roof is due anyway. On a roof with years of life left, a rack-mount array costs less upfront and starts producing sooner.
Why are people getting rid of their solar panels?
Often the panels are not going away at all: they come off so the roof under them can be replaced, then go back on. Removal and reinstallation means disconnecting, storing and reinstalling the array on new flashed mounts, and doing it without experience leads to costly mistakes, so it is a job for a solar crew.
New roof, new array, or both
Tell us what is happening on your roof
Call with the address and the job, whether that is a reroof under panels or solar on a roof for the first time, and we will set up a free, no-obligation estimate.
We quote the whole job before we start, with no surprise charges after.
Every roof attachment flashed and sealed.