Updated August 25, 2026 for Austin homeowners.
Solar on an Austin roof: the question to settle first
Before anything else: how old is the roof?
Panels last 25 to 30 years. If your Austin roof has eight years left, you are
looking at paying to remove and reset an entire array partway through — a
cost that rarely shows up in the sales presentation. Removal and reinstall on a
typical residential array is not a small number.
The sequence that saves people money:
- Get an honest roof-age assessment. Not from the solar salesman.
- If the roof is within about seven years of replacement, do the
roof first, then mount panels on a new deck.
- If there's storm damage, find out whether the roof is an insurance claim
before panels go on. Panels complicate every future claim on that
roof.
We do both trades, which means we have no incentive to tell you the roof is
fine when it isn't. That's the whole reason to use one company for both.
Insurance claims on an Austin roof: what we can and can't do
We help Austin homeowners through the claims process constantly, so let's be
precise about the line, because some contractors aren't.
What we do: inspect and document damage thoroughly, meet
your adjuster at the property, provide a detailed scope and photos, point out
damage that got missed, and explain what the adjuster's estimate actually
says.
What we don't do: negotiate your claim on your behalf or
act as your public adjuster. In Texas that requires a separate license, and a
roofing contractor who offers to "handle your claim for you" is
describing something they may not be licensed to do.
The one to walk away from: anybody offering to
"waive your deductible," "eat the deductible," or
"cover it in the paperwork." Your deductible is your obligation
under your policy. An arrangement to conceal it is insurance fraud, and it's
your name on the claim. We will never propose it, and we'd encourage you to
report anyone who does.
Skylights, chimneys, and other things that leak in Austin
When an Austin homeowner calls about a leak, the shingle field is rarely the
culprit. It's almost always a penetration:
- Plumbing vent boots. The rubber collar cracks from UV and
heat, typically well before the shingles wear out. The most common leak we
find, and one of the cheapest to fix — if you catch it.
- Chimney flashing. Needs step flashing and counter
flashing let into the mortar joint. Caulk over the top of the old flashing is
a repair with an expiration date.
- Skylights. The unit itself has a service life; so does
its flashing kit. If a skylight is older than about twenty years and you're
replacing the roof anyway, replacing the unit at the same time is far cheaper
than doing it separately.
- Wall-to-roof transitions on two-story Austin homes,
especially where siding meets a lower roof.
- Satellite dish mounts drilled straight through the deck
and forgotten.