Relocation is part of the solar license
Section 489.105(3)(o) lists "relocation" and "replacement" among a solar contractor's services, next to installation, alteration, repair and maintenance. A contractor certified or registered in another Chapter 489 category may work within that category's scope without the solar license. Ask the company for its DBPR license number and category.
A roofer works under a different category, so ask who removes and who reinstalls. Section 489.113, as the statute reads, says a solar contractor need not subcontract minor roofing work within its scope when it exclusively pertains to residential solar equipment, so ask each company which part of the job its license covers.
Florida prices for moving panels, per panel
The model's removal and reinstall price is $190 to $380 per panel, removed and put back for roof work. Two national ranges, scaled by Florida's solar installer wage ratio of 0.95, make up the estimate; no permit fee is in it, and it isn't a quote.
Re-roofing, new flashing and a replacement for a cracked panel are outside the range, and there's no federal credit to subtract. Get the per-panel price and the panel count it rests on.
| Item | Figure | What it is |
|---|---|---|
| Estimated range, not a quote | $190 to $380 per panel, removed and put back for roof work | Built from 2 national published ranges, adjusted by the Florida solar installer median wage ratio (0.95). Before any incentive: there is no federal credit for a system installed in 2026. Basis: no Florida company price for this job, so the national estimate stands. |
| Solar photovoltaic installer wage, Florida median | $24.30 an hour | Installer pay from O*NET's 2025 median (BLS May 2025 data); the company sets your price. |
| Photovoltaic permit, Lakeland | $72 | Permit fee page; a new-system row, not a reinstall price. |
| Photovoltaic installation, Tallahassee | $70.07 first kW plus $8.69 each additional kW | Growth Management fee schedule; the schedule date is not printed. |
Estimated range. Built from national published ranges (2 sources), adjusted by Florida's solar installer median wage ratio to the US (0.95, BLS May 2025), plus the city solar permit fee where the city publishes one. Not a quote. One Florida installer publishes its own current price on its own page (Palmetto, per watt), too few to build a range from; the others print blog or market averages or dated figures, which we do not count. We have no Florida company price for this job, so the range is our national estimate alone. Full method. Prices as of Oct 24, 2026.
Whether the county or city wants a permit
Local permits carry reasonable fees set by the enforcing agency under section 553.79. The rows here price photovoltaic systems: Lakeland lists $72, Hernando County $180 for a residential system in Spring Hill, Tallahassee $70.07 for the first kW and $8.69 for each additional kW, and Pompano Beach $260 per trade up to 10 kW. None of those rows names a reinstall, so ask the building department whether putting the array back takes a new permit, and the amount, before the roof comes off.
Section 553.791 lets a private provider handle a single-trade solar inspection or plan review.
Where the panels go back, and your association
Section 163.04 lets the approving entity decide the specific roof location, within an orientation to the south or within 45 degrees east or west of due south, if that doesn't impair effective operation. If the new roof changes where the panels can sit, ask the association to approve the layout in writing.
Telling your utility
FPL pre-approves systems before installation and Tampa Electric requires a visible load-break manual disconnect. Ask your utility whether it wants notice before the array comes off, and keep your interconnection agreement with the roof contract. If the reinstalled system ends up larger, Rule 25-6.065 moves anything over 10 kW from Tier 1 to Tier 2, where FPL and Tampa Electric charge application fees.
What can't wait during a roof job on solar
- Smoke, sparks or a burning smell at the panels, the inverter or the wiring during or after the work is a 911 call.
- Output has dropped since the panels were put back.
- A panel was scratched with nothing hot or smoking.
What to document before the roof comes off
- Take photos of the array and the inverter display to record how things were.
- Keep the interconnection agreement and panel warranty within reach.
- Get each company's DBPR number and license category in writing.
The permit side of moving an array
Ask the building department whether a reinstall needs a permit and who may take it out. Section 553.79 has the agency post its application types online, so the department's site should list them.
Ask for the company's contractor license number and look it up with your state's licensing board before you sign.
Questions people ask
Whose license covers taking panels down and back up in Florida?
Someone holding a DBPR solar license, or a contractor in another Chapter 489 category working inside that license. Section 489.105(3)(o) lists relocation among a solar contractor's services.
Does Florida require a permit to put panels back?
Your building department decides, under section 553.79. Ask for the amount and whether it wants a new permit before the roof comes off.
Is the roofer responsible for the solar panels?
Your contracts settle it, so put it in writing. Write down which company takes the panels off, which puts them back and who pays if one cracks.
Can my association choose where the panels go back?
Within limits, under section 163.04. It may pick the roof location within south or 45 degrees either side of due south if that doesn't impair operation.
- O*NET OnLine (BLS May 2025 wage data): Solar photovoltaic installers (SOC 47-2231), Florida statewide, median hourly wage Read Oct 24, 2026.
- O*NET OnLine (BLS May 2025 wage data): Solar photovoltaic installers (SOC 47-2231), United States (national), median hourly wage Read Oct 24, 2026.
- SolarPanelMatch: how we estimate costs, Florida (editorial policy) Read Oct 24, 2026.
- Solar permit fee, Lakeland Read Oct 24, 2026.
- Solar permit fee, Tallahassee Read Oct 24, 2026.
- DBPR CILB: construction industry licence categories; s. 489.105 F.S. Read Oct 24, 2026.
- Florida Statutes 489.113 Read Oct 24, 2026.
- Florida Statutes 553.79, 553.791 Read Oct 24, 2026.
- Solar permit fee, Spring Hill Read Oct 24, 2026.
- Solar permit fee, Pompano Beach Read Oct 24, 2026.
- Florida Statutes 163.04 Read Oct 24, 2026.
- FPL net metering Tier 1, Tier 2, Tier 3 interconnection agreements; FPL net metering page Read Oct 24, 2026.
- Tampa Electric: Steps to Connect; Connecting Your Solar Read Oct 24, 2026.
- Florida Administrative Code Rule 25-6.065: Interconnection and Metering of Customer-Owned Renewable Generation Read Oct 26, 2026.