Solar Panels and a New Roof in Sioux Falls: Which Comes First?

If your roof is more than halfway through its life, replace it before the panels go up. Solar panels last about 25 to 30 years, according to the Department of Energy, which is about as long as a roof. Putting new panels on an old roof means paying to take them off and put them back when the roof wears out.

Hail, warranties and South Dakota’s rules matter too. The federal solar tax credit ended for systems placed in service after 2025.

Should I replace my roof before installing solar?

Yes, unless the roof is young. The Department of Energy puts panel life at 25 to 30 years and says doing the roof and the solar together saves money. NREL researchers estimated the average saving at $4,000.

Start with the roof’s age. If you do not know it, the Department of Energy suggests checking your city’s building permit records, since a Sioux Falls reroof needs a permit. Then compare that age with how long roofs last in South Dakota. A 15-year-old asphalt roof will almost certainly need replacing while the panels are still producing.

Not sure? Get a roof inspection before you sign a solar contract. Ask the inspector to look at the decking as well as the shingles, because panels will sit on it for decades.

What does it cost to remove and reinstall panels for a new roof?

A national cost guide put it at about $3,800 for 15 panels in 2025, with most jobs between $2,800 and $4,800. That works out to roughly $200 to $300 a panel. Taking them down took one to two days, and putting them back took two to three more.

We found no Sioux Falls figure. Roof pitch, height, the mounting hardware and the system’s age all move the price. Before you install solar, ask the installer in writing what it charges to remove and reinstall the system later, and whether it will still be in business to do it.

If hail forces the reroof, ask your insurance agent whether the policy pays for taking the panels off. Policies differ, and some South Dakota carriers now pay older roofs at depreciated value, which our guide to roof insurance claims in South Dakota explains.

Will solar mounts void my shingle warranty?

Not on their own, but the mounts and anything they damage fall outside it. One major shingle maker’s 2020 bulletin allows panels on its roofs, then says the solar equipment, its flashings, its installation and any roof damage caused while installing it are not covered. Damage from installing solar is not a manufacturing defect, in that maker’s words.

Another major shingle maker reportedly keeps its warranty in place but will not pay to remove panels so it can inspect defective shingles.

Every mount is a hole in your roof. Ask for the mounting and flashing details in writing, and have your roofer look at them before the solar crew starts, which is what the bulletin itself recommends. Ask who answers for a leak at a mount: the solar installer, the roofer or nobody.

Can solar panels survive Sioux Falls hail?

Most panels pass a basic hail test, but the Department of Energy says that test is not enough in severe hail country. The international standard, IEC 61215, fires 11 ice balls 1 inch (25 mm) across at about 51 mph. A panel passes if it shows no visible damage and loses less than 5% of its power.

Sioux Falls has seen far bigger stones than 1 inch, as our Sioux Falls hail storm history shows. In severe hail areas the Department of Energy advises asking the panel maker for proof of a tougher hail test, with ice balls of 50 mm or more. It also recommends front glass at least 3.2 mm thick, with 4.0 mm better but uncommon. Panels mounted nearly flat take the hardest hits.

Severe hail is the biggest single cause of insured losses on solar systems worldwide, according to the same Department of Energy guidance. Ask your agent how your policy covers panels before they go up.

Is there a tax credit or incentive for solar in South Dakota in 2026?

The federal credit is gone. The IRS says the residential clean energy credit is not available for any property placed in service after December 31, 2025.

South Dakota offers a property tax break instead. Under SDCL 10-4-44, renewable energy property under 5 megawatts is exempt from real property tax on the greater of $50,000 or 70% of its assessed value. The county director of equalization assesses it, so ask that office how to claim it.

We found no state solar rebate for 2026. A new roof has no federal tax credit either; our page on paying for a new roof in Sioux Falls covers the options that do exist.

Does South Dakota have net metering?

We found no statewide net metering law. A 2016 rural policy report called South Dakota one of three states without net metering policies, a 2013 bill to create it failed, and 2026 solar guides still describe no state law. We found no change since.

So what you get for extra power depends on your utility. Ask it, in writing, what it pays for power you send back to the grid, before you size a system.

Hooking up is regulated. The state Public Utilities Commission’s rules for small generators cover systems up to 10 megawatts on a public utility’s lines, and you sign an interconnection agreement before installing. Those rules do not apply to electric co-op or city utility customers, who follow their own utility’s process.

What permits do solar and a reroof need in Sioux Falls?

The reroof needs a city permit, with a flat $40 fee in the 2026 schedule. For solar, third-party permit guides say Sioux Falls wants a building permit and an electrical permit, but the city’s own permit page does not mention solar. Confirm with Sioux Falls Building Services at 605-367-8670.

Outside city limits, Minnehaha County’s handbook requires a permit for any repair or alteration, and roofing is not exempt. Call the county building inspector at 605-360-8507, or your town hall. The Department of Energy warns that permits, inspections and hookup can take weeks to months, so build that into the plan if the roof goes first.

Questions about solar and a new roof

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