Roof Repairs Under and Around Solar Panels
A leak under a solar array is a specialist problem: the fault is hidden, access is restricted and panels may need to come off. City Building and Roofing Ltd repair roofs beneath and around existing arrays across London and Surrey, coordinating with solar installers where panel removal is required.
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Repairing a roof under solar panels means diagnosing and fixing faults where the array restricts access — slipped tiles at the array edge, damaged flashings, or defects beneath the panels themselves. City Building and Roofing Ltd carry out the roofing work and coordinate with your solar installer where panels must be removed and refitted; the electrical disconnection and reconnection always remain with suitably qualified solar professionals.
The particular problem of leaks under arrays
When a roof with solar panels leaks, three complications stack up. The fault is often hidden beneath the array, where no one can see it. Access is restricted — you cannot simply strip and refix tiles under a mounted panel. And the panels themselves, their mounting rails and their roof anchors are all part of the picture: mounting penetrations are a common leak source in their own right.
The repair therefore starts with careful diagnosis: is the water entering at the array's fixings, at a tile damaged during or after installation, at a flashing beside the array, or somewhere up-slope entirely? Getting this right determines whether panels need to come off at all — often they do not.
Where panels must be removed, the division of labour matters. We are roofers: we repair the roof. Panel disconnection, removal, refitting and recommissioning are for your solar installer or another suitably qualified solar professional, and we coordinate the two sides so the job runs as one.
Signs of trouble under an array
- Damp patches or drips appearing on ceilings below or near the array area
- Staining on rafters or felt beneath the array visible from the loft
- Tiles visibly cracked or displaced at the edges of the panels
- Debris and pigeon nesting under panels forcing water where it shouldn't go
- A leak that started after the panels were installed — mounting penetrations are a known culprit
What our service covers
Diagnosis first
Loft evidence, edge inspection and drone photography where appropriate, to establish whether the fault is under the array at all.
Repairs around the array
Many faults sit at the array's perimeter — cracked tiles, flashings and mortar we can repair without disturbing a single panel.
Mounting penetration issues
Assessment of leaks at roof anchors and rails, and the roofing-side repairs once access is arranged.
Coordinated panel removal
Where panels must come off, we coordinate with your solar installer, who handles all disconnection, removal and refitting.
Repairs beneath the panels
With the array safely removed, full repair of the coverings, battens, felt and flashings beneath — done properly while access exists.
Written guarantee
Our roofing workmanship guaranteed in writing, with insurance-backed cover available on eligible works.
How It Works
Describe the problem
When the leak shows, when the panels were fitted, and who installed them if known.
Diagnosis visit
Internal and external inspection to locate the fault and establish whether panel removal is actually needed.
Plan and quotation
An itemised quote for the roofing works, with the panel removal/refit scope identified separately for your installer.
Coordinated works
Panel removal by solar professionals where required, our repairs completed, panels refitted and recommissioned by them.
Completion
Photographs of the completed repair and your written workmanship guarantee.
Where our role stops
- We do not disconnect, remove, refit or recommission solar panels or any electrical equipment — that work belongs with suitably qualified solar professionals
- Faults within the solar system itself — inverters, cabling, panel seals — are for your installer; we repair the roof
- Diagnosis under a mounted array is necessarily partial until access is created; we are honest about what is confirmed versus probable
- Panel warranty implications of removal and refitting should be checked with your installer before works are agreed
We would rather tell you the honest position than win work on promises we cannot keep.
London & Surrey Coverage
We repair roofs under and around solar arrays across London and Surrey — domestic installations in Kingston, Richmond, Weybridge, Walton-on-Thames, Esher and Cobham, and panels on terraces and larger properties across west London. Bring your installer's details to the first conversation if panels may need to come off.
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Find City Building and Roofing Ltd on Google
Customers across London and Surrey can find City Building and Roofing Ltd on Google to read reviews, view recent work and contact the team directly. We recommend calling the correct local number for your area — Surrey enquiries on 01932 950 995 and London enquiries on 020 7118 0095.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do the solar panels have to come off to fix the leak?
Not always — and finding out is the first job. Many leaks blamed on the array turn out to be at its perimeter or up-slope, where we can repair without touching a panel. Where the fault genuinely sits beneath the array or at its mountings, removal is usually unavoidable, and we coordinate that with your solar installer.
Who removes and refits the panels?
Your solar installer or another suitably qualified solar professional. Panel disconnection, removal, refitting and recommissioning are electrical work and stay on their side of the line; the roof repair stays on ours. We coordinate the two so you are not left project-managing between trades.
Can solar panel mountings cause roof leaks?
Yes — mounting penetrations are one of the more common causes of leaks on solar roofs, particularly where fixings were driven through tiles or flashed poorly during installation. Once access is arranged, the roofing-side repair is usually straightforward; the diagnosis visit establishes whether this is your culprit.
Will removing panels affect my solar warranty?
It can, depending on your installer's terms and who performs the removal — which is exactly why we insist the panel work is done by qualified solar professionals, ideally the original installer. Check your warranty terms with them before works are agreed; we are happy to plan the roofing programme around their requirements.
The leak started soon after my panels were installed — coincidence?
Sometimes, but not usually. A leak that begins shortly after installation points first to the works themselves: a tile cracked underfoot, a fixing through the covering or a disturbed flashing. Our diagnosis is independent — we report what the evidence shows, which also gives you a factual basis for any conversation with the installer.
Can you repair the roof while the panels stay up?
Where the fault is at the array's edge or elsewhere on the roof, yes — a large share of 'solar roof' repairs never require panel removal. Under the array itself, working room is minimal and a proper repair generally needs the panels off. We tell you which situation you are in before any money is spent.
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Contact us today for a free, no-obligation quote. We serve all of London and Surrey with professional roofing and building services.
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