How Much Do Solar Shingles Cost for Your Roof? [2026 Data]

Solar shingles cost an average of $35,000, and prices typically fall between $21,000 and $50,000. This breaks down to between $21 and $25 per square foot, or $2,100 to $2,500 per roofing square for solar shingles. Your price could climb as high as $75,000 if you cover your entire roof in solar shingles instead of installing small sections.

Size of Roof

The size of your roof or the area of your roof you plan to cover with solar shingles is the most significant cost factor to consider. Some homeowners choose to integrate small sections of solar shingles into other roofing materials, while others cover their entire roof for maximum savings on electric bills. Solar shingles cost between $21 and $25 per square foot of coverage, so you can use these averages to get an accurate estimate for your project.

Roofing Contractor Costs

You can expect around 60% of your total project cost to go toward the labor to install your solar shingles or an average of about $21,000. Your roofer may charge by the coverage area foot for labor, totaling between $13 and $15 per square foot or between $1,300 and $1,500 per roofing square, which covers 100 square feet.

Labor costs can increase from there if you have a steep roof, which requires additional safety equipment and time to complete the installation safely.

Electrician Costs

Many municipalities require a licensed electrician to connect your solar shingles to your home so that you can use the power they generate. Electricians cost between $50 and $130 per hour, and the standard solar shingle connection will take around two hours for a total of between $100 and $260.

Cost by Location

Solar shingle costs can vary by location, sometimes by thousands of dollars. Professionals usually charge more in areas with a higher cost of living, so a solar roof will cost more in major cities and suburban areas than in rural areas. Prices can also fluctuate based on the average cost of living by state.

Additional Solar Shingles Cost Factors

There are some other important cost factors to consider in order to get an accurate estimate for your solar roof project.

Energy Demands

It’s a good idea to size your solar shingle system based on your home’s energy demands, with higher monthly electricity consumption requiring more square feet of solar shingles to offset energy demands. If you intend to size your system to cover all of your energy needs during the day, take your monthly electric consumption into consideration.

The chart below can help you estimate the cost of solar shingles based on consumption, but keep in mind that these numbers can vary based on sunlight availability, sun intensity, shading on your property, and more. Hire a professional to get a customized estimate to maximize your savings potential.

Performance

You should consider the energy output of your solar shingles when sizing your installation. You can look for the efficiency rating on spec sheets, which averages between 12% and 15% for most solar shingles. Higher efficiency ratings will often cost more, but they’ll also produce more electricity, which can offer greater long-term savings on your electric bills.

Brand

The brand of solar shingles you choose will play a role, too, with premium brands like Tesla costing two to three times as much as more affordable options. For example, Tesla solar shingles can cost as much as $60 per square foot, whereas solar shingles from GAF or CertainTeed can sit as low as $21 per square foot.

Structural Reinforcement

A bundle of asphalt shingles weighs between 45 and 80 pounds, depending on the thickness and quality, and a bundle of solar shingles weighs between 400 and 450 pounds. The added weight on your roof may require a structural inspection and reinforcement to ensure your home can safely support the solar shingles.

If you do need structural reinforcement—especially if you’re covering your entire roof with solar shingles—you could pay anywhere between $1,000 and $10,000, depending on the size of your roof and the work you need done.

Old Roof Removal

Most roofing contractors will charge between $1,000 and $5,000 to rip off and haul away old roofing material. You could do the work yourself, but you’ll still likely pay a few hundred dollars in dumping fees, not including rental costs for a dumpster or truck to move the old material.

Permits

Replacing a roof often requires a building permit, which will cost between $100 and $500, depending on your municipality. Installing solar shingles comes with the added cost of hiring a licensed electrician to connect your system to the grid, which will add $50 to $300 to your total in most cases.

Many roofing companies will include permit costs in their total, including the electrical permit cost if they’re installing solar shingles.

Why You Should Hire a Roofing Pro for Solar Shingles

Installing solar shingles requires a local roofing expert with plenty of experience and connections with the right vendors, setting this project firmly outside of the do-it-yourself sphere. 

Here’s why it’s ideal to hire a roofing professional

When you’re considering a solar shingles project, here’s why you’ll need to start by hiring a professional:

• Solar shingles aren’t available in a DIY kit. Instead, you’ll need to find contractors with connections to the proper suppliers who are certified to correctly install them. 

• Solar shingles can be more delicate than normal shingles, and require an experienced professional to properly install and connect them.

• You will need a professional to safely and properly connect the solar shingles to a battery or other storage option, then connect that battery to your home systems, following the latest building and electrical codes. 

• Solar shingle professionals can provide necessary contracts and warranties for the solar operation, as well as start the permitting process.

• Working on steep rooftops is a safety hazard and best left to the professionals. 

If you want to DIY a roof project

You cannot DIY a solar shingle project, even if you’re confident in your roofing abilities. This installation must be carried about by specialized, certified roofing pros. But there are a few tasks you can do to prepare.

• Arrange for an inspection early, not just for an estimate but to examine your roof’s condition for signs of damage or additional issues.

• Before the pros arrive, make sure your roof and gutters are cleaned of debris. Arrange for a roof cleaning service, if necessary.

• Research your home’s amp service and general electrical needs, as well as if you’ll need to charge an electric vehicle. 

Solar Shingle Replacement vs. Repair

On a per-square-foot basis, you’ll pay about the same amount for solar shingle replacement as you would for repair, so replacement is the best option if some of the shingles sustain damage or aren’t performing as expected. However, since repairs often only involve replacing individual shingles or small sections, it will likely be more cost-effective to pay for a repair, provided the rest of your roof still has some useful life remaining.

How to Save Money on the Costs of Solar Shingles

Solar shingles are some of the most expensive roofing materials you can install on your home, with installations reaching as high as $75,000 in some cases. However, there are some things you can do to keep your project as affordable as possible.

• Integrate into regular shingles if possible. Covering small sections of your roof with solar shingles and the rest with another material, like asphalt shingles, is a good way to keep your total roof replacement cost down. Solar shingles cost about five times as much as standard asphalt shingles, so integrate small areas into a standard roof to save.

• Take advantage of incentives. Solar incentives are often available to help bring down the effective cost of installing solar shingles. The federal investment tax credit (ITC) alone can provide a credit that can offset up to 30% of the installation cost. Check the Database for State Incentives for Renewables and Efficiency (DSIRE) for local incentives, too.

• Size your system appropriately. A solar shingle system that is sized properly for your home by a professional will maximize the long-term savings you’ll see on your electric bills. Those savings can offset some or all of your installation costs.

• Hire a pro. Hiring a professional to install solar shingles will reduce the risk of property damage and fire, as well as keep your roof warranties intact, likely saving you money over time.

Does a Solar Shingle Roof Increase Home Value?

Installing a solar shingle roof often increases your home value because buyers will take the long-term utility bill savings into account when determining what they’re willing to pay. However, the appearance of solar shingles is polarizing, so some buyers may not want a home with a solar roof, leading them to pay less. The actual ROI you’ll see depends on your location, how much of your electric bill you can offset, and the tastes of the buyers in your area.

How Angi Gets Its Cost Data

Home is the most important place on earth, which is why Angi has helped more than 150 million homeowners transform their houses into homes they adore. To help homeowners with their next project, Angi provides readers with the most accurate cost data and upholds strict editorial standards. We extensively research project costs to develop the pricing data you see, so you can make the best decisions for you and your home. We rely on reputable sources, including the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, academic journals, market studies, and interviews with industry experts—all to ensure our prices reflect real-world projects. 

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