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.
| Square Footage Covered | Solar Shingle Cost |
|---|---|
| 200 | $4,200–$5,000 |
| 400 | $8,400–$10,000 |
| 600 | $12,600–$15,000 |
| 800 | $16,800–$20,000 |
| 1,000 | $21,000–$25,000 |
| 2,000 | $42,000–$50,000 |
| 3,000 | $63,000–$75,000 |
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.
| State | Solar Shingles Cost |
|---|---|
| California | $50,800 |
| Florida | $36,100 |
| Georgia | $32,000 |
| Illinois | $32,700 |
| Michigan | $32,100 |
| New York | $43,100 |
| North Carolina | $34,500 |
| Ohio | $32,900 |
| Pennsylvania | $33,500 |
| Texas | $32,300 |
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.
| Monthly Energy Demands | Average Solar Shingles Cost |
|---|---|
| 500 kWh | $35,000 |
| 600 kWh | $40,000 |
| 700 kWh | $45,000 |
| 800 kWh | $50,000 |
| 900 kWh | $55,000 |
| 1,000 kWh | $60,000 |
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.
Photos: kevinjeon00 / E+ / Getty Images, deepblue4you / E+ / Getty Images
DIY vs. Hiring a Pro to Install Solar Shingles
While you’ll need a licensed electrician to connect your solar shingles to your home, it’s technically possible to install the shingles yourself. A DIY solar shingle installation will save you around $21,000 in labor costs, but the process is very complex, and any errors could leave your home prone to roof leaks and fires, so it’s always worth hiring a professional.
A local roofing company will have the experience necessary to secure the shingles safely and minimize the risk of future property damage. They’ll also be able to help size your system appropriately for your specific home to maximize your utility bill savings. Professional installation will leave roof warranties intact, whereas doing the work yourself can void them and leave you with expensive out-of-pocket repair costs if you make any errors.
It’s always worth having solar shingles installed by a professional instead of DIYing the job. In some municipalities, doing the work yourself might be illegal. For the greatest value and safety, hire a pro for this job.
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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