Roof leak after a solar panel install: what to do in California

The first day: protect the house and build the record

1. Stop the damage inside: move belongings, catch the water, and turn off power to any light fixture or outlet the water reaches.
2. Photograph and video the ceiling, walls and attic (if you can reach it safely), with the date visible.
3. From the ground, photograph the array and the roof around it. Don’t climb onto the roof or the panels.
4. Note the weather: which rain, how heavy, and how soon after it the leak appeared.
5. Find your contract and the workmanship warranty, and check who owns the system.
6. Call the installer, then send the same report by email so there is a dated written record.

Hold off on letting a roofer lift panels or reseal mounts until you have asked the installer, in writing, whether that affects its warranty. Emergency tarping to protect the house is different; tell the installer you did it and keep the receipt.

Who is responsible depends on who did the work and who owns the system

Panel and inverter warranties cover the equipment itself, so they rarely help with a leak. The warranty that matters is the installer’s workmanship warranty, so check its term and what it excludes. Leases and PPAs are covered in how solar leases and PPAs work, and the utility-owned program in LADWP Solar Rooftops.

Where solar-related leaks come from

Every mount, conduit run or rooftop box that passes through the roof has to be flashed and sealed. NREL’s operation and maintenance guide treats flashing at “a roof stanchion or conduit penetration” as a routine repair item, and recommends that the roofing company specify procedures for notifying it and the manufacturer of roof problems related to a PV system. NREL, Dec. 2018·checked Sep 23, 2026 Other common sources:

• Mounts that missed a rafter, or were sealed with caulk alone instead of flashing.
• Tiles cracked during installation on clay or concrete tile roofs.
• Debris and leaves trapped under the array, blocking drainage.
• Roofing that was already near the end of its life when the panels went on.

On tile, the attachment method matters; see how panels attach to a tile roof. If the repair means lifting panels, what drives solar repair cost explains the charges.

Getting the installer to fix it

Put your request in writing: the date the leak appeared, what you have seen, photos, the warranty clause, and a reasonable deadline for an inspection and repair. Ask the installer to show you, with photos, what it found and what it replaced. Keep copies of everything, including your own costs for interior repairs.

Workmanship is the biggest category of solar complaints to the Contractors State License Board. In fiscal year 2022/2023, 1,232 of the 1,625 solar complaints CSLB investigated involved workmanship or abandonment. CSLB·checked Sep 23, 2026

If the installer won’t respond

• CSLB complaint. CSLB handles license-law violations “for up to four years from the date of the act,” licensed or unlicensed. CSLB·checked Sep 23, 2026 It may mediate; its arbitration program is mandatory for qualifying disputes of $25,000 or less and voluntary from $25,000 to $50,000; and citations can carry civil penalties of up to $30,000 plus orders to repair. It also says it cannot guarantee you will get money back. CSLB·checked Sep 23, 2026
• Small claims court. CSLB points people with damages of $12,500 or less to small claims and advises consulting an attorney above that. CSLB·checked Sep 23, 2026
• Hidden defects. For defects not apparent by reasonable inspection, Code of Civil Procedure § 337.15 sets an outer limit of 10 years after substantial completion for a lawsuit. Shorter limits can apply, so don’t wait.

When to bring in an attorney and what to do if the contractor has disappeared cover the next steps.

Insurance for the damage inside

Interior water damage may be a homeowners insurance claim even when the cause is the installer’s work, depending on your policy and deductible. Report it promptly and ask the insurer how the claim and the installer’s warranty fit together. How homeowners insurance treats solar panels covers the policy side.

Before the next roof or solar decision

The CPUC’s consumer guide suggests asking any solar seller, before signing, whether the roof needs replacing first, and what it would cost to remove and reinstall the panels for a future roof replacement. CPUC·checked Sep 23, 2026 If this leak has you thinking about a new roof, read solar panel removal and reinstall costs, what to check in a roof-plus-solar offer, and whether your roof is right for solar. Ongoing upkeep is in our solar panel maintenance guide.