If you are planning on installing solar panels on your roof, you might be doing your research and talking with professionals who sell solar panels. One professional that you might not have talked to yet, though, is a roofing professional. However, it's almost always a good idea to work with a roofing contractor when purchasing solar panels and installing them on top of your home. These are some of the reasons why this is not a step that you should skip or put off.

Ensure Your Roof Is in Good Shape

Before you make the investment in solar panels and before you even think about installing them on top of your home, you'll probably want to make sure that your roof is in good condition. After all, having a roof that is in good condition is critical if you want to protect your home from the elements and preserve your home's value. Additionally, your roof could be negatively impacted if you install solar panels on top of your home when the roof is in less than ideal condition, and your new solar panels could be at risk too. Plus, it will typically be easier to either replace your roof or perform necessary repairs to your existing roof if you do so before the solar panels are installed. Otherwise, you might have to remove the solar panels after installation so that roofing repairs or a roof replacement can be done, which is an extra hassle.

Of course, if you have recently had a roof inspection done by a qualified contractor, then you probably don't have anything to worry about. If you haven't, however, you should call a roofing contractor in your area and schedule an appointment for a roof inspection first. Let the roofing contractor know about your plans to install solar panels on top of your home. Then, they can carefully check to ensure that your roof is in good condition and that's strong and stable enough to hold the solar panels.

Get Help With the Installation

You might not realize it, but some roofing contractors actually help their customers with installing solar panels. After all, they already have the necessary equipment to work on top of the roof, and they're typically quite experienced at working at higher heights. Plus, they will typically be very careful not to cause damage to the roof during installation. Ask your local roofing contractor if this is a service that they offer if you are looking for help with installing your solar panels.