Financing
Enter your roof and solar costs with loan terms for each. Compare one bundled loan against two separate loans to see which structure actually costs less.
How it works
Step 1
Keep these figures distinct even if you're considering one contractor for both, since a shorter roof loan term can save money regardless of how the projects are quoted together. Use the loan payment calculator to sanity-check either payment individually.
Step 2
Ask your lender or installer about both structures specifically, since terms can differ meaningfully between a single combined loan and two separate ones.
Step 3
A bundled loan might offer a lower combined monthly payment while still costing more in total, so check the full picture using the loan term comparison tool for either piece if useful.
Financing the roof and solar portions separately, each on its own natural amortization schedule, can total less than blending them into one loan, largely because a shorter term on the roof portion limits how much interest accrues on that piece. This was true before the federal solar tax credit's 2026 expiration and remains true now that neither path gets a federal credit. The total interest paid calculator can help you see this effect on either loan individually. The IRS Form 5695 instructions confirm the current eligibility rules for either portion.
A $14,000 roof and $26,000 solar system bundled into a single 20-year loan at 6.99% APR totals about $74,371. Financing the roof separately over 10 years at 7.99% and the solar over 20 years at 6.99% instead totals about $68,715, a difference of about $5,656 in favor of the separate approach, even though the roof loan carries a higher rate. The roof replacement cost calculator can help you confirm the roof estimate itself is realistic before comparing financing structures.
Keeping the roof on a shorter term limits how many years of interest accrue on that portion, even if the rate is somewhat higher than the solar loan's rate. Spreading the roof cost over the same long term as the solar loan, as a bundled structure often does, can increase its total interest more than a higher rate on a shorter separate loan would. This structural difference, not a tax credit, is what drives the gap between the two options. A battery changes the loan amount. The battery storage size calculator in our Battery & Storage section can help you size it before you borrow, so you do not pay interest on spare capacity.
If a roof needs replacement within the next several years regardless of solar plans, doing it first avoids the added cost and disruption of removing and reinstalling panels later. This timing consideration is often the deciding factor in whether to bundle the projects at all, separate from the financing structure question. The refinancing solar loan calculator is worth checking if you already have a solar loan and are now adding a roof project afterward.
Ask both your roofing contractor and solar installer for real quotes, and get loan terms for both a bundled and separate structure from your lender. The loan term comparison tool can help you compare term lengths for either portion individually if you want to test more combinations than this tool covers. The CFPB's issue spotlight on solar financing covers general financing considerations worth reviewing before signing.
Questions
It depends on the specific rates and terms available for each option. In one example, a $14,000 roof and $26,000 solar system bundled into a single 20-year loan at 6.99% APR totals about $74,371, while financing the roof separately over 10 years at 7.99% and the solar over 20 years at 6.99% totals about $68,715, a difference of about $5,656.
No, a standard roof replacement has never qualified for the federal solar tax credit, and as of 2026 a new solar purchase or loan doesn't qualify either, since the residential credit expired for systems installed after December 31, 2025. Some specific integrated solar roofing products may have separate eligibility rules, so confirm with a tax professional if your project includes that kind of product.
If a roof needs replacement within the next several years anyway, doing it before installing solar avoids the added cost and disruption of removing and reinstalling panels later. This timing consideration often matters more than the financing structure itself.
A shorter term on the roof portion can reduce total interest on that piece even at a higher rate, while the solar portion keeps its own natural term. Bundling everything into one longer-term loan spreads the roof cost over more years, which can increase its total interest despite a potentially lower blended rate.
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