Solar panel lifts in Surprise, AZ

Surprise has a lot of single-family rooftops and a lot of sun, and solar crews spend plenty of time here. The roof itself is usually the challenge: concrete tile, a steady pitch, a two-story section on some floor plans, and a block-walled backyard that keeps material trailers out front.

We are based in Surprise, which makes it easier to fit a crane visit into your install morning. The truck sets up at the curb or in the driveway, and modules, rails and hardware go up in bundles and land on the roof plane where your crew wants them. Nobody is climbing a ladder with a panel under one arm.

Every lift is different. Call with the weight of the item, how far it needs to go and where the truck can park, and Don will confirm the lift.

Concrete tile is common across Surprise subdivisions, and it does not like concentrated weight or boots in the wrong place. Landing material on a tile roof takes more planning than landing it on a flat commercial roof.

• Let the installer pick the spots. Your crew, roofer or engineer decides where material can be staged and how much at once. We do not make structural calls.
• Smaller bundles, more spots. Several lighter landings spread across the array area are often easier on tile than one full pallet.
• Have a plan for the landing surface. Many crews set down pads or a staging platform before material arrives. Tell us what you are using so the load comes down onto it squarely.
• Tie it off. Panels are light for their size, and a flat stack on a sloped roof can slide or lift in a gust.

Most Surprise homes sit inside an HOA, and homeowners often ask whether the HOA can stop a solar install. Under Arizona law, an association cannot prohibit solar energy devices, but it can adopt reasonable rules about placement, as long as those rules do not block the install, impair the system or add cost or reduce efficiency (A.R.S. 33-1816). Your installer or the HOA can tell you how that applies to your home. We do not give legal advice.

Lift day is a separate question. HOAs may still have rules about work trucks, street parking or work times, so ask before the crane is scheduled. If the truck has to set up in the roadway, some cities require a right-of-way or street-use permit; check with the City of Surprise.

Tile roofs eventually need their underlayment replaced, and if there is an array on top, the panels have to come off first. That job usually takes two crane visits:

1. Removal. Your solar crew disconnects the system and unbolts the modules. We lift the panels, and racking if needed, down to the ground or onto a trailer so they are not stacked on the roof the roofer is trying to work on.
2. Re-install. Once the roofer is finished, we lift everything back up for the solar crew to remount.

Ask your roofer for a realistic finish date and give us a call when it firms up. We will also lift tile and roofing materials for the roofer in between; see roofing material lifts.

Some Surprise streets have underground power, and others have overhead lines along the street or a rear alley. Look up either way, because the service drop is often on the same side of the house as the array. OSHA's crane rule requires at least 20 feet of clearance from lines up to 350 kV unless specific procedures are followed (29 CFR 1926.1408).

• Roof crew stays clear until each bundle is down and under control
• One person directs the lift; when the operator cannot see the landing, a signal person is required (OSHA 1926.1419)
• Fall protection for your roof crew is your company's responsibility
• Wind can stop a panel lift. Monsoon season, June 15 through September 30, brings sudden afternoon gusts, so morning lifts tend to go smoother

More on our general solar panel lifts page.