From Contract to a Finished Installation: A Guide

The single biggest source of frustration in any roof project isn't price or weather — it's not knowing what's supposed to happen next. Homeowners sign a contract, then wait, then panic when they don't hear from anyone for a week, then panic again when a crew shows up unannounced.

Here is exactly what happens at Verified Guys after you sign, in order, with realistic timelines. Use this as a yardstick for any contractor you hire — if they can't tell you something close to this when you ask, that's a yellow flag.

Phase 1: Contract Signed (Day 0)

Once you sign your agreement and put down your deposit, three things happen the same day on our side:

• Your project goes onto the production calendar with a target start window (typically 2–4 weeks out for non-emergency work).
• Your dedicated project manager is assigned, with their direct cell number sent to you. Not a call center. Not a "team email." A person.
• Materials are ordered to spec for your roof — tile color or shingle line, underlayment, flashing kits, and any solar-specific hardware needed for your existing array.

You'll get a written confirmation of all of the above in your inbox within 24 hours. Read it. If anything is wrong, fix it now — it's much cheaper to change a tile color today than after the first pallet is delivered.

Phase 2: Pre-Build Walkthrough (3–7 Days Before Start)

About a week before your start date, your project manager will visit the home to do a pre-build walkthrough. This isn't a sales call. It's a logistical alignment.

• We confirm where the dumpster will go, where the materials staging area will be, and how to keep your driveway accessible for the rest of the family.
• We identify anything in the attic that needs to be moved away from the underside of the roof — storage boxes, holiday decorations, anything irreplaceable.
• We document the existing solar system: panel count, model numbers, inverter manufacturer, current production levels. This becomes the baseline for our reset verification later.
• We talk through the days the crew will be on-site, what time they'll start (typically 6:00 AM in summer to beat the heat), and when they'll wrap.

What you should do this week:

• Take photos of the inside of every room with a ceiling under the roof — for your records, not ours.
• Move cars off the driveway the day before start.
• Crate or kennel pets if they spook easily — tear-off is loud.
• Notify direct neighbors. They will appreciate the heads-up.

Phase 3: Solar Detach (Day 1, Morning)

The first thing that happens on start day is not tearing off your roof. It's safely shutting down and removing your solar array.

Our master electrician verifies the system is de-energized at the inverter and the rapid-shutdown disconnect. The panels are then unbolted from their mounts, labeled to indicate their original position on the roof, and carefully stacked on padded racks in a shaded area on the ground. We document panel serial numbers as we go — this matters for warranty later.

Detach typically takes 4–8 hours depending on system size. For a typical 20-panel residential array, expect this to wrap by lunch.

This is the step that gets cut corners by roofers who aren't licensed for solar. They'll tell you to "just have your solar guy come unplug it." That phrase has cost more homeowners more money than any other in this industry.

Phase 4: Tear-Off and Decking Inspection (Day 1, Afternoon — Day 2)

Once the panels are safely off the roof, the roofing crew starts tear-off. All old roofing material comes off down to the bare wood decking.

This is the moment of truth: with the decking exposed, we inspect every square foot for rot, delamination, or damage. About 1 in 4 Phoenix homes ends up needing some decking replacement — usually around bath fans, swamp coolers, or old solar mount points where water has gotten through unnoticed for years. We'll photograph anything we find and walk through it with you before any extra material is installed.

Decking, ice-and-water shield in valleys, and synthetic underlayment go on the same day. Your home should never be left with exposed decking overnight.

Phase 5: New Roof Installation (Day 2–3)

The new roof goes on. Order of operations:

1. Drip edge installed at all eaves and rakes
2. Underlayment fully nailed off according to manufacturer spec
3. Starter course laid along eaves
4. Field shingles or tile installed up the slope
5. Ridge caps and final flashing details installed last

You'll see specific solar mount footings get pre-flashed during this phase, in their original positions. This is the part where dual-licensed crews shine: we know exactly where the mounts need to go because we documented them on day one. A roofer working alone has to guess and hope the solar tech who shows up later doesn't have a problem with the alignment.

Phase 6: Solar Reset and Recommissioning (Day 3–4)

Once the roof is signed off, the panels go back up — on the new flashing kits, in the original positions, with manufacturer-torque-specified bolts. The wiring is reconnected and labeled, and the system is brought back online by our master electrician.

Before we leave the site, we verify three things:

• Every panel is producing within its expected output range (we use the baseline data from Phase 2)
• The rapid-shutdown system functions correctly
• Your monitoring app is showing live data again

If anything is off, it gets fixed before we leave. Not on a follow-up visit. Not on a callback. Before we leave.

Phase 7: Final Walkthrough and Cleanup (Last Day)

Your project manager walks the property with you. Together you verify:

• The roof looks right from every angle
• All debris is gone — including the magnetic sweep we run across driveways and lawns to catch every last nail
• Gutters are clear of any tear-off material
• Your monitoring shows the solar system back online and producing
• You have copies of every warranty document, your final invoice, and your manufacturer registration confirmations

That's the entire project. From contract signed to final walkthrough, a typical roof + solar detach/reset runs 3–5 working days, sometimes spread across two calendar weeks if weather intervenes.

What "Done" Means at Verified Guys

The job isn't done when the trucks leave. It's done when:

• Your monitoring data is back to baseline
• You have one phone number for any future issue with the roof, panels, or anything in between
• Your manufacturer warranties on the panels are confirmed intact
• You feel like you'd recommend us to your neighbor

That last one is the actual standard. Everything else is just process to get there.