By Asbury Roofing & Solar | Oakland County, MI | 8 min read
“Two birds, one stone” is cute advice for life. For your Oakland County home? It’s a six-figure financial strategy hiding in plain sight on your rooftop.
Let’s be real: most Oakland County homeowners think about their roof exactly twice — when they buy the house and when it starts leaking during a Tigers game. And solar panels? That’s “something people in California do,” right?
Wrong on both counts. And if your roof is more than 15 years old, you might be leaving serious money on the table by not thinking about both at the same time.
Here’s the full picture on why the roof + solar combo is the smartest home upgrade you can make in Michigan right now — and how Asbury Roofing & Solar makes it dead simple for Oakland County homeowners.
Why Oakland County Homeowners Are Thinking About This Now
Michigan winters are not playing around. Freeze-thaw cycles, ice dams, heavy snow loads — your roof takes a beating that homeowners in warmer states never deal with. The average Oakland County home was built in the 1970s–90s, which means a LOT of roofs in Pontiac, Rochester Hills, Troy, Waterford, and Clarkston are quietly approaching (or past) their expiration date.
At the same time, Consumers Energy and DTE Energy customers have been watching their electric bills climb year over year — and it’s not slowing down. Solar isn’t a luxury anymore. For a lot of homeowners, it’s starting to pencil out as a straight-up financial no-brainer.
Put those two things together, and you’ve got a perfect storm (pun intended) of reasons to act.
The “Why Now” Math Nobody Talks About: If you install solar on an aging roof, there’s a good chance you’ll have to remove and reinstall those panels in 5–7 years when the roof finally gives out. That’s an additional $3,000–$6,000 in labor costs you could have avoided entirely by doing both at once. Doing the roof first, then solar? Smart. Doing them simultaneously with one contractor? Even smarter.
The Full Home Upgrade, Explained
Here’s what a combined roof replacement + solar installation actually looks like when you work with a company that does both (hint: that’s us):
Step 1: The roof goes first — and it should. Solar panels are warrantied for 25–30 years. That means whatever they’re mounted on needs to last at least that long. A fresh roof isn’t just aesthetically pleasing — it’s the foundation your investment is literally sitting on. Asbury installs high-quality shingles rated for Michigan weather before a single panel goes up.
Step 2: The solar system is designed around your home. Cookie-cutter solar installs are out. Asbury designs your system based on your home’s actual energy usage, roof pitch, south-facing surface area, and shading patterns. A system designed for a home in Rochester Hills is going to look different than one in Milford — and it should.
Step 3: Gutters and siding aren’t an afterthought. While we’re up there, this is also the right time to assess your gutters and siding. Water management is the silent killer of Michigan homes. Damaged fascia and failing gutters can compromise even a brand-new roof. Asbury handles it all — no subcontractors, no finger-pointing when something goes wrong.
What you get by bundling:
- One contractor, one project timeline, one point of contact
- No panel removal costs when your roof eventually needs work (because it’s new)
- Maximized 30% federal tax credit eligibility on the solar portion
- Potential Michigan state incentives and utility net metering credits
- Increased home resale value — solar homes sell faster and for more
Book Your Free Inspection → No pressure. Just honest numbers for your Oakland County home.
Does Solar Actually Work in Michigan? (Yes, Obviously)
This is the #1 question we get — and honestly, fair. Michigan isn’t exactly Death Valley. But here’s what the data actually shows: Michigan gets enough annual sunlight to make solar financially viable for most homeowners. Germany — one of the cloudiest countries in the world — generates more solar power per capita than almost any nation on Earth.
Modern solar panels don’t need direct sunshine; they work on ambient daylight. And Michigan actually benefits from a “cold weather performance boost” — solar panels are more efficient in cold temperatures than in extreme heat. Your panels in December might be working better per hour of sunlight than those same panels in July.
Think of it this way: Michigan’s weather makes solar work differently than Florida, not worse. Your panels are basically built for this.
The bigger factor for most Oakland County homeowners isn’t weather — it’s roof orientation and shading. That’s exactly what Asbury’s free inspection assesses before we ever talk numbers.
What Asbury Roofing & Solar Does Differently
There’s no shortage of roofing companies in Oakland County. And the national solar sales guys have been knocking on doors here for years (you’ve probably already told a few to get off your porch). So why Asbury?
We’re local and we act like it. Asbury serves Oakland County homeowners — not a 50-state territory. We know which neighborhoods deal with chronic ice dam issues. We know how Troy’s older housing stock compares to newer construction in Lake Orion. Local knowledge isn’t a marketing line; it’s what separates a good installation from a great one.
We don’t subcontract your project. When a big-box roofing company wins your job, they often hand it to the lowest-bidding subcontractor crew available that week. Asbury’s team does the work. That matters for quality, accountability, and your warranty.
We do it all under one roof (okay, pun intended this time). Roofing. Solar. Siding. Gutters. One call, one company, one project. No juggling four separate contractors. If something isn’t right, you call us — not “somebody else.”
The Honest Answer on Financing and Payback
We’re not here to oversell you. Solar + roof replacement is a significant investment. But let’s run the real numbers for an average Oakland County home:
- Federal Investment Tax Credit: 30% of your solar system cost, dollar for dollar off your tax bill
- Average Michigan solar payback period: 8–12 years (shorter with incentives)
- DTE/Consumers net metering: sell excess power back to the grid and watch your bill shrink
- $0-down financing options: your monthly payment can be less than your current electric bill
- Michigan property tax exemption: solar additions don’t increase your taxable property value
The bottom line: for most Oakland County homeowners who need a new roof anyway, adding solar turns a pure cost center into something that actually pays you back. That’s not marketing fluff. That’s math.
FAQs: Real Questions, Real Answers
Does Asbury Roofing & Solar serve all of Oakland County? Yes — we service the full Oakland County area including Troy, Rochester Hills, Pontiac, Waterford, Clarkston, Lake Orion, Milford, Farmington Hills, Novi, and surrounding communities.
How long does a combined roof + solar installation take? Most projects are completed in 2–5 days depending on home size and system complexity. We work efficiently and clean up like we were never there.
What if my roof doesn’t need to be replaced — can I still go solar? Absolutely. If your roof has solid life left, we’ll tell you that honestly during the free inspection and proceed with solar only. We’re not here to sell you things you don’t need.
Will solar panels damage my new roof? When installed correctly on a properly prepared roof — which is exactly what we do — solar panels can actually extend the life of the shingles underneath them by shielding them from UV exposure and weathering.
What’s the first step? A free, no-obligation inspection of your roof and home energy profile. We assess everything, give you honest numbers, and let you decide. No pressure, no hard sell.
Stop Paying DTE & Consumers More Than You Have To. Your free inspection takes less than an hour. The savings last 25 years.
