The Tesla Solar Roof pairs an attractive design with solar power and costs between $100,000 and $110,000 for a typical 2,000-square-foot home. This covers both the power-generating tiles and regular roof sections.
Yes, it’s expensive upfront, but homeowners usually recover these costs through lower electric bills over 10–15 years. Unlike regular solar panels that sit on top of your roof, the Solar Roof actually becomes your roof with glass tiles that make electricity while looking like normal roofing. Hook it up to Tesla’s Powerwall battery, and you’ll have stored power for nights and blackouts.
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How Much Does a Tesla Solar Roof Cost?
You’ll pay about $106,000 for a Tesla Solar Roof on an average 2,000-square-foot home with a 6.14 kW system. That’s pricier than regular solar panels because you’re replacing your entire roof, not just adding panels.
The solar-generating shingles run about $16 per watt, way more than the $3 per watt you’d pay for standard solar panels. Add in the non-solar parts, tearing off your old roof, and installation work, and the price hits roughly $63 per square foot. The silver lining? The Federal Solar Tax Credit can knock 30% off your costs, and you might qualify for even more savings through state and local programs.
Solar Glass
Not every shingle in a Tesla Solar Roof is solar generating. There are two reasons why — you don’t need all the shingles to be solar to generate enough energy to power your home, and it helps keep the overall system cost down. These tempered glass shingles look similar to slate shingles, and their inactive counterparts match them exactly. The active shingles are 15″ x 45″, produce 71.67 watts, and cost about $2.00 per watt to install. Their cost is far lower than the $3 per watt average for traditional solar panels, but that’s not all you need to complete your Solar Roof.
Non-Solar Shingles and Roofing Materials
A major portion of the Tesla Solar Roof is inactive shingles, meaning they have no solar energy capturing (photovoltaic) electronics in them at all. These inactive shingles look just like the solar versions and are indistinguishable from the ground. If your roof is 1,800 square in area, your costs for inactive shingles and roofing materials will fall between $25,000 and $38,000. The major factors influencing the total cost are your roof’s size and complexity.
Tesla has three roof complexity ties, with simple roofs costing about 38% less than complex ones:
- Complex roofs – $19.00 per square foot: Multi-level roofs with a steep roof pitch, many obstructions, and a very crowded mounting plane.
- Intermediate roofs – $16.50 per square foot: Multi-level roofs with a high roof pitch, some obstructions, and a crowded mounting plane.
- Simple roofs – $14.50 per square foot: Single-level roofs with a low roof pitch, minimal obstructions, and an uncrowded mounting plane.
Powerwall
A Tesla Powerwall battery will cost you around $11,500 per unit in 2025. You don’t need one for your Solar Roof to work, but adding a Powerwall makes your home much more energy-independent. Each Powerwall holds 13.5 kWh of power — enough to keep your fridge, lights, and essential outlets running for about a day if the grid goes down.
Most people install 2–3 Powerwalls if they want to run their air conditioner or charge an electric car during outages. On normal days, the Powerwall stores extra solar energy from sunny afternoons for you to use after dark, potentially cutting ties with your utility company completely.
View our in-depth breakdown of the Tesla Powerwall.
Roof Removal
If Tesla needs to remove your existing roof for the Solar Roof installation, they will charge you for it. It costs around $6,000–$7,500 to remove an average roof, and Tesla arranges roofers to do the work. However, some homeowners can bypass this extra charge if they have a good-condition roof of less than 3/8-inch thick, 3-tab asphalt shingles. Tesla can install the Solar Roof directly over the existing shingles in this case.
If you’re wondering if other types of roofing material can stay on, you’re out of luck. You will have to remove cedar shingles, concrete tiles, architectural shingles, etc. before Tesla can install the Solar Roof.
Permitting, Roof Prep, and Electrical
Tesla takes care of the permitting, roof preparations, inverters, and electrical hookups itself, so you don’t have to worry about it. However, the company doesn’t break down these individual costs. Instead, they’re baked into the overall equipment, and installation cost you pay for the solar roof.
What is the Average Cost per Watt of Tesla’s Solar Roof?
The cost per watt of a Tesla solar roof can be calculated in two main ways. If only considering the solar shingles, the cost is $1.80 per watt. But, since one must buy the entire Solar Roof, including non-solar components and potentially removing the current roof, the total cost per watt averages to $5.27. This latter value incorporates parts not directly capturing solar energy.
Learn more about the Roof Shingles installation Cost.
Is Tesla Solar Roof Cheaper than Paying for Solar Panels and a New Roof?
If you’re considering a Tesla Solar Roof for your home, you’re probably weighing it against other renewable energy sources, like traditional solar panels. While solar panels don’t provide the same curb appeal as the Solar Roof, they are still much more affordable, even if you get a new roof along with it.
| Cost | Tesla Solar Roof | Solar Panels + New Roof |
| Total Cost | $106,000 | $40,000 |
| Solar System | $35,000 (solar producing shingles) | $20,000 |
| Old Roof Removal | $7,000 | $1,500 |
| Roof Replacement | $64,000 (non-solar shingles and other materials) | $18,500 |
Looking at the numbers, a Tesla Solar Roof costs $60,000–$70,000 more than putting in both a new roof and standard solar panels. For a 6.14 kW setup, about $35,000 pays for the active solar shingles, $64,000 covers the non-solar portions, and $7,000 handles removing your old roof.
Compare that to a similar regular solar panel system at around $20,000, plus $18,500 for a new roof and $1,500 for tear-off. It’s a big price jump, but the Solar Roof looks better and might boost your home’s value enough to make the extra cost worthwhile for some homeowners.
Read more: Tesla Solar Roof vs Solar Panels: Differences and Cost Guide
Does Tesla Solar Roof Come With a Good Warranty?
Your Tesla Solar Roof includes a solid 25-year warranty for the product, weatherization, and power production. This guarantees your roof won’t leak, and the solar tiles will still make at least 80% of their original power after 25 years.
This beats many regular solar panel warranties that only give 10–12 years of product coverage separate from their 25-year output guarantees. Add a Powerwall battery? That comes with its own 10-year warranty promising at least 70% capacity throughout. Tesla builds these systems tough — they can handle 1.75-inch hailstones and winds up to 130 mph, so your investment should be safe through most weather events.
What Is the Best Way to Finance Your Tesla Solar Roof?
When considering Tesla solar roof financing, options include a loan, lease, or a power purchase agreement (PPA). Tesla typically offers better loan deals than most other lenders, mainly because solar loans are newer and not widely available at traditional banks
If you decide to lease your Solar Roof, Tesla will own it, and you’ll make monthly payments. The benefit of leasing is that you don’t have to come up with all the money upfront. However, you won’t get any tax breaks because you don’t own the system.
You also don’t own the system with a power purchase agreement (PPA). Instead, you make monthly payments, and the solar company owns it. The benefit of this agreement is that your monthly payments will be lower than they would be with a lease because you’re only paying for the power, not the system itself.
Is the Tesla Solar Roof Eligible for Any Incentives?
Tesla solar roof incentives, like the federal and state offerings, can significantly reduce your costs. The investment tax credit (ITC) in particular lets you deduct 26% of the system’s price from federal taxes.
However, the 26% will only apply to the cost of the solar-energy producing component (solar shingles) and not the non-solar shingles. So, if your Solar Roof costs $40,000, and the solar shingles cost $12,000, you will only receive the 26% tax credit on the $12,000 (not $40,000).
Some states, such as California, offer additional incentives, such as rebates, property tax exemptions, and performance-based incentives too. Keep in mind that some incentives and rebates may only apply to the cost of the solar shingles only and not the rest of the roof.
How Much Energy Can the Tesla Solar Roof Produce?
A Tesla Solar Roof makes enough electricity to cut your monthly power bills dramatically or eliminate them entirely. Each solar tile creates about 72 watts, and most homes install systems between 5.32 kW and 12.53 kW. To make this real: a 7 kW system in sunny California generates roughly 10,500 kWh per year, which covers what an average American home uses (about 10,000 kWh yearly).
The solar tiles convert 8–10% of sunlight to electricity — less efficient than regular solar panels at 18–22% — but they make up for it by covering more roof area. Your results will vary based on your roof size, which way it faces, local weather, and shade from trees or buildings nearby.
Is Tesla Solar Roof Worth It?
A Tesla Solar Roof makes the most sense if you already need a new roof and want a premium solar option that looks great. If your current roof is less than 10 years old and still in good shape, standard solar panels will save you more money. But if you hate how normal solar panels look, the Solar Roof’s sleek design might justify paying more.
The math improves if you live where electricity costs a lot (like California or New York) or where solar incentives are generous. Most folks break even after 15–20 years, then enjoy basically free electricity for another decade. For people planning to stay in their homes long-term, with good sun exposure, and who care about curb appeal, the Solar Roof can still make sense despite the $100,000+ price tag.
Read also: Overview of Solar Panels Statistical Facts
This site receives compensation from the companies featured in this listing, which may impact where and how products appear. This listing doesn’t feature all companies, products, or offers that may be available.
Read also: Energy Generating Capacity of Solar Panels
FAQs About Tesla Solar Roof Costs
The Tesla Solar Roof isn’t cheap – it costs around $106,000 for a typical home, far more than standard roofing or solar panels. The 30% federal tax credit helps by cutting about $30,000 from your cost, and local rebates might save you even more.
This is definitely a premium home upgrade that appeals mostly to luxury homeowners or people who really want the clean, integrated look. The long-term energy savings and potential increase in property value might make financial sense for certain homeowners, but it’s not the most economical solar option available.
The Tesla Solar Roof should last at least 25 years – that’s what the warranty covers. The company guarantees the solar tiles will still produce at least 80% of their original power after all that time. The glass construction holds up well against hail, sun damage, and storms.
Many solar systems keep working well past their warranty period, so 30+ years of service isn’t unrealistic with minimal maintenance. This puts the Solar Roof on par with high-end metal roofing, but with the added bonus of generating power for your home all those years.
Tesla’s Solar Roof tiles convert 8–10% of sunlight into electricity, which is less than the 18–22% efficiency of standard solar panels. However, the Solar Roof typically covers more area than you’d use for regular panels, so total power production can be similar.
For most installations, performance meets expectations – a typical 6–7 kW system can offset 80–100% of a home’s yearly electricity use. You’re trading some efficiency for looks, but the difference isn’t dramatic in real-world use compared to bulkier traditional panels.
