9 ms·

> Cheaper than traditional roof plus solar. I find that really hard to believe. A new roof runs between 5-10k, and a 3kw solar system can be had for ~5k + labo

> Cheaper than traditional roof plus solar. I find that really hard to believe. A new roof runs between 5-10k, and a 3kw solar system can be had for ~5k + labor. Even if they are including a power wall in that price it's still pretty steep. Edit: It looks like they are actually quoting a 10kw system with 3 power walls (~40kwH storage) included, which at that point sounds about right at $40k. Still far beyond the reach of anyone but the wealthy, but not necessarily a bad deal if you're in the market.

the8472 7y ago
Labor is a significant part of the cost, both for a roof and for a solar installation. I assume only doing it once is one of the gains in cost-efficiency.
deleted 7y ago
[deleted]
t34543 7y ago
Roofs in my area are 20k for 1200 sq ft. Asphalt shingles. I would love to live in an area where it’s 5-10k.
- tgtweak 7y ago
  That's rediculous, in what area?
- serpix 7y ago
  I paid 30000 euros for roofing for a house a little bigger than that. I would have danced naked on the streets for 20k.
rco8786 7y ago
> new roof runs between 5-10k, That is incredibly cheap if so. That would be a roof on a small barn around here.
- opencl 7y ago
  Seems pretty normal where I live. Shingles are like $1/square foot but the labor costs of course vary wildly depending on location.
- jandrese 7y ago
  If you shop around it's abundantly clear that the price of a new roof varies wildly. Some of it is materials. The guy offering 50 year warranty GAF super-premium install who spots loads of potential problems up front and factors them into the cost is going to run much higher. The guy who is just going to hire some rando non-english speaking guys from the 7-11 and toss on the cheapest possible materials without concern about the underlying structure is going to be like a 1/4 of that price. $5-10k on a median sized single family home is the latter, especially if you're closer to the $5k mark. It is likely that you will have problems with the roof after it is installed, and the warranty is going to be garbage.
  - SlowRobotAhead 7y ago
    > The guy who is just going to hire some rando non-english speaking guys from the 7-11 and toss on the cheapest possible materials without concern about the underlying structure is going to be like a 1/4 of that price. You’ve met my guy Serge! He’s actually quite good and I’ve used him on two different houses. He probably has twice the experience of the super premium guy in town. It’s mostly nailing rocky tar sheets to wood, the guy who has done it a billion times (literally?) sometimes might be the better choice over the guy who bought into an exclusive contract with super premium company and went to their special school for the special product.
    - jandrese 7y ago
      They might be good, they might not. It's a luck of the draw when you are hiring the guys just standing on the street corner the morning of the install. Contractors that have their own dedicated install crews cost more, but are much more reliable.
  - HeWhoLurksLate 7y ago
FlyingAvatar 7y ago
Exactly how is that out of the reach of anyone but the wealthy? Amortized over 30 years, it's barely over $110 per month and for most homes would bring the electric bill to near zero.
- gameswithgo 7y ago
  if you have to pay up front it’s way too hard. loans have interest.
  - jandrese 7y ago
    It's hard, but not impossible. Your costs are higher than a traditional power company for 10 or 15 years until the panels are paid off, but then your costs are much lower than people with traditional grid hookup. In terms of investment it doesn't beat the stock market, but you have the side benefit of killing the planet slightly less. You are also hedged against rate increases from your power company.
- jacobsenscott 7y ago
  Assuming you'll be in the same house for 30 years is a big gamble. What if you need to move in 5 or 10 years? You're house value doesn't go up $40k when you put $40k tesla roof on top. I would bet a tesla roof actually reduces your house value. Imagine the cost of any roof maintenance, or trying to find a roofer who can work on it without just doing more damage.

the8472 7y ago

Labor is a significant part of the cost, both for a roof and for a solar installation. I assume only doing it once is one of the gains in cost-efficiency.

deleted 7y ago

[deleted]

t34543 7y ago

Roofs in my area are 20k for 1200 sq ft. Asphalt shingles. I would love to live in an area where it’s 5-10k.

tgtweak 7y ago
That's rediculous, in what area?
serpix 7y ago
I paid 30000 euros for roofing for a house a little bigger than that. I would have danced naked on the streets for 20k.

rco8786 7y ago

> new roof runs between 5-10k, That is incredibly cheap if so. That would be a roof on a small barn around here.

opencl 7y ago
Seems pretty normal where I live. Shingles are like $1/square foot but the labor costs of course vary wildly depending on location.
jandrese 7y ago
If you shop around it's abundantly clear that the price of a new roof varies wildly. Some of it is materials. The guy offering 50 year warranty GAF super-premium install who spots loads of potential problems up front and factors them into the cost is going to run much higher. The guy who is just going to hire some rando non-english speaking guys from the 7-11 and toss on the cheapest possible materials without concern about the underlying structure is going to be like a 1/4 of that price. $5-10k on a median sized single family home is the latter, especially if you're closer to the $5k mark. It is likely that you will have problems with the roof after it is installed, and the warranty is going to be garbage.
- SlowRobotAhead 7y ago
  > The guy who is just going to hire some rando non-english speaking guys from the 7-11 and toss on the cheapest possible materials without concern about the underlying structure is going to be like a 1/4 of that price. You’ve met my guy Serge! He’s actually quite good and I’ve used him on two different houses. He probably has twice the experience of the super premium guy in town. It’s mostly nailing rocky tar sheets to wood, the guy who has done it a billion times (literally?) sometimes might be the better choice over the guy who bought into an exclusive contract with super premium company and went to their special school for the special product.
  - jandrese 7y ago
    They might be good, they might not. It's a luck of the draw when you are hiring the guys just standing on the street corner the morning of the install. Contractors that have their own dedicated install crews cost more, but are much more reliable.
- HeWhoLurksLate 7y ago

FlyingAvatar 7y ago

Exactly how is that out of the reach of anyone but the wealthy? Amortized over 30 years, it's barely over $110 per month and for most homes would bring the electric bill to near zero.

gameswithgo 7y ago
if you have to pay up front it’s way too hard. loans have interest.
- jandrese 7y ago
  It's hard, but not impossible. Your costs are higher than a traditional power company for 10 or 15 years until the panels are paid off, but then your costs are much lower than people with traditional grid hookup. In terms of investment it doesn't beat the stock market, but you have the side benefit of killing the planet slightly less. You are also hedged against rate increases from your power company.
jacobsenscott 7y ago
Assuming you'll be in the same house for 30 years is a big gamble. What if you need to move in 5 or 10 years? You're house value doesn't go up $40k when you put $40k tesla roof on top. I would bet a tesla roof actually reduces your house value. Imagine the cost of any roof maintenance, or trying to find a roofer who can work on it without just doing more damage.