Tile mountingHooks or replacement mountsNever reused shingle hardware
Typical tile breakage10-15% allowanceCommonly built into the quote
Tile cost premium~15-25% moreVs. shingle, method-dependent
Standing seam metalClamp-on, no drillingUsually cheaper and faster

The short answer

Tile and metal roofs are common across Florida, and both need mounting hardware built specifically for that roofing material, not the standard shingle flashing most solar marketing shows. Tile roofs cost more to mount on because the tile itself is fragile and some breakage is normal. Standing seam metal roofs are usually the easy case: a clamp grips the seam with no drilling at all, which often makes it cheaper and faster than shingle. Other metal roof types don't get that shortcut.

None of this changes whether solar makes sense on your home. It changes what to ask an installer about your specific roof, and what a fair quote should itemize.

Mounting on a tile roof

Tile can't support racking resting directly on its surface, so installers use one of two approaches:

  • Tile hooks. A hook or bracket fits around the existing tile and anchors to the roof deck or truss underneath, working with the tile that's already there rather than removing it.
  • Tile-replacement mounts. The tile at each attachment point comes out, and a base plate or flashed mount goes in its place, anchored directly into the structural truss with sealant and flashing integrated into the underlayment.

Either way, some tile breakage during install is normal, not a sign of a bad crew. Installers commonly quote a 10 to 15 percent breakage allowance and order that much extra tile to match. If your roof uses a discontinued or hard-to-match tile profile, ask about that specifically before signing, since replacement tile availability can be its own headache years after your roof was built. Cracked tiles and mounts that aren't flashed to the underlayment are where water can get in; our guide to solar and roof leaks covers what Florida's code requires.

Mounting on a metal roof

Metal roofs split into two very different cases for solar:

  • Standing seam. These panels have raised, interlocking seams running up the roof. A clamp grips the seam itself, with no holes drilled into the roofing material at all. That typically makes it faster and cheaper to install than a penetrating mount, and it avoids creating a new leak point, since there's nothing to seal.
  • Corrugated or exposed-fastener metal. Without a seam to clamp onto, these are mounted more like a shingle roof: brackets fasten through the metal into the structure below, sealed against water intrusion the way any penetrating mount has to be.

If you're not sure which type you have, standing seam panels have a raised vertical rib every foot or two with no visible screw heads on the panel face; exposed-fastener metal has visible screws running through the flat of each panel.

Close-up of a solar mounting clamp gripping a standing seam metal roof, with a mounting rail attached and no roof penetrations
A standing seam clamp grips the seam itself. No holes, no sealant, no new leak point.

What Florida code requires either way

The wind-resistance rules underneath all of this don't change by roof material. Florida Building Code requires solar racking to be listed to UL 2703 and installed exactly per the manufacturer's instructions, engineered to the wind loads set out in ASCE 7. What changes by roof type is which listed product and hardware applies, since a mount engineered and tested for shingle attachment isn't the same product as one engineered for tile or standing seam. Reusing the wrong roof type's hardware, for instance old shingle standoffs on a newly tiled or metal roof, is a common way installations fail inspection.

In Miami-Dade and Broward County's High-Velocity Hurricane Zone, there's an extra layer: the specific mounting product needs its own Notice of Acceptance (NOA) from the county, not just general statewide code compliance. Our hurricanes guide covers the wind-attachment code in more depth, including what failed in past storms.

Warranties and reroofing

A non-penetrating standing seam clamp is specifically designed to avoid voiding your metal roof's warranty, since it doesn't touch the material the warranty covers. Any penetrating mount, on tile, exposed-fastener metal, or shingle, carries more warranty risk if it isn't sealed and installed correctly, which is part of why the flashing details matter as much as the racking itself. Ask your roofing manufacturer's documentation and your solar installer directly which method applies to your roof.

Mounting hardware also doesn't transfer across a reroof. If you replace a shingle roof with metal or tile later, the solar mounts have to be re-specified for the new material, not simply reattached. If a reroof is on the horizon, our roof-before-solar guide covers why sequencing that before solar, not after, avoids paying to remove and reinstall panels twice.

How it works

Your estimate in three steps

  1. Enter your billYour ZIP code, your utility and last month's bill.
  2. See your estimateA yearly savings range based on your utility's rates and Florida sun.
  3. Choose what's nextAsk for a quote call if you want real pricing, or just keep the number.

See what solar could save you

It takes about a minute. You don't need a site visit, a commitment or a sales call to see your number.

Check my savings →

Common questions

Can you put solar panels on a tile roof?

Yes, but not by mounting straight onto the tile. Installers use either tile hooks, which work around the existing tile, or tile-replacement mounts, which remove the tile at each attachment point and anchor directly into the roof truss with integrated flashing. Reusing shingle-style mounting hardware on a tile roof fails inspection; it has to be tile-specific hardware.

How many tiles get broken during a solar install?

Some breakage is normal and expected. Installers commonly build a 10 to 15 percent tile breakage allowance into their quote and order that much extra to match your existing tile. Experienced crews use specific tools and walking techniques to minimize it, but concrete and clay tile are brittle, so budgeting for some replacement is realistic rather than a red flag.

Does solar cost more on a tile roof than a shingle roof?

Usually, yes. Tile-specific mounting hardware, the extra labor to work around fragile tile, and replacement tiles commonly add somewhere in the range of 15 to 25 percent to the mounting portion of a job compared with asphalt shingle, though the exact number depends on the method and your roof. Get this cost itemized in your quote rather than folded into a single number; our guide to comparing solar quotes covers what to ask for.

Is solar cheaper to install on a metal roof?

Often, if it's standing seam metal. Standing seam panels have raised seams that a clamp can grip without drilling through the roof at all, which typically makes installation faster and cheaper than a penetrating mount, and it avoids creating new leak points. Corrugated or exposed-fastener metal roofs don't have a seam to clamp onto, so they're mounted more like a shingle roof, with sealed fasteners through the metal.

Will solar void my metal roof's warranty?

A clamp-based standing seam mount is specifically designed to avoid that problem, since it doesn't penetrate the roofing material the warranty covers. A penetrating mount on any roof type, including exposed-fastener metal, carries more warranty risk if it isn't sealed and installed correctly. Ask your roofing manufacturer's documentation and your solar installer directly which mounting method they're using and whether it's compatible with your specific roof warranty.

Does Florida code treat solar mounting differently by roof material?

The underlying wind-resistance requirements are the same, but the approved hardware differs by roof type. Florida Building Code requires solar racking to be listed to UL 2703 and installed per the manufacturer's instructions, engineered to the wind loads in ASCE 7. In Miami-Dade and Broward's High-Velocity Hurricane Zone, the specific mounting product also needs its own Notice of Acceptance (NOA), not just general code compliance. Our hurricanes guide covers the wind-attachment rules in more depth.

What happens if I reroof later with a different material?

The mounting hardware has to change with it. A tile-specific mount can't simply be reused on a new metal or shingle roof, and vice versa; the attachment method is engineered for the specific roofing material underneath. If you're planning a reroof, our roof-before-solar guide covers why doing the roof first avoids paying twice to remove and reinstall panels.

Are solar shingles or a solar roof a way around this?

They're a different product, not a workaround. Integrated solar shingle or solar roof tile products replace the entire roof surface with power-generating material rather than mounting panels on top of an existing tile or metal roof, and they come with their own cost and availability trade-offs. Most Florida homeowners choose standard panels mounted onto their existing tile or metal roof instead.

Cost figures are commonly cited industry ranges, not a quote; get your installer's actual itemized cost for your specific roof. Sources: Florida Building Code wind-attachment requirements (UL 2703, ASCE 7) · Miami-Dade and Broward County HVHZ Notice of Acceptance requirements · current solar mounting hardware and installed-cost guidance, reviewed September 2026.

Next guideShould I replace my roof before going solar? →