Texas homeowner says solar panels left his roof leaking, and months later, he's still stuck

A Texas homeowner says solar work on his house led to a long-running repair problem instead of a simple energy upgrade.

He says leaks began appearing in areas below the newly installed panels, and months later, he is still waiting for a clear answer on how the issue will be handled.

What happened?

John Haukness told Fox 26 Houston that his Texas City home had not developed roof leaks during the years he has lived there since 1991, but that changed after solar panels were added in 2024. The station said his dispute with Starlight Solar came after months of back-and-forth.

Fox 26 reported that Haukness first noticed peeling paint about eight months ago and initially thought it was simply a sign of age. He later found wet sheetrock and water damage in two bedrooms under the panels.

"This part of the house has never leaked," Haukness told Fox 26. "All the leaks are under here."

He said he tried reaching the company repeatedly by phone, text, email, and eventually certified letter, according to Fox 26. Starlight Solar came to the home once and attempted a fix, he said, but the leaking did not stop.

Haukness also told the station he would be willing to cover part of the repair costs himself if the company would work with him.

"My roof is leaking. I want to cooperate," he said. "My plan was, you remove the panels, and I know a roofer friend, and we want to seal it. It'll be at my expense... Whatever they want, just help me."

Why does it matter?

Fox 26 said Haukness's contract contains workmanship-warranty language and references water intrusion related to roof penetrations, while also noting that it had not determined whether those terms apply to his case.

The station also reported that Starlight Solar gave different explanations about when it first became aware of the problem, first saying Haukness had not reported roof leaks and later saying that he had.

For now, Haukness said he is waiting to find out whether the company will remove and reinstall the panels so the roof can be repaired.

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