Roof upgrades and add-ons

Battery backup for solar homes

Most rooftop solar is tied to the grid, and a grid-tied system without storage shuts off when the grid does. That is a safety rule for the line crews, not a defect. It also means a house covered in panels can sit dark through an outage. A battery fixes that. It stores power the panels make during the day and runs the house at night or when the power goes out.

Start with what has to stay on: the refrigerator, the furnace fan in January, a sump or well pump, the garage door, internet, medical equipment. That list sets the battery size. We size to the circuits you care about, not to the biggest unit in a brochure, and we tell you what will and will not run during an outage before you sign.

Already have solar? You do not have to start over. Batteries can often be added to an existing system after the fact, including one another company installed. We look at the inverter, the main panel, and the wall space first, then quote what fits. Stored solar can also help offset the power you buy in the evening, depending on your utility’s current rules. We do not print a savings number, because those rules change.

• Backup sized to the circuits you choose, not a one-size package
• Can often be added to solar you already have; we check compatibility before quoting
• Quoted on the same estimate as a new roof, or on its own
• Ask about current federal and Utah incentives. No percentage is printed here

Electrical service upgrades

A battery, solar array, EV charger, or heat pump all ask more of the main electrical panel. Many Utah homes have a panel that was sized for the house as it was built, not for what it runs today. When the panel or service cannot carry the new load, it has to be upgraded before the new equipment is connected.

If an upgrade is required, the estimate says so and says why. If your panel has room, we say that too. Work at the meter has to be scheduled with the utility, and we build that and the city permit into the timeline so the upgrade does not hold up the roof.

Solar attic fans and a healthy attic

Ventilation is part of the roof system, not an accessory. A roof breathes in at the soffits and out near the ridge. When that airflow is weak, summer heat builds in the attic, bakes the shingles from underneath, and works its way into the upstairs bedrooms. In winter, warm, humid air from the house rises into the attic and meets cold decking. That moisture condenses, soaks the insulation, and over time feeds mold, rotting plywood, rusted nails, and ice dams at the eave.

A solar attic fan is an exhaust fan with its own small solar panel. It pulls hot, damp air out of the attic when the sun is up and the attic is at its worst, without running on your electric bill. It pairs naturally with a new roof, because the opening, flashing, and placement are planned with everything else.

A fan only helps if air can get in. If the soffits are packed with insulation or painted shut, an exhaust fan can pull conditioned air out of the house instead. We check intake first. Sometimes the right fix is clearing soffits or adding ridge vent, and we will tell you when a fan is not the answer.

• Attic checked for heat, damp insulation, frost, and staining during the inspection
• Intake confirmed before any exhaust fan is recommended
• Fan placement and flashing planned with the roof, not cut in afterward

Solar panels, if you are planning them

If you are thinking about solar, our solar crew can install it on the roof we just built, so the mounts go on once and the array is not sitting on shingles that will need a tear-off in a few years. The details are on the solar installation page. If the roof is young and sound, we will not sell you a new one to go with it.

One company, one estimate

Most homeowners do not want a roofer, a solar company, and an electrician pointing at each other when something needs attention. With AT Max, the roof and any upgrade you choose are on one written estimate, scheduled together, with one number to call afterward.

Each upgrade is its own line. Take the roof alone, add one upgrade, or add them all. Nothing on this page is required to get a roof from us.