How to install Starlink on your roof

Is the roof the right spot?

Only if the ground doesn’t see enough sky. Starlink’s setup guide says to use an elevated spot such as a roof, pole or wall when there’s no clear view from the ground, and its placement article says many customers find a roof or pole mount works best. The roof wins over a wall when the house itself blocks part of the sky. It loses to a pole when trees rise well above the roofline.

Starlink doesn’t say one compass direction matters more for today’s home dishes, so don’t pick a roof face for facing “north” or “south”. Pick the face that scans clearest, then the spot on it you can reach safely.

Which roof mount for your roof and dish

Starlink’s mounts are made for specific dishes, and Starlink says its Standard mounts don’t fit other kits. Prices are what Starlink’s shop listed on Nov 3, 2026, shipping included.

Weight isn’t the problem: Starlink lists the Standard 4 X dish at 6.4 lb and the V5 dish at 2.4 lb. Wind is. Starlink rates the Standard 4 X as working in winds of 60 mph+ and says the kit isn’t designed for hurricanes or tornadoes. A mount is only as strong as the wood it’s screwed into.

Tools and parts

Starlink publishes a tool list for its Wall Mount: drill, stud/electrical finder, socket wrench, level, 1/4-inch (6 mm) bit, 9/16-inch socket, pencil. Plan on the same set for a roof mount, plus:

• an extension ladder that reaches at least 3 ft past the roof edge;
• a full-body harness, rope and roof anchor (fall-protection kits are sold at home-improvement stores);
• roofing sealant labeled for asphalt shingles, and a caulk gun;
• outdoor cable clips, a chalk line and a tape measure;
• your phone with the Starlink app.

For extra bolts or grommets, Starlink itself suggests a local hardware store. Full parts list by spot.

How to install a Starlink roof mount: 10 steps

1. 01

   Step 1: Scan the exact spot from roof height

   From an upstairs window on that side (feet on the floor), or a ladder a helper holds, run a sky scan in the Starlink app. Starlink’s install guides say to use that tool to confirm the spot before you mount anything. On a ladder, keep one hand on it and never twist around: scan the sky you face, then climb down and move the ladder. How to run the scan.

   10 minutesPhone, ladder
2. 02

   Step 2: Pick a dry, calm day and set the ladder right

   Dry shingles, little wind, no lightning. Set an extension ladder on firm, level ground with its feet out 1 ft for every 4 ft of height, and let it stick up at least 3 ft past the roof edge so you have something to hold. Keep the ladder and anything you carry at least 10 ft from overhead power lines, including the service line to your house.

   Extension ladderA helper
3. 03

   Step 3: Tie off before you walk the roof

   Wear soft-soled shoes and a full-body harness clipped to a roof anchor screwed into a rafter near the ridge. A roof anchor kit from a home-improvement store costs less than one ER visit. If the roof is steep, two stories up, or you’re not comfortable, stop here and hire it out.

   Harness + roof anchor
4. 04

   Step 4: Find a rafter and mark its center

   The mount must screw into a rafter or truss, not just the plywood deck (the drawing below shows why). Find one from the attic and measure from a vent pipe or the gable wall, or tap and probe with a thin bit, then seal the probe hole. US rafters are usually 16 or 24 in apart. Snap a chalk line along its center.

   20 minutesStud finder, thin bit, chalk line

1. 05

   Step 5: Place the base a little below the ridge

   Set the mount on a flat run of shingle, not over a shingle edge, a ridge cap or a vent. A spot one or two shingle courses below the ridge usually sees the most sky without the ridge itself in the way. Leave room for the dish to turn: Starlink’s wall-mount guide makes the same point about clearance. Mark the holes on the rafter line.

   Pencil, level
2. 06

   Step 6: Drill pilot holes and fill them with sealant

   Drill the pilot holes the mount’s guide calls for, straight into the rafter. Blow out the dust, then fill each hole with roofing sealant made for asphalt shingles and put a bead or pad under the base. Sealant goes in the hole, not just on top.

   15 minutesDrill, sealant
3. 07

   Step 7: Fasten the mount and set the mast plumb

   Drive the mount’s screws until the base is snug and the sealant squeezes out evenly. Don’t crush the shingle. Fit the mast and check it with a level on two sides: a mast that leans makes the dish harder to aim.

   Socket wrench, level
4. 08

   Step 8: Attach the dish and connect the cable

   Seat the Starlink cable fully into the dish before it’s exposed to the weather; Starlink says that’s what gives the connection its rated water resistance. Clip the cable down the roof along the shingle courses, with a drip loop before it turns into the wall. Getting the cable inside.

   Cable clips
5. 09

   Step 9: Power up, align in the app, then tighten

   Today’s Standard and V5 dishes are aimed by hand: open the app’s alignment tool, turn the dish until it says you’re aligned, then lock every adjustment. Check the obstruction view once more before you climb down.

   15 minutesPhone
6. 10

   Step 10: Check the attic after the first hard rain

   Look at the underside of the deck around the mount with a flashlight. A dry deck after a storm means the seal is good. Look again once a year.

   5 minutesFlashlight

How roof mounts leak, and how to stop it

Roofers see the same four mistakes. Each one is easy to avoid on the day and hard to fix later.

1. The screw missed the rafter. It holds at first, then works loose as the mast rocks in the wind, and water follows the gap. Find the rafter before you drill.
2. Sealant only on top. A bead around the base cracks in sun and frost. Fill the holes first, then seal under the base.
3. The base sits on a shingle edge. It rocks and lifts the shingle above it. Move it to a flat run.
4. The cable makes a gutter. A cable clipped straight down the slope can steer water under a shingle. Clip it along the courses and leave a drip loop.

For a belt-and-braces job, roofers slide a metal flashing plate under the shingle course above the mount so water sheds over the base. That’s general roofing practice, not a Starlink requirement. Starlink’s professional installs list a “basic sealed penetration”.

Will a roof mount void your roof warranty?

It might, and Starlink won’t cover it. Its terms say a permanent roof mount carries risks you accept, including to any warranty on your roof. They also say Starlink won’t pay to restore your property after an install, and isn’t liable for damage from installing or removing the kit.

1. Find your roof warranty (or your roofer’s workmanship warranty) and look for “penetrations” or “rooftop equipment”.
2. If it’s unclear, email the roofer or manufacturer and keep the reply.
3. On a new roof, consider a spot with no roof holes: the wall or eave, a pole, or a weighted ridge mount.

Tile, slate, metal and flat roofs

• Metal. Never fasten in the flat pan where water runs. Standing seam takes a clamp with no holes. Metal roof guide.
• Clay or concrete tile. Tiles crack when you walk on them, and Starlink says its Ridgeline isn’t recommended for clay tile. Tile mounts replace a tile with a flashed metal one; that’s a job for a tile roofer.
• Slate and wood shake. Same story: fragile underfoot and hard to seal. A wall, pole or roofer is the safer route.
• Flat or low-slope (membrane). Every hole goes through the waterproof layer, and Starlink’s terms name “penetration of the membrane” as a risk you accept. A weighted, non-penetrating frame on a protection pad avoids holes. The V5 Home Mount is also made for flat surfaces.

When to hire it out

Hire it out for a steep roof (if you can’t walk it upright, don’t), a two-story roof, tile or slate, or no attic access to find rafters. Where Starlink offers professional installation, its list of standard placements includes the roof with standard mounts and a basic sealed penetration, and Starlink says a standard install takes about 90 minutes. A local roofer is the other route, and the one to call for tile. What a pro install includes.