Tropicana Field's new 24 roof panels take six days each to fully install

Repairs begin on roof at Tropicana Field

Crews recently started installing the Trop?s new roof panels. FOX 13's Kailey Tracy reports.

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. - Tropicana Field is one step closer to replacing its roof that Hurricane Milton tore to shreds.

What we know:

Over the past several weeks, crews have been putting netting up and prepping for the panel installation that just started. Each of the 24 panels weighs about 4,800 pounds, according to a St. Pete city spokesperson.

RELATED: Tropicana Field repairs: St. Pete leaders approve agreement for new turf, non-roof repairs

City officials say crews are installing the panels opposite each other due to the weight, which is best practice, but the roof is not at risk of collapse. The original roof panels were installed in a sequence and this is the same type of material.

Raul Quintana, St. Pete’s city architect, said the new roof will be stronger and able to withstand 165 mile per hour winds. 

It takes crews six hours straight, uninterrupted, to fully lay out one panel. It then takes up to six days to completely stretch it out and connect it to the structure.

READ: St. Pete City Council to discuss economic impact if Rays leave after 2028 season

The panels are actually tan, but the Florida sun will bleach them white, just like the Trop’s original roof.

What's next:

The roof should be done by the end of December. The rest of the repairs are scheduled to be done by April 6, 2026 – Opening Day – when the Tampa Bay Rays will host the Chicago Cubs at the Trop.

The city is legally obligated to make the stadium playable for MLB games due to the current use agreement. The terminated new stadium deal has no bearing on the repairs to Tropicana Field.

The repair’s total price tag is almost $60 million. City staff said the turf would be one of the last things to be replaced. They expect it to be installed in February.