Roof replacement in Los Angeles

Reroofing in Los Angeles: the permit, the layers and the inspections

Inside the City of Los Angeles, a house reroof usually goes on the LADBS Express Permit list, which covers work that needs no plan check. The list has one line for a reroof over the existing solid sheathing and another for a reroof over new solid sheathing. Both are limited to Class A or B roof coverings that weigh less than 6 pounds per square foot. Express Permits are issued online, or by appointment at the Metro, Van Nuys, West Los Angeles, San Pedro and South Los Angeles counters.

Tile roofs have their own line. Removing the existing tiles, putting down new underlayment and resetting the same tiles is a separate Express Permit item, and LADBS notes that cool roof compliance is not required for it. Applying an approved coating to an existing roof is on the list too.

Can the new roof go over the old one?

Under the 2025 California Residential Code, a roof replacement means removing the existing layers down to the roof deck. A recover, where new roofing goes over the old, is allowed only in set cases, and never in these:

• The roof already has two or more layers of any type of roof covering.
• The existing roof is water soaked or has deteriorated to the point that it cannot serve as a base.
• The existing covering is slate, clay or cement tile, or asbestos-cement.

Old slate, clay or cement tile can be reinstalled, but damaged, cracked or broken pieces cannot. Existing flashings, edgings and vents that are part of the roof have to be replaced where they are rusted, damaged or deteriorated. Those are fair questions for every bid: which tiles are being reused, and which metal is being replaced.

What the inspector checks

When new sheathing goes down, the LADBS general notes for single-family dwellings say roof nailing is to be inspected before covering. That means the deck nailing has to be seen before underlayment and roofing go over it, so ask the roofer when that inspection is booked.

At the end, the City's Re-Roofing Certificate of Compliance is signed by the licensed contractor, or by the owner-builder when no contractor did the work. It certifies that the work and materials comply with the City's roofing regulations, and it goes back to the inspector or is mailed to LADBS. Keep a copy with the finaled permit.

Cool roof rules: the City asks for more than the state

Two sets of rules govern how reflective a new Los Angeles roof has to be, and they do not line up. The LADBS cool roof fact sheet (revised 2022) lists the City's minimums under the Los Angeles Green Building Code. The state's 2025 Energy Code sets its own numbers in the Energy Commission roof replacement compliance form.

The City counts a slope over 2:12 as steep; the state form uses 2:12 or more. Inside the City, the product has to be labeled and certified by the Cool Roof Rating Council. Whether the state rule applies depends on the climate zone, and the Energy Commission has a lookup tool that finds the zone by address or ZIP code.

A cool roof does not have to be white. LADBS says cool roofs come in colors from white to black, and in shingle, shake, tile, membrane and spray-on coatings. The City does not require a cool roof for a repair, for a replacement of 50% of the roof or less, or for a replacement where solar systems are being installed.

Solar panels change the math too. The Energy Code exempts roof area covered by building integrated photovoltaic panels and solar thermal panels, but the rest of the roof still has to meet any cool roof rule that applies. For panels going back up, the City offers an online Express Permit, available to contractors only, for a rooftop photovoltaic system of 10 kW or less on a one- or two-family home.

Fire zones: what a Class A roof means in the hills

The Very High Fire Hazard Severity Zone covers most of the hilly and mountainous parts of the City, according to LAFD. It includes portions of Brentwood, Eagle Rock, Echo Park, Los Feliz, Pacific Palisades, Silver Lake, Studio City and Woodland Hills, among other communities, and LAFD's Fire Zone Map shows whether a given property is inside.

Inside the zone, the Express Permit list requires a Class A roof covering. The City's fire zone plan check list, based on the 2025 California Wildland-Urban Interface Code, spells out what that involves:

• The roof assembly must earn a Class A fire classification when tested under ASTM E108 or UL 790.
• Some assemblies count as Class A without testing, including metal sheets and shingles, and clay or concrete tile or slate installed on noncombustible decks.
• No wood shake or wood shingle roof is allowed, including fire-retardant-treated.
• Where the roofing profile leaves an air space over a combustible deck, the code calls for a 72 lb. cap sheet or a Class A tested underlayment, bird stops at the eaves where the profile fits, and hip and ridge caps mudded in against embers.
• Where vents are part of the job, ventilation openings need Wildfire Flame and Ember Resistant vents listed by the State Fire Marshal, or WUI vents tested to ASTM E2886.

The trigger matters for older homes. An existing roof covering that is replaced, or has 50 percent or more replaced in 12 months, must meet the rules for new construction, and any roofing applied during an addition, alteration or repair must be at least Class A. A replacement phased over a few months still counts toward that 50 percent.

Solar panels on a roof that needs replacing

Los Angeles County Public Works treats panel reinstallation as its own job. Its reroofing code manual requires a separate permit to reinstall a rooftop system removed during reroofing, on top of the reroof permit. It also notes that the State License Board requires reroofing by a C-39 licensed contractor and reinstallation of rooftop panels by a C-10 or C-46 licensed contractor, unless an A or B licensed contractor applies for both trades. If the original solar plans are missing, the County asks for photos or video of the existing system before removal, showing module model numbers and locations, wiring, bonding and attachment spacing.

What a California roof contract has to spell out

The C-39 roofing classification covers contractors who install products that seal, waterproof and weatherproof structures, working with materials from felt and shingles to roof tile, slate, metal roofing systems and membranes. Once the roofer is chosen, Business and Professions Code section 7159 governs the contract for any home improvement job over $500, oral or written. Among other things, it requires:

• A description of the project and of the significant materials to be used and equipment to be installed. For a roof, that is where the covering, the underlayment and any cool roof or Class A product belong.
• An approximate start date, a statement of what counts as substantial commencement of work, and an approximate completion date.
• A down payment of no more than $1,000 or 10 percent of the contract price, whichever is less.
• A schedule of progress payments in dollars and cents, each tied to the work or materials it pays for.
• A change-order form. Extra work, such as decking replaced after tear-off, becomes part of the contract only if it is written and signed before that work starts.
• A statement of whether subcontractors will be used.

Section 7159 also makes it unlawful for a contractor to collect payment for work not yet completed, or for materials not yet delivered. For the hiring side, see the guide to choosing a contractor and the red flags to walk from. Renology's quote review tool checks a roof bid for missing items, and the methodology page explains how these guides are sourced.