---
title: "Roof Replacement and New Roof Installation in Los Angeles"
description: "Roof replacement in Los Angeles by a licensed contractor (CSLB #1147688): tear-off, shingle, tile or flat roofs, permit and cleanup handled. Free estimate."
url: "https://aacaliforniaroofing.com/new-roof-installation/"
updated: "2026-10-20"
---

# Roof Replacement and New Roof Installation in Los Angeles

AA California Roofing handles roof replacement in Los Angeles for homes and businesses: we tear off the old roof, repair the deck where needed, install the new shingle, tile or flat roofing system, take care of the city permit and clean up. We hold California contractor license CSLB #1147688 (C-39 Roofing), and the estimate is free.

To book an inspection, fill in the booking form on our [contact page](https://aacaliforniaroofing.com/contact-us/) (we work Sunday to Friday, 8 AM to 8 PM). Our office is in Woodland Hills, and we replace roofs across Los Angeles County and in the Ventura County cities of Simi Valley, Thousand Oaks, Moorpark, Camarillo and Oxnard.

## Signs your roof needs replacing, not another repair

A repair fixes one failure. Replacement makes sense when the failures are spread across the roof, because the next leak is already forming somewhere else. These are the signs we look for during an inspection:

- **Leaks in more than one place, or repeat repairs.** If the roof has been patched in different spots over the last few rainy seasons, the covering or the underlayment is wearing out as a whole.
- **Shingles worn across whole slopes.** Curled, cracked or bald shingles (the granules end up in the gutters) on the sunny slopes mean the asphalt has dried out. Swapping a few shingles does not stop that.
- **Worn underlayment under tile.** Clay and concrete tiles often outlast the underlayment beneath them. When that layer turns brittle, the fix is to lift the tiles, install new underlayment and reset the tiles, replacing broken ones. That is a re-roof, even if the tiles look fine from the street.
- **A soft or stained deck.** Spongy spots underfoot, sagging between rafters, or dark water stains on the attic side of the sheathing mean water has been getting in for a while.
- **Flat sections cracked all over.** When a torch-down or built-up surface is cracked or blistered across the whole field, not only at one seam, patching just chases the problem.

When the signs are mixed, start with an inspection. Our [roof repair service](https://aacaliforniaroofing.com/roof-repairs/) covers what a repair can fix and when it stops being worth it, and our [repair-or-replace guide](https://aacaliforniaroofing.com/repair-or-replace-roof/) walks through the decision step by step.

## Roof types we install: shingle, tile and flat torch-down

We install three roofing systems. Each one is replaced differently, and each meets the Los Angeles rules in its own way.

| Roof type | Where it fits | What the replacement involves | Code points |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Asphalt shingle | Pitched roofs (2:12 or steeper) on most house styles | Tear-off to the deck, new underlayment, drip edge, valley metal and flashings, new shingles and ridge | A re-roof covering under 6 pounds per square foot is on the LADBS express permit list; cool-rated shingles meet the Title 24 rules where they apply |
| Tile (clay or concrete) | Spanish, Mediterranean and ranch-style homes | Tiles lifted and stacked, new underlayment and flashings, tiles reset with broken ones replaced; or a change to new tile | LADBS lists removing tiles, laying new underlayment and resetting them as an express permit, with no cool-roof compliance required |
| Flat or low-slope torch-down | Roofs pitched under 2:12: additions, garages, flat-roof homes, apartment and commercial buildings | Old membrane removed, deck repaired, base and cap sheets torch-applied, flashing at parapets, drains and equipment | The 2025 Energy Code sets reflectance rules for low-slope re-roofs in climate zones 4 and 6 to 15, and roof insulation rules in zones 8 to 16 |

Flat roofs have their own failure points (ponding water, seams, parapet walls), explained on our [flat roof repair and torch-down page](https://aacaliforniaroofing.com/flat-roof-services/). For clay and concrete roofs, our [tile roofing page](https://aacaliforniaroofing.com/tile-roofing/) covers tile types, underlayment and repairs.

## How a roof replacement works, step by step

1. **Inspection.** We walk the roof and check the attic side where we can reach it: deck condition, ventilation, flashings and how many layers are on the roof now. You get photos of what we found.
2. **Written estimate.** The estimate names the roofing system and materials, what is torn off, how deck repairs are priced if rot turns up, who pulls the permit (we do) and the cleanup. The state contractors board advises that a contract should state who obtains the building permits, and you should expect that line in any bid you compare.
3. **Permit.** In the City of Los Angeles the permit comes from LADBS; other cities, such as Pasadena and Santa Monica, issue their own. The next section covers the rules.
4. **Preparation.** We protect landscaping, windows and walkways, place the debris bin and agree on access and parking.
5. **Tear-off.** The old roofing and underlayment come off down to the deck. If rain is forecast, open areas are covered before the crew leaves for the day.
6. **Deck repair.** Rotted or delaminated sheathing is replaced. Solid sheathing matters: the LADBS express re-roof permit assumes the new covering goes over solid sheathing, and homes that once had wood shakes sometimes have spaced boards underneath.
7. **Underlayment and flashings.** New underlayment, drip edge, valley metal, pipe boots, and wall and chimney flashings. Many leaks start at these details, so they are replaced, not reused.
8. **New roof covering.** Shingles, tile or torch-down membrane installed to the manufacturer's instructions, then ridge and vents finished.
9. **Cleanup.** Debris hauled away, nails picked up from the yard and driveway, roofing debris cleared from the gutters.
10. **Final inspection.** The city inspector signs off the permit, and you keep the closed permit and the product paperwork, including the cool roof label where one is required.

Customers notice the communication as much as the roof. One Google reviewer wrote that the team "contacted my Husband and I daily with updates", and another (in a review Google translated) wrote that Amit "took care of the permit quickly."

## Can new shingles go over the old roof in Los Angeles?

Sometimes. The California Residential Code (Section R908.4 in the 2025 edition) does not allow new roofing over an old roof that already has two or more layers, is water-soaked or deteriorated, or is slate, clay, cement or asbestos-cement tile. That leaves a shingle recover only over one sound, dry layer. Even then the Energy Code counts the new layer as a roof replacement when it covers more than half the roof, and only a tear-off lets the deck be seen and repaired before the new roof goes on.

The City of Los Angeles, which includes Encino and Woodland Hills, repeats the same three limits in its own reroofing section (LAMC 91.1512.3, in force since December 31, 2025), and either kind of job needs an LADBS permit, as our guide to [how the re-roof permit works in Los Angeles](https://aacaliforniaroofing.com/roofing-permit-los-angeles/) explains. A recover can only happen once: it leaves two layers, nothing more may go on top, and the next re-roof removes both down to the deck.

If a bid offers new shingles over the old ones, check these points before you sign:

- **Layer count.** Ask for photos of the layers at a roof edge or under a lifted shingle. One existing layer is the limit.
- **The product's instructions.** The code ties a shingle recover to the new product's installation instructions, so ask for the product name and whether its instructions and its warranty cover going over an existing roof.
- **Flashings and vents.** Rusted, damaged or deteriorated flashings, edge metal and vents are replaced on any re-roof (Section R908.5).
- **The cool-roof product.** When the new layer covers more than half the roof, it has to meet the same [cool-roof rules in Los Angeles](https://aacaliforniaroofing.com/cool-roof-requirements-los-angeles/) as a tear-off (Energy Code Section 150.2(b)1I), set out in the next section.
- **The scope in writing.** The bid should say whether the job is a tear-off to the deck or a layer over the existing roof. A recover skips the tear-off labor and disposal now, and the extra layer comes off at the next re-roof instead; see "Extra layers" in our guide to [roof replacement cost in Los Angeles](https://aacaliforniaroofing.com/roof-replacement-cost-los-angeles/).

| What is on the roof now | Can new roofing go on top? | 2025 California Residential Code |
| --- | --- | --- |
| One layer of asphalt shingles, dry and sound | Yes, where the new shingle's installation instructions allow it | R908.4 |
| Two or more layers of any roofing | No: every layer comes off down to the deck | R908.4 and R908.3 |
| A water-soaked or deteriorated roof | No, whatever the layer count | R908.4 |
| Clay, cement or slate tile | No. Sound tile may be reinstalled; damaged, cracked or broken tile may not | R908.4 and R908.5 |
| Torch-down, built-up or another flat membrane | Under the state code, a new protective roof coating may go on without a tear-off. The City of Los Angeles section names only spray polyurethane foam roofs for that, so ask LADBS before counting on it. A new membrane on top meets the same limits as above | R908.4; LAMC 91.1512.3 |

## Permits and Title 24 cool-roof rules for a Los Angeles re-roof

Three sets of rules can apply to reroofing here: the city's permit, the fire rating of the roof covering, and California's Energy Code (Title 24, Part 6). Most homeowners only meet them once, so here is how they work.

### The permit

The LADBS express permit bulletin (P/GI 2026-003, effective January 1, 2026) lists a re-roof with a Class A or B roof covering weighing less than 6 pounds per square foot, over existing or new solid sheathing, as work that needs no plan check. Express permits are issued online or by appointment at the LADBS counters, which include Van Nuys and West Los Angeles. A heavier covering is not on that list, so switching to a heavier material needs a closer look before it is priced.

### The fire rating

Inside a Very High Fire Hazard Severity Zone, the same bulletin requires a Class A roof covering. We check whether the address sits in a mapped zone before choosing materials, because it narrows the product list.

### The cool roof rules

Under the 2025 Energy Code, which applies to permits applied for on or after January 1, 2026, the cool roof rules start when more than 50 percent of a home's roof is replaced, and a new layer laid over the old one counts. For a pitched roof (2:12 or steeper) in climate zones 4 and 8 to 15, the new product needs an aged solar reflectance of at least 0.20 and a thermal emittance of at least 0.75, or a Solar Reflectance Index of at least 16, as rated by the Cool Roof Rating Council (CRRC).

The zone depends on the address. On the Energy Commission's ZIP code list, Woodland Hills, Tarzana, Northridge, Burbank and Pasadena fall in zone 9, Santa Monica, Torrance and Long Beach in zone 6, and Lancaster and Palmdale in zone 14. The state's pitched-roof rule does not apply in zone 6, but inside the City of Los Angeles the LADBS bulletin calls for a CRRC-labeled cool roof product on any residential replacement of more than half the roof.

The state code accepts other measures in place of a cool product on a pitched roof: at least R-38 ceiling insulation, a qualifying attic radiant barrier, R-2 or more continuous insulation above or below the deck, or, in zone 9 and a few other zones, no ducts in the attic. We check which of these your house already meets before recommending a product. Our [cool roof requirements guide](https://aacaliforniaroofing.com/cool-roof-requirements-los-angeles/) covers the rules in full, and our [Los Angeles roofing permit guide](https://aacaliforniaroofing.com/roofing-permit-los-angeles/) covers the paperwork.

## How long a roof replacement takes

We put the schedule in the written estimate instead of quoting a general number, because the time depends on things we can only see at your house:

- **Size and shape.** Hips, valleys, dormers, skylights and chimneys each add flashing work.
- **What comes off.** One layer of shingles comes off faster than two layers, or than tile that is lifted and stacked for reuse.
- **Deck repairs.** Rot found after tear-off adds time; the estimate says how it is handled.
- **Material.** Some tile profiles and colors are special orders, which moves the start date rather than the work itself.
- **Permit route and inspection.** An express permit skips plan check; a heavier covering or a structural change does not. The final inspection is booked with the city.
- **Weather.** Tear-off is planned around rain in the forecast.

You can usually stay at home during the work. Expect noise during tear-off, and keep cars out of the driveway while debris comes down.

## Can you replace a roof during the rainy season in Los Angeles?

Yes, between storms. At the downtown Los Angeles (USC) weather station, about 87% of a normal year's rain, 12.42 of 14.25 inches, falls from November through March, yet those five months average only about 26 days with measurable rain (NOAA climate normals, 1991 to 2020). So a winter tear-off is planned around the forecast rather than put off until spring.

Before the work starts, ask how much roof comes off each day and how open areas are covered overnight if rain moves in. If the roof leaks now, ask our [roof repair service](https://aacaliforniaroofing.com/roof-repairs/) about a temporary repair until a dry stretch. The schedule for your house goes in the written estimate, set by its size, layers, deck repairs and permit route.

| Month (USC station) | Normal rain (inches) | Days with measurable rain |
| --- | --- | --- |
| November | 0.78 | 2.8 |
| December | 2.48 | 5.5 |
| January | 3.29 | 6.1 |
| February | 3.64 | 6.3 |
| March | 2.23 | 5.1 |

## What drives the cost of a new roof

We do not publish prices, because two roofs of the same size can need very different work. A fair estimate prices these items one by one, and comparing bids line by line on them shows whether two contractors are quoting the same job:

- Roof area, measured in squares (100 square feet each), and pitch, which sets the safety setup and labor
- The number of layers to remove, and disposal
- Deck repair: how much sheathing is replaced, and at what unit price
- The roofing system: the shingle line, tile type or torch-down membrane, plus underlayment
- Flashings, skylights, chimneys, vents and roof-mounted equipment
- Code items: a cool-rated product where required, and roof insulation on low-slope roofs in zones 8 to 16
- Permit fees and access (steep, tall or tight sites)

Our [roof replacement cost guide](https://aacaliforniaroofing.com/roof-replacement-cost-los-angeles/) explains each factor in more depth. The contractors board's advice holds too: compare written bids built on the same scope, and be wary of one far below the others, since it may leave out work the others included.

## Financing and warranties

Financing options, when offered, are subject to third-party lender approval. Our [roof financing page](https://aacaliforniaroofing.com/financing/) explains how that works, what to have ready and what to ask a lender before you sign.

Material warranties are provided directly by the manufacturer and are subject to the manufacturer's terms. Workmanship warranties, if applicable, will be clearly defined in your written contract.

## What customers say about their new roofs

- Pasadena: "I had my roof replaced at my home in Pasadena, and Nick was great to work with. The whole experience was smooth, and I'm very happy with the new roof."
- Torrance: "The crew showed up on time, worked efficiently, kept everything clean, and made sure the job was done right."
- "They installed a new roof on my house and the roof came out perfect and their service is amazing."

On Google, AA California Roofing shows a 5.0 rating from 31 reviews (checked October 1, 2026).

## Get a roof replacement estimate

Email [aacaliforniaroofing@gmail.com](mailto:aacaliforniaroofing@gmail.com) or book online through the [contact page](https://aacaliforniaroofing.com/contact-us/) to get a free estimate anywhere in Los Angeles County or our Ventura County cities. Tell us the roof type and what you have noticed, and we will start with an inspection and a written scope. To see everything we do, visit the [AA California Roofing home page](https://aacaliforniaroofing.com/).