What's Required in Long Beach
- Building permit required for any reroof; only repairs up to 100 sq ft in 12 months and roof coatings are exempt (LBMC 18.04.020)
- Composition shingle and built-up reroofs qualify as express permits with no plans, except in the Coastal Zone or a Historic District (IB-058)
- Permit fee is valuation-based using IB-077 minimums per roofing square, plus a $115 processing fee and state seismic and green-building fees
- Full tear-off required when two or more layers exist, the deck is water-soaked, or the old roof is slate, clay, cement or asbestos-cement tile (IB-014)
- Asphalt shingles need solid sheathing, a slope of at least 2:12, double underlayment on slopes under 4:12, and a drip edge at eaves and rakes
- Replacing more than 50 percent of the roof triggers the state Energy Code cool-roof rules for Climate Zones 6 and 8
- Permit holder must be a CSLB-licensed contractor with a Long Beach business license, or the homeowner under IB-029
- Permit is void if work does not start within 90 days and expires two years after issuance
Do You Need a Permit to Replace a Roof in Long Beach?
Yes. Long Beach exempts only two kinds of roof work from a building permit: repairing up to 100 square feet of roofing in any 12-month period, and applying a hot or cold coating to an existing roof (LBMC 18.04.020). Everything bigger, including a like-for-like shingle replacement, needs a building permit from the Building and Safety Bureau. A standard reroof is on the Express Permit list (IB-058): composition shingles over solid sheathing or over one existing layer, with shingles of 6 pounds per square foot or less, and built-up roofing with Class A or B material are issued without plans. For one- and two-family homes the reroof permit can be bought online through the Customer Portal and is issued automatically. Express service is not available in the Coastal Zone or a Historic District.
Long Beach Roof Permit Rules by Scenario
| What you are doing | City filing | Rule |
|---|---|---|
| Patching up to 100 sq ft of roofing in any 12-month period | None | LBMC 18.04.020.B.8; Do I Need a Permit page |
| Applying a hot or cold roof coating (paint) to an existing roof | None | LBMC 18.04.020.B.7 |
| Composition shingle reroof over solid sheathing or one existing shingle layer, shingles 6 psf or less | Express building permit, no plans; online for 1-2 family homes | IB-058 item B9; Online Permitting page |
| Built-up roof with Class A or B material over sheathing or one existing built-up layer | Express building permit | IB-058 item B10 |
| Roof already has two or more layers, or the deck is water-soaked | Tear-off to the deck first, then the express permit | IB-014; CRC R908 |
| Tile, standing-seam metal, torch-down, or replacing more than 10% of the framing | Building permit; not on the express list, ask about over-the-counter review | IB-058 items B8-B10; IB-002 |
| Home in the Coastal Zone or a Historic District | Building permit, but express service is not available | IB-058 |
How Much Does a Roof Permit Cost in Long Beach?
The permit is priced on valuation, and IB-077 sets a minimum valuation per roofing square (100 square feet): $500 for asphalt or composition shingles, $525 for built-up, $900 for concrete tile, $1,700 for clay tile, $1,200 for torch-down and $2,400 for standing-seam metal, plus $200 a square for new plywood. The building permit fee is $149 for the first $2,000 of value plus $16 per $1,000 up to $20,000, then $441 plus $11 per $1,000 up to $50,000. Every application adds a $115 processing fee, and the state adds a seismic fee of $0.13 per $1,000 and a $1 green-building fee. There is no plan check fee on an express permit.
Worked examples: a 20-square composition roof is valued at $10,000, so the permit is $149 + (8 x $16) = $277 and the bill is about $394 with processing and state fees. A 12-square roof ($6,000) is about $330. Twenty squares of concrete tile ($18,000) is about $523, and 20 squares of clay tile ($34,000) is $441 + (14 x $11) = $595, about $716 all in. The City Council approved a new Master Fee and Charges Schedule on September 8, 2026, effective October 1, 2026; check the posted schedule after that date.
Tear-Off, Cool Roof and Other Rules Inspectors Check
IB-014 spells out when you cannot roof over: the old covering must come off if the deck is water-soaked, if the existing roof is slate, clay, cement or asbestos-cement tile, or if there are already two or more layers. Asphalt shingles need solid sheathing, a slope of at least 2:12, double underlayment between 2:12 and 4:12, and a drip edge at eaves and rakes. The state Energy Code applies when you replace more than 50 percent of the roof: in the 2022 edition, steep-slope roofs in Climate Zones 4 and 8 through 15 need an aged solar reflectance of at least 0.20 (or SRI 16), and low-slope roofs in Climate Zones 4 and 6 through 15 need 0.63 (or SRI 75). Long Beach sits in Climate Zones 6 and 8, so a flat roof anywhere in the city needs a cool-roof product, and a pitched roof needs one in the Zone 8 part of town unless an exception such as R-38 attic insulation or a radiant barrier applies. The 2025 Energy Code has applied since January 1, 2026; confirm current thresholds with the plan reviewer.
Who Pulls the Permit and When It Expires
A roofing contractor must hold a California CSLB license and an active Long Beach business license. A homeowner may pull the permit for a one- or two-family home that is their principal residence if they have lived there 12 months and have not used the exemption more than twice in three years (IB-029). The permit is void if work has not started within 90 days, and every permit expires two years after issuance. Request the final inspection online by 3 p.m. the day before; residential inspectors handle all trades. Skipping the permit costs an investigation fee equal to the permit fee, with a $465 minimum, on top of the permit.
How to Get a Roof Replacement Permit in Long Beach
Confirm the roof qualifies for express service
Composition shingles or built-up roofing over solid sheathing or one existing layer, outside the Coastal Zone and historic districts, needs no plans. Tile, metal and structural work go to the counter for plan review.
Apply online or book a counter appointment
One- and two-family reroofs can be filed and paid in the Customer Portal and are issued automatically. Otherwise bring APP-011 and FORM-005 to an express permit appointment at City Hall.
Pay the valuation-based fee
Expect about $394 for a 20-square composition roof, $716 for clay tile, with the $115 processing fee included. Fees change on October 1, 2026.
Tear off if required and install to IB-014
Remove old roofing when there are two layers or a bad deck, fasten shingles to solid sheathing with a drip edge, and use a cool-roof product where the Energy Code requires one.
Request the inspection
Schedule online by 3 p.m. the day before; a residential inspector checks the finished roof and any energy-code documents. Start within 90 days so the permit does not expire.