What's Required in Los Angeles
- Re-roofing with Class A or B covering under 6 lb per sq ft over existing or new solid sheathing is an express permit with no plan check
- Roof repairs valued at $2,500 or less need no permit (LAMC 91.106.2); structural changes to rafters or trusses need plan check
- Cool Roof product certified by the Cool Roof Rating Council when more than 50% of a residential roof is replaced (aged reflectance 0.65 low-slope, 0.25 steep-slope)
- Class A covering required in a Very High Fire Hazard Severity Zone
- Wood shakes and shingles are prohibited; minor repairs up to 5% of an existing shake roof only by Request for Modification
- Fee is valuation-based: $201.47 at $5,000, $423.91 at $20,000 per the LADBS calculator; 2.7% more by credit card
- Signed Re-Roofing Certificate of Compliance (Form IN.12) returned to the inspector at completion
- Contractors must be CSLB-licensed; homeowners may buy the express permit for their own single-family home
- Inspections requested a day ahead before 2 PM; permit expires if work has not started within six months
Do You Need a Permit to Replace a Roof in Los Angeles?
Yes. A full re-roof needs a building permit from the Department of Building and Safety (LADBS), but it is one of the easiest permits in the city: re-roofing with Class A or B material weighing less than 6 pounds per square foot, over existing or new solid sheathing, is on the Express Permit list, so there is no plan check and you can buy it online through PermitLA or at a counter by appointment. Removing tiles, laying new underlayment and resetting the same tiles is also an express permit, as is applying an approved coating to an existing roof. The only roof work that needs no permit at all is a repair valued at $2,500 or less under LAMC 91.106.2, and a wood-shake or wood-shingle roof is prohibited outright. Structural changes to rafters, trusses or sheathing beyond a like-for-like re-deck fall outside the express list and go to plan check.
Los Angeles Roof Permit Rules by Scenario
| What you are doing | City filing | Rule |
|---|---|---|
| Patching a leak or a few shingles, job valued at $2,500 or less | None | LAMC 91.106.2 item 1, 2026 LABC ordinance |
| Re-roof with Class A or B material under 6 lb per sq ft over existing sheathing | Express building permit, no plan check | Express Permits IB P/GI 2026-003 item 4 |
| Tear-off and re-roof over new solid sheathing | Express building permit | Express Permits IB item 5 |
| Remove tiles, new underlayment, reset tiles | Express building permit; cool roof not required | Express Permits IB item 23 |
| Roof coating on an existing roof | Express building permit | Express Permits IB item 25 |
| Replacing more than 50% of a residential roof | Express permit plus CRRC-rated cool roof product | Express Permits IB items 4-5; Cool Roof FAQ |
| Home in a Very High Fire Hazard Severity Zone | Express permit; Class A covering required | Express Permits IB items 4-5 |
How Much Does a Roof Permit Cost in Los Angeles?
LADBS prices building permits on the valuation of the work, including materials and labor, and there is no plan check fee on an express permit. The city's Permit Fee Calculator, run as a one- or two-family alteration, returns a permit total of $201.47 for a job valued at $5,000, $250.40 at $10,000, $423.91 at $20,000 and $465.98 at $25,000, surcharges included. The LADBS valuation table prices re-roofing at $2 per square foot for composition shingle, $6 for concrete tile and $11 for clay tile, so a 2,000-square-foot composition roof is valued around $4,000 and pays the minimum, while a 2,000-square-foot clay tile roof is valued around $22,000 and lands between $424 and $466. If your contract price is higher than the table, expect LADBS to use the contract. Card payments add 2.7 percent.
Cool Roof, Fire Zone and Wood Shake Rules
When a residential roof replacement covers more than 50 percent of the total roof area, the new covering must be a Cool Roof product labeled and certified by the Cool Roof Rating Council; LADBS's fact sheet sets the minimum 3-year aged solar reflectance at 0.65 for low-slope roofs (2:12 or less) and 0.25 for steep-slope roofs, or an SRI of 78 and 20 respectively, and exempts repairs, replacements of 50 percent or less, and roofs receiving solar systems. Class A covering is mandatory in a Very High Fire Hazard Severity Zone. Wood shakes and shingles are prohibited for new roofs, re-roofs and repairs; a minor repair of up to 5 percent of an existing shake roof may be allowed only through a Request for Modification, and if more than 50 percent of a shake roof is replaced within one year the whole roof must come off.
Who Pulls the Permit and What Gets Inspected
Homeowners may buy the express permit themselves for a single-family home; otherwise a CSLB-licensed roofing contractor pulls it. At the end of the job LADBS wants a signed Re-Roofing Certificate of Compliance (Form IN.12) from the licensed contractor, or from the owner-builder if no contractor was used, returned to the inspector or mailed to the department. Inspections are requested a day ahead before 2 PM. The permit expires if work does not start within six months.
How to Get a Roof Replacement Permit in Los Angeles
Confirm it qualifies as express
Class A or B material under 6 lb per sq ft over solid sheathing, no framing changes. Check ZIMAS for a Very High Fire Hazard Severity Zone, which requires Class A.
Pick a compliant product
If more than half the roof is being replaced, choose a CRRC-rated cool roof product; wood shakes are not allowed anywhere in the city.
Buy the permit online
Apply through PermitLA (e-permit) as the homeowner or licensed contractor, entering the valuation and number of squares; no plans are required.
Pay the fee
About $201 for a $5,000 job and $424 for $20,000 per the LADBS calculator, plus 2.7 percent by card.
Inspect and certify
Request inspection a day ahead before 2 PM, then return the signed Re-Roofing Certificate of Compliance to the inspector.