How long does an LA composition reroof take?

3–5 days on a 2,000 sqft house.

Composition vs tile — what lasts longer in LA?

Tile 40–50 years vs composition 25–30. Tile costs 2x but lasts a lifetime.

What's roofing cost in SF?

$18K–$28K composition on a 1,800 sqft row house; $35K–$55K tile or metal.

Are there WUI roof requirements in Oakland Hills?

Yes — Class A + ember-resistant venting required.

California Roofing.

Tear-off to deck, replace soft sheathing, new underlayment, reroof in composition, concrete tile, or standing-seam metal. Title 24 cool-roof on every job.

Bay roofing — older homes carry 30–60 years of layered roofs. Full tear-off, rafter inspection, sheathing repair, GAF/CertainTeed/Owens Corning systems.

Los Angeles

$12K – $55K for 2,000 sqft house

Composition $12K–$22K; concrete tile $25K–$40K; metal $40K–$55K.

Timeline — 3–5 days composition; 5–7 days tile; 6–9 days metal.

Los Angeles Roofing →

San Francisco Bay Area

$15K – $65K for 2,000 sqft house

Steep Bay roofs and hard access lift the band 15-25% over LA.

Timeline — 4–6 days composition; 6–8 days tile; 7–10 days metal.

San Francisco Bay Area Roofing →

Scope — what we deliver.

Tear-off to deck
Sheathing repair
Underlayment + ice & water shield
Roofing install
Flashing, vents, gutters

Permits look different in LA vs the Bay.

Los Angeles — permit notes

LADBS permit required for any reroof.
Title 24 cool-roof per climate zone.
Class A fire rating in fire zones.
Existing solar detached + reset.

Bay Area — permit notes

Permit required.
Title 24 cool-roof.
WUI Class A + ember-resistant venting.
SF row-house scaffolding permits.

How we think about roofing.

Exterior work is moisture management, full stop. Roofing, siding, stucco, decks, and concrete all exist to move water away from the building before it has time to soak in. We detail every transition — roof-to-wall, wall-to-deck, deck-to-door — as if it will see a hose test, because in winter it will.

California climates are deceptively hard on exteriors. UV is brutal. Marine air corrodes fasteners. Wildfire embers land on debris in valleys. We default to WUI-compliant materials (Class A roofing, ⅛" mesh vents, ignition-resistant siding) on every exterior job, even where it's not yet required — it's $2–6K extra and it's the difference between a saved house and a lost one.

The schedule, written out.

Week 0
Inspection + scope
Roof + flashing inspection, moisture probe of siding, deck post + ledger check, photo documentation.
Week 1–2
Permits + material procurement
Permit (most cities require for re-roofs, additions, decks > 30" off grade); material delivery scheduled around rain forecast.
Week 2–4
Tear-off + dry-in
Selective demo, sheathing inspection, replace rotted decking, install underlayment + flashing.
Week 4–6
Install
Roof, siding, stucco scratch + brown + finish, deck framing + decking, concrete forms + pour.
Week 6–7
Trim + paint + seal
Trim, paint, sealant on penetrations, deck stain or color.
Week 7–8
Inspection + warranty
Final inspection, manufacturer warranty registration, owner walk.

Materials & assemblies.

Component	Default spec	Why
Roofing	30-yr architectural shingle, standing-seam metal, or single-ply TPO/PVC for low-slope	Standing-seam metal wins lifetime cost in most CA climates.
Underlayment	Synthetic underlayment + peel-and-stick ice-and-water at valleys and penetrations	30-lb felt is no longer the right baseline.
Siding	Fiber cement (Hardie), engineered wood (LP SmartSide), or stucco with weep screed and 2-layer WRB	WRB layering is what controls 90% of stucco failures.
Deck framing	PT lumber for posts, joists, ledger; stainless or coated fasteners; flashing at ledger	Galvanized fasteners on PT lumber corrode in 5 years.
Decking	Composite (Trex, TimberTech), thermally modified hardwood, or kiln-dried IPE with hidden fasteners	Composite is the lowest-maintenance default for CA sun.
Concrete	4000 psi mix, #4 rebar @ 16" o.c., proper expansion + control joints	Cracks come from poor jointing, not from the mix.

Hidden costs we flag up front.

Line item	Range	When it hits
Sheathing replacement	$8–$22/sqft	tear-off reveals rot or delaminated OSB
Deck ledger flashing repair	$1.5K–$6K	ledger was nailed, not bolted with flashing
Stucco crack repair (full re-skim)	$6K–$18K	1980s synthetic stucco has reached end of life
Tree removal / overhead clearance	$1.5K–$8K	roof or wall access requires it
Permit (re-roof + structural)	$300–$2.5K	many cities now require for re-roof + decks

cheaper alternatives

What we'd consider — and what we wouldn't.

Overlay re-roof (shingle over shingle)
30% cheaper but voids most warranties + traps moisture; never on a building you plan to keep.
EIFS over stucco
Better thermal but historically a moisture-management nightmare — only with rainscreen detail.
Pressure-treated decking
60% cheaper than composite but requires re-staining every 2 years to last.

pitfalls — takeover-job patterns

Mistakes to avoid.

Skipping the moisture probe of stucco before scope-of-work — a 'paint job' turns into a $25K re-skim
Mounting a deck ledger to siding without flashing — #1 source of catastrophic deck failure in CA
Not detailing kick-out flashing at roof-to-wall — drives water behind the siding for years
Installing concrete without proper joint spacing — random cracking that no patch will hide

Cost benchmarks from our 2026 California report.

Ranges below are typical installed cost for owner-occupied residential work as of Q1 2026. Drawn from internal job tracking and validated against NAHB cost surveys.

Scope	Los Angeles	Bay Area	Why the spread
Roof replacement (asphalt → cool comp)	$9.5–$16.5	$11–$19	Title 24 cool-roof reflectance required across most of LA.

Ranges shown $/sqft unless the scope is a flat-fee item (panel, retrofit).

Where the permit actually gets pulled.

City
City of Los Angeles
Plan check
10–18 weeks
Permit + fees
$8.5K–$22K
Standard Plan Program offers preapproved detached ADU sets that cut review to ~4 weeks. JADUs are restricted to within the existing dwelling envelope. No owner-occupancy through 2025.
▸ Hillside Ordinance applies above the BHO line — adds geotech and grading review. Soft-story retrofit required for many pre-1978 multifamily.
Full City of Los Angeles guide →LADBS online services ↗
County
Marin County (unincorporated)
Plan check
12–22 weeks
Permit + fees
$9.5K–$25K
ADU streamlining for units ≤1,200 sqft. Septic system capacity is the most common deal-breaker on unincorporated parcels.
▸ WUI fire zones cover most of the county — Class A roof + ember-resistant vents required.
Full Marin County (unincorporated) guide →Marin County permits ↗
City
Oakland
Plan check
12–22 weeks
Permit + fees
$9.5K–$26K
Pre-approved ADU plans available. Wildland-Urban Interface zones in the hills require ember-resistant construction.
▸ Soft-story retrofit program active — confirm parcel status before purchase.
Full Oakland guide →Oakland Accela portal ↗
County
Los Angeles County (unincorporated)
Plan check
8–16 weeks
Permit + fees
$7.5K–$19K
Unincorporated LA County uses a streamlined ADU plan check. School fees collected at final inspection — budget separately.
▸ Fire Hazard Severity Zone overlays apply in foothills — ignition-resistant construction required.
Full Los Angeles County (unincorporated) guide →EPIC-LA self-service portal ↗

When to do it yourself — and when not to.

Situation	DIY-defensible	Call a licensed GC
Asphalt overlay (single layer, no leak history)	Defensible if you can pull a re-roof permit and the deck is sound.	Title 24 cool-roof documentation alone is a reason to hire — the inspector will reject undocumented work.
Tear-off + new comp shingle in a WUI zone	Not advisable — Chapter 7A vent, eave, and underlayment specs trip up most DIYers.	Always. We use Class A assemblies and document each WUI-compliant component for the inspector.
Flat roof TPO/PVC over occupied space	No. Welded seams and parapet flashings require trained installers and manufacturer warranties.	Yes — warranty validity depends on a certified installer.
Cool-roof recoating on a low-slope roof	Possible for very small areas, but reflectance verification still requires CF-2R compliance.	Worth it if the goal is Title 24 credit or rebate qualification.

What this is based on.

1.
Title 24 Part 6 prescriptive cool-roof reflectance applies to roof replacements in CZ 8–15.
California Energy Commission · view source
2.
Chapter 7A ignition-resistant construction is mandatory in any Wildland-Urban Interface zone.
California Building Standards Commission · view source
3.
CAL FIRE Fire Hazard Severity Zone viewer determines whether 7A applies to a given parcel.
CAL FIRE · view source
4.
Class A roof assembly is the only acceptable assembly in a Very High FHSZ.
California Office of the State Fire Marshal · view source

Roofing — Los Angeles.

Roofing — Bay Area.

In short.

How long does an LA composition reroof take?: 3–5 days on a 2,000 sqft house.
Composition vs tile — what lasts longer in LA?: Tile 40–50 years vs composition 25–30. Tile costs 2x but lasts a lifetime.
What's roofing cost in SF?: $18K–$28K composition on a 1,800 sqft row house; $35K–$55K tile or metal.
Are there WUI roof requirements in Oakland Hills?: Yes — Class A + ember-resistant venting required.

Stay in the same trade

Related exterior construction services.

Same service, other region

Roofing across California.

Authority sources

Roofing — official California resources.

Primary sources we cross-reference on every project — agencies, utilities, and code bodies whose decisions actually move your permit and budget.

Title 24 cool-roof standards
California Energy Commission
Required cool-roof spec varies by climate zone.
CAL FIRE Fire Hazard Severity Zones
CAL FIRE
Class A roofing + ember-resistant venting required in WUI zones.
Roofing Contractors Association of California
RCAC
CSLB license lookup
California Contractors State License Board
Verify any contractor's license, bond, and complaint history before signing.
California Building Standards Commission
BSC
Authoritative source for the California Building Code (Title 24).

Ready to scope a California roofing project?

Send us the address. We’ll pull zoning, setbacks, and feasibility before you spend money on drawings — and the inquiry routes straight to the California desk.

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