Asphalt shingle roofing in Los Angeles
The asphalt shingle roofing Los Angeles homes get from a GAF Certified family crew. Architectural shingles in cool roof rated colors, installed as the manufacturer's full system so the warranty holds, with a straight answer on what 30 year and 50 year actually mean.
License #1131531. Bonded and insured. GAF Certified. 1 year guarantee on our work.
Get a free shingle roof estimate
A crew lead walks the roof, photographs it and prices two or three shingle options in writing. We call you back within one business hour.
What an asphalt shingle roof is, and why most Los Angeles houses have one
An asphalt shingle, or composition shingle roof, the older name, is a fiberglass mat coated in asphalt and covered in mineral granules, cut into shingles and nailed over an underlayment in overlapping rows. The granules take the sun, the asphalt keeps the water out, and the overlap sends every drop downhill.
It's on most pitched roof homes in Los Angeles because it's the most affordable roof that lasts, it goes on in days, it comes in enough colors to suit any house, and the cool roof rated versions meet Title 24 without a change of material. Done properly, with the whole system and not just the shingles, it's a twenty to thirty year roof.
Also called
Composition shingle, comp shingle
Made of
Fiberglass mat, asphalt, granules
Kinds
3 tab, architectural, designer
Typical life
20 to 30 years, by grade and care
Fire rating
Class A as a system
Cool roof
Yes, rated colors
3 tab, architectural or designer, and what 30 year and 50 year really mean
Three grades of shingle, and one piece of marketing to see through before you compare quotes.
3 tab
Flat, uniform, the cheapest shingle roof. Lighter, thinner, and the shortest lived. Fine for a garage or a rental you're planning around. We'll quote it if you ask. We rarely recommend it.
Architectural
Also called dimensional or laminated. Two layers bonded together for a thicker shingle with shadow lines that look like wood shake. Heavier, longer lived, better in wind. The shingle roof installation Los Angeles homes get from us nine times out of ten.
Designer
Thicker again, shaped to mimic slate or shake, with the longest warranties. For the house where the roof is part of the look, and the budget allows.
30 year shingles, 50 year shingles, and lifetime
Those numbers are warranty terms, not lifespans, and they're set by the manufacturer's marketing, not by the sun. A "30 year" shingle in Los Angeles sun lasts about 20 to 25. A "50 year" or "lifetime" shingle is usually a thicker architectural or designer grade that lasts longer, but not fifty years, and the warranty behind the number covers the shingle, prorated, not the labor to replace it. When we quote, we tell you what each shingle will actually do on your roof, and what the warranty actually pays.
GAF Certified, and why that matters on a shingle roof
GAF is the largest shingle manufacturer in North America, and they don't let just any roofer issue their better warranties.
Certified means checked
A GAF Certified contractor has been vetted for licensing, insurance and installation practice. It's a status a manufacturer grants, not one a roofer buys. Ours is on the credentials strip above.
The system, not just the shingle
GAF warranties are for a system. Their underlayment, starter strip, ridge cap and ventilation, installed with their shingles by a certified crew. Mix brands or skip a piece and the warranty shrinks to the shingle alone. We install the system.
Warranties we can issue
As a certified contractor we can register enhanced GAF warranties that a non certified roofer can't offer. The proposal names the warranty, the term, and what it covers, so you're comparing like with like.
We also install Owens Corning and CertainTeed where a house or an HOA calls for them. Ask and we'll price the brand you have in mind beside GAF.
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Cool roof shingles
Most Los Angeles replacements have to use cool roof rated material. Cool roof shingles Los Angeles homeowners choose today reflect more sun through their granules and come in grays, browns and tans, not just white. Same roof, cooler attic, and the code is met. How Title 24 works
Fire rating
Fiberglass shingles are Class A fire rated when installed as a system over the right underlayment, which is what Los Angeles fire zones require and what we install everywhere.
Over the old roof, or not
Code allows a second layer of shingles over a first. We almost never recommend it. You can't inspect the deck, the new roof telegraphs every bump, and the next roof is a double tear off. If there are already two layers, it's a tear off now.
What a shingle roof from us includes
The shingles are the last thing that goes on. Everything under them is what makes the roof last, and all of it is in the written estimate.
Tear off and deck check
Old roofing removed to the wood. Soft or rotten plywood replaced, priced per sheet in the estimate.
Synthetic underlayment
Over the whole deck. This is the waterproof layer. The shingles are the weather layer over it.
Self adhered membrane where it leaks first
Valleys, around chimneys and skylights, and along low pitch edges.
Starter strip and drip edge
The first course sealed at the eaves and rakes, so wind can't lift the edge.
New flashing
Every chimney, wall, skylight, vent and pipe. Reusing old flashing is where new roofs leak.
Shingles nailed to spec
The manufacturer's nail count and placement, so the wind warranty holds and the shingles don't slide.
Ventilation
Ridge vent, intake at the eaves, or the vents your attic needs. A hot attic shortens a shingle roof more than the rain does.
Ridge cap
Matching cap shingles over every ridge and hip, not cut up field shingles.
Clean up, walkthrough, warranty
Nails swept with a magnet, the roof walked with you, the manufacturer warranty registered and our 1 year guarantee in writing.
Emergency tarp going on
Leak stopped at the source
Storm damage before repair
How a shingle roof goes on
Four steps, and most homes are done in two to four days once the material is on site.
Inspect and measure
A crew lead walks the roof and the attic, photographs it, measures it, and tells you whether it needs replacing at all.
Two or three shingles, priced
Architectural in a cool roof color as the baseline, with a designer option or a different brand beside it if you want to compare, and what each warranty covers.
Permit and install
Permit pulled, material delivered, tear off and install in two to four days, the roof watertight every night.
Inspect and register
City inspection passed, the roof walked with you, the manufacturer warranty registered in your name, our guarantee in your hand.
Asphalt shingle roof cost in Los Angeles
The asphalt shingle roofing Los Angeles homeowners price with us is the most affordable new roof on a pitched house, and here's what moves the number from one quote to the next.
- Size and pitch. Priced by area, and a steep or cut up roof with a lot of valleys and hips takes longer.
- Shingle grade. 3 tab is cheapest, architectural is the sensible middle, designer costs the most and lasts longest.
- Layers to remove. One old layer is a normal tear off. Two is twice the disposal.
- Deck repair. Priced per sheet, only if the plywood is soft.
- Flashing and penetrations. Chimneys, skylights and a lot of vents add detail work.
- Ventilation. Adding a ridge vent or intake vents where the attic never had them.
Every estimate is free, in writing, with photos, and each shingle option priced on its own line with the warranty it carries. Read roof replacement cost in Los Angeles for the ranges.
Shingle roofing near you
Our office is on La Brea Avenue in Inglewood, among the 1950s tract homes of the South Bay, many of which have had two or three shingle roofs already. The asphalt shingle roofing Los Angeles tract homes were built with is what we replace most, and the shingle roof replacement Los Angeles homeowners book with us is usually a short drive for the crew, from Morningside Park to the Westside and most of the city.
- Inglewood, our home base
- Culver City
- Gardena
Shingle roof questions we get asked most
How long does a shingle roof last in Los Angeles?
20 to 30 years, depending on the grade of shingle, whether the attic is ventilated, and whether the roof was installed as a full system. The sun here does more damage than the rain, so a cool roof rated shingle and a ventilated attic push a roof to the long end of that range.
What's the difference between 30 year and 50 year shingles?
Those are warranty terms, not lifespans. A 30 year shingle is usually a standard architectural grade that lasts 20 to 25 years here. A 50 year or lifetime shingle is a thicker architectural or designer grade that lasts longer, but the warranty covers the shingle, prorated, not the labor. We tell you what each one will actually do on your roof.
Are asphalt shingles a cool roof?
The rated ones are. Cool roof shingles use reflective granules and come in grays, browns and tans as well as lighter colors. Most Los Angeles replacements have to use them under Title 24, and we install them as the baseline. See cool roofs and Title 24.
Are shingles fire rated?
Fiberglass asphalt shingles are Class A fire rated when installed as a system over the right underlayment. That's the highest rating, it's what Los Angeles fire zones require, and it's what we install everywhere.
Can you put new shingles over my old ones?
Code allows one layer over one. We almost never recommend it, because you can't inspect or repair the deck, every bump in the old roof shows through the new one, and the next roof is a double tear off. If you already have two layers, a tear off is required.
Which shingle brand is best?
GAF is the largest shingle manufacturer in North America, and we're GAF Certified, so that's our baseline. Owens Corning and CertainTeed are also good shingles, and we'll price one beside GAF if your house or your HOA calls for it. The brand matters less than the grade and the installation.
What warranty comes with a shingle roof?
The manufacturer's warranty on the shingles, which depends on the grade and on the roof being installed as their full system by a qualified crew, and our 1 year guarantee on the workmanship. As a GAF Certified contractor we can register enhanced warranties, and the proposal names which one you're getting.
How much does an asphalt shingle roof cost?
It's the most affordable new roof on a pitched house. Size, pitch, shingle grade, how many old layers come off, deck repair and flashing all move the number. Every estimate is free, in writing, with each shingle option priced on its own line.
A shingle roof installed as a system, not a stack of shingles
Get a free estimate. A crew lead inspects the roof, prices two or three shingle options in cool roof colors, and tells you what each warranty really covers, from the GAF Certified family crew that does the work.