Roofing questions, answered
Forty one roofing questions Los Angeles homeowners and building owners ask us most, about leaks, replacement, cost, permits, roof types and how we work. Short answers here, with a link to the page that goes deeper. If yours isn't here, call and ask. That's how most of these got written.
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Forty one roofing questions Los Angeles homeowners and building owners ask us most, about leaks, replacement, cost, permits, roof types and how we work. Short answers here, with a link to the page that goes deeper. If yours isn't here, call and ask. That's how most of these got written.
Getting started
The roofing questions Los Angeles homeowners ask first, about the call and the free inspection.
Is the inspection really free?
Yes. No charge, no obligation, no price that only applies if you sign on the day. One of our roofers walks the roof, photographs it and emails you two prices in writing, a repair and a replacement. If the roof is fine, we say so and leave.
Book a free roof inspection
How fast can you respond to a roof leak?
If water's coming in now, call and we come the same day. For everything else, we call you back within one business hour and book a time that suits you, evenings and Saturdays included.
Emergency roof repair
What are the signs I need a new roof?
Age over twenty years, shingles curling or losing their grit, more than one leak in a year, daylight in the attic, a sag you can see from the street, or two layers already on. One of those is a reason to get it looked at. Three is a reason to budget.
Roof replacement
Should I repair or replace my roof?
Repair when the roof is under fifteen years old, the damage is in one place, and there's one layer. Replace when it's older, leaking in more than one spot, has two layers, or you're selling and the buyer's inspector will find what we found. We price both, side by side, so you can see the difference.
Roof repair
Cost and paying
Ranges where we can give them, and why a real number needs a visit.
How much does a roof replacement cost in Los Angeles?
It depends on the material, the size, the pitch, how many layers come off and what the deck looks like underneath. We publish typical ranges by roof type on the replacement page, and a written price after an inspection. A firm number over the phone is a guess, ours included.
Roof replacement
How much does roof repair cost in Los Angeles?
A small repair, a flashing or a few shingles, is a few hundred dollars. A bigger one, a valley or a section of deck, is more. Typical ranges are on the repair page, and the inspection that gives you the real number is free.
Roof repair
Can you give me a price over the phone?
A rough idea, if you tell us the roof and the problem. A real price needs a roofer on the roof, which is why the inspection is free. We'd rather give you a number we can stand behind than one we'd have to change.
Book a free roof inspection
Do you offer financing?
Yes, through a lending partner, with terms set out before you sign. Ask when we quote, and we'll go through the options in plain figures.
Roof replacement
Does homeowners insurance cover a leaking roof in California?
Usually it covers sudden damage, a storm, a fallen tree, and not wear and tear. The difference is in the photos and the report, which is why we document everything. We'll tell you honestly which one your roof looks like, and give you what the adjuster needs.
Roof repair
What does a roof certification cost?
A roof certification is a paid inspection with a written statement that the roof is sound, usually for two years, used in a sale. The fee is on the inspection page, and any repairs it needs are priced separately. The free inspection is a different thing and doesn't count as one.
Roof inspection and certification
Does a new roof increase home value?
It rarely returns every dollar, but it removes the biggest reason a sale falls through or the price gets cut at inspection. A new roof with a permit and a transferable warranty sells a house faster. We'll tell you if a certification would do the job instead.
Roof inspection and certification
Want a real number instead of a range?
Book the free inspection. A roofer walks your roof and emails you two prices in writing, a repair and a replacement.
Leaks and repairs
Where water really comes from, and what to do about it today.
What should I do if my roof is leaking right now?
Put a bucket under it, move what's valuable, photograph everything, and stay off the roof. Then call. We come the same day, stop the water, and come back to do the proper repair when it's dry.
Emergency roof repair
Why is my roof leaking when it rains?
Nine times in ten it's a flashing, a pipe, a wall, a chimney or a skylight, not the roof covering itself. The rest is worn underlayment, a blocked drain on a flat roof, or a solar mount. Water shows up well away from where it gets in, which is why we find the source before we fix anything.
Roof repair
Why do tile roofs leak?
Because the tile isn't what keeps the water out. The underlayment under it does, and it wears out at twenty to thirty years while the tile looks fine. The fix is usually a lift and relay, lift the tile, replace the underlayment and flashings, put the same tile back.
Tile roofing
Can a leak be repaired, or does the whole roof need replacing?
Most leaks can be repaired. The question is whether it's worth it. On a roof with years left, a repair is the right call. On a roof at the end of its life, the repair buys time while you plan, and we'll say which it is.
Roof repair
Replacement and new roofs
How long it takes, what happens, and the questions people ask the week before.
How long does it take to replace a roof?
Two to three days for a typical house with shingle, longer for tile, bigger roofs, or a deck that needs work. The roof is watertight every night. Permits and inspections add a little time at the start and the end, and we tell you the dates before we start.
Roof replacement
Can you put a new roof over an old roof in California?
The code allows two layers at most, and a second layer hides whatever is wrong with the deck. We rarely recommend it, and if the roof already has two layers it's a tear off by law. On a tear off you get a new deck where it's needed and a roof that's actually new.
Roof replacement
Should I replace my roof before installing solar panels?
If the roof is over ten to fifteen years old, yes. Taking panels off to reroof later costs real money. If the roof is newer, we work with the solar company on the mounts and the flashings so the warranty on both holds.
Roof replacement
How long does a roof last in Southern California?
Shingle, twenty to twenty five years, thirty for the better grades. Tile, the tile outlasts the house but the underlayment goes at twenty to thirty. Torch down, fifteen to twenty. TPO, twenty to twenty five. Metal, forty plus. Sun does more damage here than rain, and a cool roof rated surface helps every one of them.
Roof types
Do you build roofs for ADUs and new construction?
Yes. We work from the plans, coordinate with the framer and the inspector, and the roof passes inspection because the details are right from the plans.
ADU and new construction roofing
Roof types
What's on the roofs around here, and which is right for yours.
What is the best roofing material for Los Angeles?
For most houses, a cool roof rated architectural shingle, because it handles the sun, meets the code and costs the least over its life. Tile where the house was built for it. Metal where the owner wants fifty years and a fire rating. Flat roofs get TPO or torch down depending on the building. We'll tell you which suits yours and why.
Roof types
Is a metal roof worth it in Los Angeles?
If you plan to stay, often yes. It lasts twice as long as shingle, reflects heat, carries the top fire rating, and takes solar mounts well. It costs more up front and it has to be installed by people who do it often, which is the part to check.
Metal roofing
What is torch down roofing?
A flat roof membrane, modified bitumen, applied with a torch so the seams melt together. It's been on Los Angeles flat roofs for decades, it's repairable, and it lasts fifteen to twenty years. Done right, with a fire watch, it's a good roof. Done badly, it's where flat roof leaks come from.
Torch down roofing
What is TPO roofing?
A white single ply membrane for flat and low slope roofs, with seams welded by hot air. It reflects heat, meets the cool roof rules without a coating, and lasts twenty to twenty five years. It's the standard on new commercial roofs and a good choice on a flat residential one.
TPO and PVC roofing
Do I need a cool roof in Los Angeles?
In the City of Los Angeles, yes on most reroofs, and the state's Title 24 rules apply across the county. In practice it means a roof surface rated for reflectivity, which most modern shingle, tile and TPO already is. We install rated material as the baseline, and your attic is cooler for it.
Cool roofs
What is a roof coating, and does it work?
A liquid applied layer over an existing flat roof that's sound but ageing. It adds years and reflectivity for a fraction of a replacement. It doesn't fix a roof that's already failing, and we'll say which yours is before we quote one.
Roof restoration and coatings
Permits and rules
The paperwork, in plain English.
Do I need a permit to replace my roof in Los Angeles?
Yes. The City of Los Angeles, Inglewood, every South Bay city and the county all require one for a reroof, and the inspector checks the work. We pull it, meet the inspector, and the permit is in your file when we're done. A roof without one is a problem when you sell.
Roof replacement
What is Chapter 7A, and does it apply to my roof?
California's building rules for homes in wildfire zones. If your house is in one, the roof has to be a Class A assembly with ember resistant vents and sealed edges. It applies on the hills, in Calabasas, parts of the Palos Verdes peninsula and some Baldwin Hills streets, and we check the map before we quote.
Roof types
How do I check a roofing contractor's license in California?
Go to the Contractors State License Board website, type the license number, and look for a C39 roofing classification, an active status, and a bond and workers' comp on file. Ours is #1131531. Then ask for the insurance certificate. If a contractor hesitates on either, ask again.
Check our license on the CSLB site
How often should a roof be inspected?
Once a year, after any big storm, and before you buy or sell. On a flat roof, twice a year, because blocked drains do more damage than age. Ours is free, so there's no reason to skip it.
Roof inspection and certification
Working with us
Who turns up, and what you can hold us to.
Do you subcontract your roofing work?
No. Every roof is done by our own crew, led by the family that started the company, and the roofer who inspects your roof is on it when the work is done.
About Blue Skyline Roofing
Are you licensed and insured?
Yes. California license #1131531, classification C39, bonded, with liability and workers' compensation insurance. The license is linked on every page so you can check it, and we show the insurance certificate on request.
About Blue Skyline Roofing
What warranty do you give?
Two. The manufacturer's warranty on the materials, which runs for decades on a new roof, and our own written guarantee on the work. Both are explained before you sign and handed over when we finish. The exact terms are on each service page.
Roof replacement
Will someone try to sell me a roof?
No. A roofer comes, not a salesperson, and the estimate arrives by email so you read it without anyone in the room. If you want the work, you call us. If you don't, nobody calls to push.
Book a free roof inspection
Something isn't right with a job you did. What do I do?
Call, and say so. The work is guaranteed, and the owner would rather hear about a problem from you than read about it. Choose "a job you did for me" on the contact form if you'd rather write.
Contact us
Buildings and commercial
For owners, managers and boards.
Do you work with property managers and HOAs?
Yes. Condition reports for the file, one price across a portfolio, work phased around tenants, and someone who'll come to a board meeting and answer questions. We do the apartment courts and the townhome rows of the South Bay more than anything else.
Property managers and HOAs
How much does a commercial roof cost per square foot?
It depends on the system, the size, the insulation, the rooftop equipment and the access. Typical ranges by system are on the commercial page, and a written price follows a site visit and a core sample where the roof needs one.
Commercial roofing
Can you work on a building that can't close?
Yes. Nights, weekends, one section at a time, with the roof watertight at every break and a safety plan for the skylights and edges. We've done it on shops, offices, warehouses and apartment buildings with people living in them.
Commercial roofing
Where we work
And how to reach us.
Which areas do you serve?
Inglewood, where the office is, the South Bay, the Westside and anywhere within about half an hour of South La Brea Avenue. Hawthorne, Culver City, Westchester, Playa del Rey, El Segundo, Gardena, Torrance, the beach cities, Compton and Carson each have their own page.
Every area we serve
What's the fastest way to reach you?
Call (323) 338 2878. A person answers in office hours, and for a leak we come the same day. The form and email are answered within one business hour in office hours.
Contact us
Can I see a roof you've done near me?
From the street, where the owner is fine with it. Ask when you call and we'll tell you the nearest one. The projects page has before and after photos by city, taken by the crew that did the work.
Our projects
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Your question isn't here? Ask a roofer, not a web page.
Call with any roofing questions Los Angeles wide, or book the free inspection and ask on your own roof.