California / Los Angeles County

Roof Replacement Permit in Los Angeles County, California

Permit required

Yes, a permit is required

Before replacing or recovering a roof on a home in unincorporated Los Angeles County, and before installing skylights or tubular daylighting devices. If an existing rooftop solar array is taken off for the reroof, a separate permit is needed to put it back.

Confirmed on official page Verified Los Angeles County Public Works, Building and Safety Division

By Mario Bailey, verified against official sources

Quick answer

Los Angeles County requires a building permit for re-roofs, and the same answer covers skylight and Solatube installation. Reroofing must comply with Chapters 7A and 15 of the Los Angeles County Building Code, the California Building Energy Efficiency Standards, and LACBC Section 1512, and the Building Official may allow an existing roof covering to remain only where there is no more than one layer of an approved covering type, the framing can carry the added weight, the deck is sound and dry, and the new covering matches the required pitch and fire classification for its location within the fire zone. Changing to a metal roof requires Department of Regional Planning approval. This is the unincorporated-county rule.

Who is pulling this permit?

Apply yourself

Apply on the Los Angeles County permit portal

Hire it out

Before you sign, ask the contractor:

  • Who pulls the permit, you or me, and is the permit fee included in the bid?
  • Which inspections will this job need, and who meets the inspector on site?
  • Is your contractor license active in this locality, and under which business name?

When a permit is usually needed

Before replacing or recovering a roof on a home in unincorporated Los Angeles County, and before installing skylights or tubular daylighting devices. If an existing rooftop solar array is taken off for the reroof, a separate permit is needed to put it back.

What a roof replacement permit costs in Los Angeles County

Line item
roof replacement permitBy formulaNo reroofing line item is published. A reroof is priced from the valuation-based Table 1-A Building Permit Fees ($65.36 for a total valuation of $0 to and including $700; $98.09 for more than $700 to and including $25,000 plus $25.27 for each additional $1,000 or fraction thereof in excess of $1,000), plus the $41.35 permit issuance fee. Where a rooftop photovoltaic system is removed for the reroof, Building Code Manual 1512 Article 1 requires a second solar permit carrying only the issuance fee and a one hour inspection fee. Building Code Fee Schedule (Title 26, Ord. No. 2013-0048), effective July 1, 2026.
Fee schedule in forceOfficial scheduleRead . Fees are the jurisdiction’s; we do not mark them up or estimate them.

How Los Angeles County compares in California

JurisdictionPermit needed?Threshold
Alameda CountyIt dependsAggregate roof area repaired on a previously permitted roof, at which the building permit exemption stops
Contra Costa CountyPermit requiredNot specified
Fresno CountyPermit requiredNot specified
Los AngelesPermit requiredNot specified
Los Angeles Countythis pagePermit requiredNot specified
Orange CountyPermit requiredNot specified
Riverside CountyIt dependsRoof repairs or replacements covering less than 25 percent of the legally existing roof area are exempt, provided the work does not involve the underlying framing and does not occur more than once in a 12-month period

How to apply in Los Angeles County

A residential reroof permit application is lighter than for structural work: you state whether the scope is a full tear-off (roof replacement) or an overlay (roof recover), describe the covering material and its manufacturer instructions, and note the condition of the existing deck, since those facts determine which code path applies.

What most roof replacement permit applications include:

  • State on the application whether the job is a roof replacement, which strips all existing layers down to the bare deck, or a roof recover, which leaves the old covering in place under specific conditions, since the two scopes are governed differently (IRC R908.3).
  • A recover is only an option where the new covering follows the roof covering manufacturer's approved instructions or is a self-supporting system, such as standing-seam metal, that does not rely on the existing roof for support (IRC R908.3.1).
  • Full tear-off must be scoped on the application instead of a recover when the existing roof is water soaked or deteriorated, is slate, clay, cement, or asbestos-cement tile, or already carries two or more layers of roof covering (IRC R908.3.1.1).
  • The materials and installation methods described on the application must comply with the reroofing requirements of the roof-assemblies chapter (IRC R908.1).
  • If the scope reuses existing slate, clay, or cement tile, damaged or broken pieces cannot be listed for reinstallation, and any rusted or deteriorated flashings, edgings, outlets, or vents uncovered during tear-off must be scoped for replacement (IRC R908.5).

General submittal guidance from IRC Section R908 Reroofing (text as adopted in the 2020 Residential Code of New York State, based on the 2018 IRC). Source. Los Angeles County Public Works, Building and Safety Division sets the exact checklist for Los Angeles County.

Where to apply in Los Angeles County:

Los Angeles County Public Works, Building and Safety Division

  • Los Angeles County Public Works, Building and Safety Division, 3rd Floor, 900 S. Fremont Avenue, Alhambra, CA 91803
  • Phone: 626-458-3173

Inspections and closing out your permit

Most residential reroofs get two to three field inspections keyed to the scope of work: a deck or nailing check when sheathing is exposed or replaced, a final on the completed covering and flashings, and in some high-wind regions a dedicated check of mitigation measures added during tear-off.

  1. Where the covering is fully removed and the sheathing is exposed, replaced, or added, inspectors check the deck and its nailing before any new roofing goes down, since the structural framework must be able to carry the new covering's loads (IRC R908.2).
  2. An overlay is only approved where it meets one of the code's listed recover conditions, such as installation in accordance with the covering manufacturer's approved instructions (IRC R908.3.1).
  3. Flashings disturbed or replaced during the job are checked against the approved manufacturer's installation instructions, and metal flashing that will receive bituminous material must be primed before installation (IRC R908.6).
  4. A final inspection confirms the completed roof covering and its fasteners were installed as required for that material and per manufacturer instructions before the permit is closed (IRC R905).
  5. In some regions with strengthened wind provisions, reroofing an older single-family home also triggers inspection of supplemental deck-nailing and a secondary water barrier added during tear-off, on top of the base reroofing requirements (Florida Building Code, Residential R908.7 Mitigation).
  6. Reinstalled existing slate, clay, or cement tile is checked against reuse limits at inspection, and any rusted, damaged, or deteriorated flashings, edgings, outlets, or vents found during tear-off must be replaced rather than reinstalled (IRC R908.5).

Schedule each inspection in advance and pass the final before you use the work or close the permit. Request inspections through the Los Angeles County permit portal or by phone at 626-458-3173.

Inspection sequence from IRC Section R908 Reroofing and Section R905 Roof Coverings (2021 International Residential Code). Source. An open permit left un-inspected can surface later in a title search or home sale.

Frequently asked questions

Do you need a roof replacement permit in Los Angeles County?
Los Angeles County requires a building permit for re-roofs, and the same answer covers skylight and Solatube installation. Reroofing must comply with Chapters 7A and 15 of the Los Angeles County Building Code, the California Building Energy Efficiency Standards, and LACBC Section 1512, and the Building Official may allow an existing roof covering to remain only where there is no more than one layer of an approved covering type, the framing can carry the added weight, the deck is sound and dry, and the new covering matches the required pitch and fire classification for its location within the fire zone. Changing to a metal roof requires Department of Regional Planning approval. This is the unincorporated-county rule. Always confirm with the Los Angeles County Public Works, Building and Safety Division before starting.
How much does a roof replacement permit cost in Los Angeles County?
No reroofing line item is published. A reroof is priced from the valuation-based Table 1-A Building Permit Fees ($65.36 for a total valuation of $0 to and including $700; $98.09 for more than $700 to and including $25,000 plus $25.27 for each additional $1,000 or fraction thereof in excess of $1,000), plus the $41.35 permit issuance fee. Where a rooftop photovoltaic system is removed for the reroof, Building Code Manual 1512 Article 1 requires a second solar permit carrying only the issuance fee and a one hour inspection fee. Building Code Fee Schedule (Title 26, Ord. No. 2013-0048), effective July 1, 2026. See the official fee schedule for current amounts.
Where do you apply for a roof replacement permit in Los Angeles County?
You can apply through the Los Angeles County permit portal or contact the Los Angeles County Public Works, Building and Safety Division directly. The links are listed on this page.
Can a homeowner pull a roof replacement permit themselves in Los Angeles County?
Under California law (Business & Professions Code 7044(a)-(b); Business & Professions Code 7031.5): California exempts an owner-builder from contractor licensing when the owner personally performs the work, or uses only wage employees, on their own property and does not intend the improvements for sale. A homeowner may also directly hire licensed trade contractors for up to four single-family residences a year, or improve their own principal residence without a general contractor's license, as long as they have actually lived there for the 12 months before the work is finished. Selling a self-built structure within one year of completion creates a rebuttable presumption that it was built for sale, which defeats the exemption, and selling five or more structures within a year makes that presumption conclusive. Separately, every city or county that requires a building permit must also require the applicant to file a signed statement giving their contractor license number or the basis of their claimed exemption; a false or missing statement carries a $500 civil penalty. Confirm how Los Angeles County applies this before you apply.

From the Library

What else needs a permit in Los Angeles County

Every other permit type we have verified for this jurisdiction, with the rule that applies here.

ProjectPermit needed?ThresholdTypical fee
Deck PermitIt dependsheight of the deck surface above grade; the exemption also requires the deck not to be over any basement or story below and not to be part of an accessible routeNo deck line item is published.
Electrical PermitPermit requiredNot specifiedElectrical Code Fee Schedule (Title 27 of the County of Los Angeles Code, Ord No.
Fence PermitIt dependsheight of a fence or freestanding block wall measured from the lowest adjacent grade; a masonry or concrete fence must also be set back from a public way at least a distance equal to its height to stay exemptNo fence line item is published.
HVAC PermitPermit requiredNot specifiedMechanical Code Fee Schedule (Title 29 of the County of Los Angeles Code, Ord No.
Patio PermitIt dependsNot specifiedNo patio line item is published.
Plumbing PermitPermit requiredNot specifiedPlumbing Code Fee Schedule (Title 28 of the Los Angeles Code, Ord.
Pool PermitIt dependsdepth of a prefabricated pool or other body of water accessory to a one- or two-family (Group R-3) home; the same exemption also reaches pools that do not exceed 5,000 gallons and are installed entirely above adjacent gradeThere is no single pool price.
Shed PermitIt dependsgross floor area of a one-story detached accessory building; the exemption also requires the height not to exceed 12 feet and the maximum roof projection not to exceed 24 inchesNo shed line item is published.
Solar PermitPermit requiredNot specifiedChapter 68, Section 6805 of the County of Los Angeles Building Code: 'The combined...

Roof Replacement Permit in other California localities

Everything above, sourced

dpw.lacounty.gov: permitsread
dpw.lacounty.gov: faqread

Code references

National and state model-code sections the general guidance on this page is drawn from. They are not Los Angeles County documents; the office above sets the local rules.

Verified by a person against the sources above on , not confirmed with Los Angeles County Public Works, Building and Safety Division. Rules change; confirm before you build. How we verify.

Last checked: Report an error on this page

Compare Roof Replacement Permit requirements across California localities

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