Home / Roofing Services

Roof Replacement Services in Southern California

When a roof has reached the end of its service life, a replacement puts a new system on a sound deck rather than patching what is failing. Roof Repair & Construction Inc. holds California contractor license 1144009. Free inspection and itemized estimate. Call (323) 474-1088.

  • California license 1144009
  • Licensed and insured
  • Free inspection and estimate

The short answer

A roof replacement strips the old covering down to the deck, repairs or replaces failed sheathing, and installs a new system with new underlayment and new flashings. It is the right call when the covering is finished across the whole roof or the deck underneath has gone soft, and the wrong call for a single failed detail. Roof Repair & Construction Inc. holds California contractor license 1144009. The inspection and the itemized estimate are free. Call (323) 474-1088.

1
Repair firstIf a repair will solve it, that is what we quote. Replacement gets recommended when the roof actually needs one.
2
Tear-off, not overlayThe old covering comes off so the deck can be seen and fixed. Roofing over a bad deck is what shortens a new roof.
3
ItemizedTear-off, decking allowance, underlayment, covering, flashings, ventilation, permit and cleanup, each priced on its own line.
Storm damaged asphalt shingle roof with shingles lifted and missing and bare decking exposed at the eave

WHEN REPLACEMENT IS THE ANSWER

Signs a Roof Needs Replacing Rather Than Repairing

  • Granule loss across the whole roof: Bald patches on the shingles and granules collecting in the gutters, not in one spot but everywhere.
  • Curling, cupping or cracking: Shingle edges lifting or splitting across multiple slopes, which lets wind under the course.
  • Repeat leaks in different places: One leak is a repair. Leaks appearing in new spots each season usually means the covering is done. See roof leak repairs.
  • A soft or sagging deck: Spongy underfoot or a visibly dipping roof line means the sheathing is involved, not just the surface.
  • Daylight or damp in the attic: Light through the boards, or damp sheathing and staining on the rafters after rain.
  • A flat section past its service life: Blistering, ponding that will not drain, or seams that keep opening on a low-slope roof. See flat roof repairs.

One of these on its own is usually a repair. Several together, or any of them across the whole roof, is the point where replacement costs less over time than another round of patching. The inspection tells you which you have.

Repair or Replace: How the Decision Gets Made

Most roofs are repaired, not replaced. A failed flashing detail, a cracked tile, a split seam on a flat section: those are repairs, and quoting a replacement for them would be wrong. Replacement earns its cost when the covering has reached the end of its life across the whole roof, or when what is underneath it has.

The deck is usually what settles it. Once water has been getting past the covering for long enough, the plywood or board sheathing beneath starts to soften and delaminate, and new shingles laid over a failing deck will not hold their fasteners. That is why a tear-off exposes the deck before anything new goes down, and why structural roof repair sometimes forms part of a replacement rather than a separate job.

Age matters, but less than people expect. A composition shingle roof in Southern California generally runs twenty to thirty years depending on the product and the exposure, and a roof at the end of that range with sound decking and no active leaks can often be left alone a while longer. A ten-year-old roof that was installed over a bad deck may not last.

If you want to work through it before calling anyone, our guide to replacement versus repair sets out the same reasoning in more detail.

Flat roof with emergency sealant worked around a rooftop unit and its pipe penetrations to stop water entry

How a Roof Replacement Runs

A typical residential replacement is a few days on site. The sequence does not change with the size of the roof, only how long each stage takes.

1

Inspection and scope

We look at the covering, the flashings, the penetrations and the drainage, and where there is attic access we look at the underside too. That is what tells us whether this is a replacement at all.

2

Itemized estimate

Tear-off, disposal, decking repair, underlayment, the covering itself, flashings and vents, each priced separately. Decking is estimated as an allowance because nobody knows its condition until the covering is off.

3

Permit

A full re-roof needs one in most jurisdictions. We pull it under our license and book the inspection that goes with it.

4

Tear-off

The old covering comes off down to the deck, with the property protected and debris contained. This is the point where the deck is finally visible.

5

Deck repair

Soft or delaminated sheathing is replaced before anything goes over it. If more needs replacing than the allowance covered, you hear about it then, with the deck open and visible.

6

New system on

Underlayment, new flashings at every penetration and wall, then the covering, then ridge and ventilation. Old flashing is not reused.

What a Replacement Estimate Should Itemize

Ours breaks out every line below. If an estimate you are comparing does not, these are the questions worth asking before you sign it.

  • Tear-off and disposal: How many layers are coming off and what it costs to haul them away. Roofing debris is heavy and disposal is a real line item.
  • Decking repair allowance: Nobody can price deck replacement before the covering is off. A good estimate names a rate per sheet and an assumed quantity, so you know how a change gets priced.
  • Underlayment: Which product and how many layers. Synthetic and felt are not the same thing and should not be quoted as though they are.
  • The covering: Manufacturer, product line and colour, not just “shingles”. Architectural and three-tab are different roofs at different prices.
  • Flashings: New flashing at every wall, chimney, skylight and vent. Reusing old flashing on a new roof is where replacements leak first. See roof flashing.
  • Ventilation: Ridge, static or turbine vents and how many. Under-venting a new roof shortens its life and can void a manufacturer line.
  • Permit and inspection: Whether the permit fee is included and who books the inspection.
  • Cleanup: Magnetic sweep for nails and what happens to the landscaping and the driveway while the work is on.
Roof Repair and Construction Inc. crew installing radiant barrier underlayment across a stripped roof deck

WHAT TO EXPECT

Why Work With Roof Repair & Construction Inc

What homeowners and property managers across Southern California get when they bring Roof Repair & Construction Inc onto a roof replacement:

  • Licensed and insured: California contractor license 1144009, with proof of insurance we are happy to put in front of you.
  • Repair quoted before replacement: If a repair will genuinely solve it, that is what we quote. We would rather do the smaller job and be called again.
  • The deck gets dealt with: Soft sheathing is replaced, not covered over. It is the part a cheap quote leaves out and the part that decides how long the new roof lasts.
  • New flashings throughout: Every penetration and wall junction gets new metal as part of the replacement.
  • An itemized estimate: Line by line, including how a decking overage would be priced, so there is no surprise mid-job.
  • Our own crew: The people who scoped the roof are the people who tear it off and put the new one on.

Talk to Us About Replacing Your Roof

Call (323) 474-1088 and tell us what the roof is doing. We will inspect it and tell you honestly whether it needs replacing or whether a repair will do.

We are open Monday to Friday from 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM and Saturday from 8:00 AM to 1:00 PM, and closed Sunday. If you reach us outside those hours, leave a message with the property address and we will pick it up when we open.

The inspection and the itemized estimate are free, and there is no obligation attached to either.

Roof stripped back to bare decking with replacement roofing material and vents staged along the ridge

Recent Roofing Jobs

Answers

Roof Replacement Questions

What homeowners ask us most before committing to a new roof.

How do I know whether I need a repair or a full replacement?

Most roofs are repaired. Replacement earns its cost when the covering has reached the end of its life across the whole roof, or when the deck underneath has started to fail. Repeat leaks appearing in new places each season, granule loss everywhere rather than in one spot, and a soft or sagging deck all point to replacement. A single failed flashing or a cracked tile does not. The inspection is what settles it, and it is free.

How long does a roof replacement take?

A typical residential re-roof is a few days on site: tear-off, deck repair, then the new system. The sequence does not change with the size of the roof, only how long each stage takes. Weather and the amount of decking that turns out to need replacing are the two things that move the schedule.

Do I need a permit to replace my roof?

A full re-roof needs one in most jurisdictions. It varies by city, so it depends on where the property is. We pull the permit under our license and book the inspection that goes with it, rather than working around it.

Can you put a new roof over the old one?

It is possible on some roofs and we do not recommend it. An overlay hides the deck, which is the part that decides how long the new roof lasts, and it adds weight to a structure that was not designed for two layers. It also makes the next replacement more expensive. We quote tear-offs.

What does a roof replacement cost?

It depends on the size and pitch of the roof, how many layers come off, the covering you choose, and how much decking needs replacing once the old roof is off. That last one cannot be known in advance, so our estimate names a rate per sheet and an assumed quantity rather than hiding it. The inspection and the itemized estimate are free.

What areas do you cover?

We work across Los Angeles and the surrounding communities, including Glendale, Pasadena, Beverly Hills, West Hollywood, Los Feliz and Calabasas. See our service areas page for the full list.

Where we work

Roof Replacement Service Areas

We replace roofs across Los Angeles and the surrounding communities. Each link opens our roofing page for that community.

See every community we serve

Go deeper

Related Guides

Background on deciding between repair and replacement, permits, and what to check before you hire.

Thinking about replacing your roof?

We will inspect it and tell you honestly whether it needs replacing or whether a repair will do. No charge for the visit or the estimate.

Call (323) 474-1088Get a free quote