LA Roof Guide explains roofs, roof permits, wildfire roof rules, and roof insurance for homeowners in Los Angeles County. We write plain guides. Each guide links to the official sources it is based on.
Important: we are not a contractor
LA Roof Guide is an information website only. We are not a contractor and hold no license from the California Contractors State License Board (CSLB).
We do not perform, offer, bid on, sell, or arrange roofing or any other construction work. Nothing on this site is an offer to do so.
Before hiring anyone for roof work, check their license at cslb.ca.gov. In California, work of $1,000 or more, work that needs a permit, or work using hired workers requires a CSLB license.
This is general information, not legal, engineering, or building code advice. Rules differ by city; check with your local building department.
Why this matters
California has strict rules about who may do and advertise construction work. CSLB explains that a contractor license is required for jobs of $1,000 or more since January 1, 2025. Even a smaller job needs a license if it needs a permit or if the person hires workers. A new roof almost always needs a permit, so the person who installs it must hold a license. You can read more in our guide to checking a CSLB license.
Because we hold no license, we do not offer roof work of any kind. We have no phone line for jobs, no quote form, and no "preferred" roofers. We do not take money from roofers to appear on our pages.
Who writes the guides
Pages are written and checked by the LA Roof Guide editors. We are researchers, not roofers, inspectors, lawyers, or insurance agents. We do not claim trade experience we do not have. Our job is to read the primary sources, such as city building departments, CSLB, CAL FIRE, the California Building Standards Code, and the California Department of Insurance, and explain what they say in plain words.
How we keep pages accurate
- Every rule and number on a page comes from a source listed at the bottom of that page.
- If we cannot confirm a fact from a primary source, we leave it out.
- We do not publish made-up prices, reviews, or customer stories.
- Cost figures appear only when a dated, cited source supports them, and we say that real prices vary.
- Each page shows a "last reviewed" date.
Read the full details on our sources and method page.
Found a mistake?
Rules and fees change. If something on a page is wrong or out of date, please tell us through our contact page. Include a link to the official source if you can.