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Questions to ask before you hire a roofer in Los Angeles

A worn composition roof on a Valley ranch house, cracked tile on a Spanish-style home, or a hillside re-roof after fire season — Los Angeles roofing jobs come with their own rules. California’s Contractors State License Board (CSLB) C-39 roofing license, mandatory workers’ compensation for roofers, LADBS or local re-roof permits, overlay limits, Class A roofing in Very High Fire Hazard Severity Zones, cool roof requirements, and solar removal all affect what a solid quote should include. Use these questions to compare LA-area roofers on verified credentials, permit practice, and a written scope — not just who can start Monday.

Questions to ask

1. Are you licensed with the California Contractors State License Board (CSLB) as a C-39 Roofing contractor, and can I see the license number?

Why it matters: In California, roofing work is its own license classification: a C-39 Roofing contractor installs products and repairs surfaces that seal, waterproof, and weatherproof structures, using materials such as shingles, shakes, roof tile, slate, metal roofing systems, built-up and membrane materials. Ask for the exact license number and check status, classification, and complaint history on CSLB’s license check before anyone climbs your roof. Make sure the license on the contract matches the company actually doing the work. If the roof is part of a larger remodel or fire rebuild, a B General Building contractor may run the job, but ask who is doing the roofing and check their license too. A city business license, a yard sign, or a manufacturer “certified installer” badge is not a contractor license.

2. Can you show me active workers’ compensation coverage — even if you say you have no employees?

Why it matters: Roofing is one of the few trades where California does not allow the usual “no employees” shortcut. CSLB states that all active C-39 Roofing contractors (along with a few other classifications) must carry workers’ compensation insurance or a Certification of Self-Insurance whether or not they have employees, and C-39 contractors cannot file an exemption (CSLB: Workers’ Compensation Insurance Requirements). The coverage status shows on the license check. Roof work is high-risk; if an uninsured worker is hurt on your property, you can end up in the middle of it. Ask for the workers’ comp policy information and a current general liability certificate naming you, and confirm both are active for the dates of your job.

3. Who pulls the re-roof permit — LADBS, Los Angeles County, or my city — and who schedules the inspections?

Why it matters: Inside City of Los Angeles limits, roofing permits go through the Los Angeles Department of Building and Safety (LADBS). LADBS lists many re-roofs as express (no plan check) permits: re-roofing with a Class A or B covering weighing less than 6 pounds per square foot over existing or new solid sheathing, removing and resetting roof tiles with new underlayment, and applying an approved coating to an existing roof (LADBS Express Permits bulletin P/GI 2026-003). Heavier coverings or structural work need more review. Unincorporated areas and other cities in LA County have their own building departments and rules. Ask who pulls the permit, who meets the inspector, whether fees are in the quote, and confirm your jurisdiction before you sign. A discount to “skip the permit” leaves you holding the risk at resale and in any insurance claim.

4. Will you tear off down to the deck, or lay over the existing roof — and does my roof even qualify for an overlay?

Why it matters: Overlaying can be cheaper, but it has hard limits. The Los Angeles Municipal Code’s reroofing section (LAMC 91.1512) does not allow a new roof over an existing one when the existing roof is water-soaked or deteriorated, when it is slate, clay, cement, or asbestos-cement tile, or when there are already two or more layers (LAMC §91.1512, Reroofing). LA County’s reroofing manual similarly allows an existing covering to stay only if there is no more than one layer, the framing can carry the added weight, the covering is securely attached, and the deck is sound; otherwise, it is removed down to the deck (LA County Public Works Building Code Manual 1512). Ask how many layers you have now, what the contractor will check for deck rot, how damaged sheathing will be priced, and get the tear-off-or-overlay decision written into the contract.

5. Is my home in a Very High Fire Hazard Severity Zone — and does your bid meet the Class A and ember-resistant roofing rules?

Why it matters: Large parts of the Los Angeles area are mapped as fire hazard severity zones, and that changes what roof you can install. LADBS requires Class A roof covering within a Very High Fire Hazard Severity Zone (VHFHSZ) (LADBS Express Permits bulletin). LA County’s VHFHSZ construction notes require Class A covering for the entire roof of an existing structure when more than 50 percent of the roof is replaced within any one-year period, prohibit wood shingles and shakes in any fire hazard severity zone regardless of classification, and call for valley flashing details and gutters that prevent leaves and debris from collecting (LA County Public Works: VHFHSZ notes, 2023 code). Look up your address on the City of LA’s ZIMAS parcel map or the State Fire Marshal’s fire hazard severity zone maps, then ask the roofer to name the Class A assembly, underlayment, and vent products in the bid.

6. Does this re-roof trigger cool roof requirements, and which rated product are you using?

Why it matters: California’s energy code and the City of LA both reach roofs. For a City of LA residential roof replacement of more than 50 percent of the total roof area, LADBS calls for a cool roof product labeled and certified by the Cool Roof Rating Council (CRRC) (LADBS Express Permits bulletin). Statewide, the 2025 Title 24 energy standards (for permits applied for on or after January 1, 2026) set aged reflectance and emittance targets for residential re-roofs in certain climate zones, with listed alternatives such as added ceiling insulation or a radiant barrier (CRRC: 2025 Energy Code summary; California Energy Commission: 2025 standards). Ask which rule applies to your address and climate zone, and get the exact product and its rating from the CRRC Rated Products Directory written into the contract — color and brand alone don’t prove compliance.

7. If I have solar panels, who removes and reinstalls them — and is that a separate permit?

Why it matters: Roof replacement under rooftop solar is a two-trade job. LA County’s reroofing manual says that if a rooftop PV system is removed for reroofing, a separate permit is required for the reinstallation in addition to the reroof permit; reroofing must be done by a C-39 contractor and the PV reinstall by a C-10 or C-46 contractor (or an A or B contractor for both), and existing WEEB bonding clips may not be reused (LA County BCM 1512). In the City of LA, LADBS issues certain small residential rooftop solar permits online to contractors, and notes that a separate building permit may be needed for structural support (LADBS Express Permits bulletin). Ask who handles the detach and reset, who pulls each permit, who owns the warranty on roof penetrations, and how long the system will be offline.

8. What exactly is in the written scope — underlayment, flashing, ventilation, deck repair, and cleanup?

Why it matters: Two roofing bids can look alike and be very different jobs. CSLB advises that a home improvement contract should describe the work and the materials, including quality, quantity, weight, color, size, or brand (CSLB: Contracts and Binding Agreements). For a roof, that means the shingle or tile line, underlayment type, flashing and valley details, vents, how much damaged decking is included and the per-sheet price beyond that, tear-off disposal, and protection for landscaping and solar. Ask for the manufacturer’s warranty terms and the contractor’s workmanship warranty in writing, and what voids each.

9. Does your contract follow California’s home improvement rules on down payment, payment schedule, and cancellation?

Why it matters: California home improvement contracts have built-in consumer protections. CSLB says the down payment should never exceed 10 percent of the contract price or the dollar cap set in law, whichever is less; progress payments should track work completed; and you generally can cancel within three days of signing, with written notice mailed before midnight of the third day (CSLB: Contracts and Binding Agreements). The rare exception is a contractor with a blanket performance and payment bond on file, which CSLB says is about two dozen companies and is visible on the license check. If a salesperson came to your door, ask to see their Home Improvement Salesperson (HIS) registration — CSLB requires registration for people who sell home improvement contracts for a licensed contractor, with limited exceptions (CSLB: Home Improvement Salesperson registration).

10. How will you protect me from mechanics liens by your suppliers and subcontractors?

Why it matters: In California, unpaid suppliers and subcontractors can file a lien on your property even after you’ve paid the roofer. CSLB recommends getting a list of subcontractors and suppliers, saving any Preliminary Notices you receive, paying with joint checks where practical, collecting a conditional lien release before each payment and an unconditional release after, and filing a Notice of Completion with the county recorder within 15 days of completion to shorten the lien deadlines (CSLB: How to Prevent a Mechanics Lien). Roofing materials are often delivered by a supplier in bulk, so ask who the supplier is and how releases will be handled.

11. If this is fire, storm, or insurance work, will you put the full price in writing — and are you licensed for disaster-area work?

Why it matters: After the 2025 Los Angeles fires, CSLB reminds homeowners that rebuilding after a declared disaster is treated as a home improvement project: contractors must use a fixed-price contract, cannot use “time and materials” or “cost plus” contracts for disaster-related home improvement work, and must follow the down payment and progress payment rules (CSLB Disaster Help Center). Contracting without a license on repairs for damage from a declared disaster is a felony under California law (Business and Professions Code §7028.16), and the LA County District Attorney has prosecuted unlicensed contractors in the Palisades and Eaton fire zones (LA County DA: Unlicensed Contractors). Be wary of any roofer who offers to “cover” or “absorb” your insurance deductible: California law makes it unlawful for a contractor to knowingly offer a discount intended to offset a deductible, except where the work follows the insurer’s determined claim amount or accepted estimate (Penal Code §551).

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