A new roof is not a replacement with a different name. There is no old covering to read, and the roof has to satisfy the plans, the plan checker and the inspector in turn. We join the job when the framing is set, or earlier if you want the covering chosen with the plans.
What a new roof job begins with
The plan set tells us the pitch, the framing, the sheathing and the covering the plans call for. We compare those with what you want on the roof and say where they differ.
Builders keep a sequence: framing, sheathing, dry-in, then the covering. We fit the roof into that order and mark the inspections on either side of the roofing stage.
What the plans should show
Reroof cool roof figures do not carry over here. For a new roof, the values sit on the plans and on the energy compliance forms, and the plan checker confirms them.
The plans should also state the fire class of the covering. Fire class depends on the City's own map. Inside a Very High Fire Hazard Severity Zone only Class A passes, while Fire District No. 1 accepts Class B as well. Everywhere else in the City, Class C is also on the table (LADBS, 2026).
What a new roof installation includes
- Plan set reviewed against the covering you want
- Sheathing and dry-in checked before covering starts
- Fire class confirmed for the address
- Covering installed to the maker's instructions
- Flashing set at walls, penetrations and tie-ins
- Inspection stops placed in the builder's schedule
When to bring us in on a new roof
- Framing is up and the covering has not been chosen
- An ADU or addition needs a roof that works with the house
- The plan checker has asked a question about the roof
- Rebuilding a home after the 2025 fires
After the 2025 fires
Rebuilding after the 2025 fires carries its own energy-code relief. Under Executive Order N-29-25, parts of the 2025 Energy Code update are suspended for homes lost in those fires (California Energy Commission). If you are rebuilding, ask the permit office which parts cover your lot before choosing a covering.
CAL FIRE published new Fire Hazard Severity Zone maps for local areas on 24 March 2025. A news report from ABC7 the next day put the very-high-zone acreage in Greater Los Angeles at about 900,000. Check the address on the CAL FIRE map viewer.
Joining an addition to the house
An ADU or addition has a roof that must either match the house or sit beside it. Matching tile or shingle color is a design choice. The code asks something else: the covering must satisfy a fire class, and the plan checker confirms whether energy values apply.
Where an addition ties into an existing roof, the line where old meets new is flashed with new metal. We mark that line on the drawings with you.
Questions about a new roof
Which roof works for an ADU or a detached garage?
The slope in the plans decides. A pitched roof can take tile, shingle or metal, and a low slope takes a membrane. Echoing the house covering is a design call. The code adds a fire class and, in some cases, energy values.
How did the 2025 fires change the rules for rebuilt homes?
Homes rebuilt after those fires get relief from parts of the 2025 Energy Code, through Executive Order N-29-25 (California Energy Commission). Your permit office says which parts reach the lot. The fire hazard maps were also redrawn: CAL FIRE released them on 24 March 2025 (ABC7).
Is Class A required on a new roof?
It depends on where the lot sits. Class A is the requirement in a Very High zone of the City of Los Angeles. Fire District No. 1 accepts A or B, and elsewhere in the City Class C passes too (LADBS, 2026). The 2025 wildland-urban interface code adds further rules for fire zones (DGS/California Building Standards Commission, 2025).
Where do the roofing stages sit in a builder's inspection calendar?
Roofing follows framing and sheathing, and it comes before the finishing trades that need a dry building. The permit office calls inspections at set points, and we place those stops on the calendar with you before the covering is ordered.
Which parts of Title 24 apply to a new roof?
Title 24 Part 6 is the energy code. For a new roof, its values come from the plans and the energy compliance forms. The reroof values in the Energy Commission text are written for alterations. Your plan checker confirms which set applies.