Photo by Nicholas Ismael Martinez on Unsplash
Deck, layers, ridge
A roof is only as sound as the deck under it
Replacements, full tear-offs and new roofs for homes in West Hollywood and the rest of Los Angeles County. Each job is planned from the boards up, one layer at a time.
- Full replacement, reroof and new roof work
- Scope written layer by layer, deck to ridge
- Code items named up front: cool roof, fire class, permit
Describe the roof
Tell us the job, the address area and how old the roof is. We read every request and follow up.
Or call (323) 366-5735
The sequence
How a replacement runs, start to final inspection
Every full replacement follows the same order, because each layer depends on the one beneath it.
- 1
Strip to the deck
The old covering and underlayment come off. Deck boards or panels are exposed, checked and marked where they are soft or split.
- 2
Repair and close the deck
Bad boards are replaced. On older houses with gapped boards, the deck is closed with sheet panels so the new layers have a continuous base.
- 3
Dry-in and flash
Drip edge, underlayment and the flashing at walls, valleys, vents and chimneys go on before any visible covering.
- 4
Cover, cap and inspect
The covering is installed, the ridge is capped, the site is cleared, and the building inspector signs off the permit.
The work
Roof jobs we take, in the order they are built
Most requests start as a replacement. Some are a tear-off of one old layer or several, some are a roof for a structure that has none yet.
Roof replacement
The whole roof rebuilt from the deck up: new underlayment, flashing, vents, covering and ridge, with the permit and code items in the scope.
See this serviceReroofing and full tear-off
Strip to the deck, repair it, then rebuild. What reroof means on a permit, and when the County allows an overlay.
See this serviceNew roofs for new structures
Roofs on new framing: additions, accessory dwelling units, garages and rebuilds, planned around the builder's schedule.
See this serviceTile roof replacement
Lift and relay or full reroof in concrete or clay tile, planned around the underlayment that actually fails.
See this serviceShingle roof replacement
Asphalt shingle reroofs planned as one system, from the drip edge and underlayment to the starter, field and ridge.
See this serviceMetal roof installation
Stone-coated steel, standing seam and metal shingle systems, planned around the deck, the fire assembly and the County planning check.
See this serviceFlat and low-slope roof replacement
Membrane systems for low-slope roofs, with the one-layer limit and the stricter cool values named.
See this serviceSmall commercial roof replacement
Roofs on shops, offices and small multi-unit buildings, planned around rooftop equipment, drains and occupancy.
See this serviceCool roof installation
Reflectance, emittance and SRI explained, with the state and City of Los Angeles values by roof type.
See this serviceClass A fire-rated roofs
Where the City of Los Angeles or LA County requires a Class A roof, which materials reach it, and why vents and eaves belong in the scope.
See this serviceSolar-ready reroofing
Reroofing before, around or after panels: permits, flashing and who coordinates with the solar company.
See this serviceWhole-home roofing for older houses
What a tear-off finds on older houses: spaced sheathing, old materials, historic limits and insurer roof-age rules.
See this service
Read the roof first
A replacement assessment reads the roof from the inside out
The assessment looks at the covering, but it starts with what holds the covering: the deck, the layer count, the attic side of the boards, the vents and the flashing. It also lists the code items that apply to your address.
- Covering, flashing and drainage at the edge
- Deck condition and layer count
- Cool roof, fire class and permit path for your address
Photo by Martin Martz on Unsplash
Planning the budget
Published price ranges, with the source named
The cost guide collects ranges that other organizations have published for Los Angeles, with the source and date beside each one, and explains what moves a roof from the low end to the high end.
Read the cost guide
Photo by Raze Solar on Unsplash
How this works
Who handles your roof
Firmament Roofing is the roofing company you deal with from the first message to the final inspection. You send a request, we read it, and we arrange a visit that looks at the roof layer by layer. The written scope, the contract and the permit come from us.
Before you sign, check the paperwork against the job. The written scope should name the covering, the layers that come off, the flashing and the permit.
DisclosureWhere we take requests
West Hollywood and places well beyond it
Housing age, climate zone, permit office and fire zone note differ from one place to the next.
- West Hollywood
- Glendale
- Santa Monica
- Santa Fe Springs
- Cudahy
- Hidden Hills
- Altadena
- Lawndale
- Monrovia
- San Dimas
Questions
Before you pick a roofer
What are the top roofing companies in the USA?
National lists are usually ordered by revenue, and they say little about who will be on your roof. Manufacturers make the products; a roofing contractor installs them. For a homeowner the test that matters is a written scope and a permit pulled for the work.
What is the best way to find a roofer?
Collect two or three written scopes that list the same items: tear-off, deck repair, underlayment, flashing and permit. Compare the scopes before the totals. The Contractors State License Board (CSLB) licenses roofing contractors in California, and any roofer's license can be checked on the CSLB license lookup at cslb.ca.gov.
What is a roofer contractor?
A roofer contractor is a business that does roofing work: the roof surface itself, the sheet below it, the flashing and the sheet metal that seals joints.
What is a roofing contractor called?
Roofer, roofing contractor and roofing company all mean the same trade.
What is the best way to find a reputable roofer?
The permit should be pulled before work starts and closed with a final inspection.
What does a full replacement include beyond the new covering?
The covering is the last layer, not the first. A full replacement removes the old roofing, repairs the deck, installs drip edge, underlayment and flashing, sets the vents, then adds the covering and ridge. In Los Angeles, the permit, the cool roof requirement once over half the roof is replaced, and the fire class for your zone also belong in the scope.
Read first
Four guides for planning a full job
Timing against the rains, which office permits a reroof, how the cool roof rules work, and which materials suit the heat and the fire risk.
Replace before the rains
Why the dry months suit a tear-off, what rain does to an open deck and how roofers' calendars fill after a storm.
Read moreWest Hollywood reroof permits
Where to start on a West Hollywood reroof permit, and how LADBS and the County handle reroofs in their areas.
Read moreCool roofs explained
The state and City values, the zone map, the exceptions and how to read a product listing.
Read moreRoofing materials for LA
How shingle, tile, metal and membrane compare on weight, fire class, cool values and what each needs from the deck.
Read more
Send the roof in as it is
Say what the roof is made of, where it is and how old it is. The form takes any roof job.