Which office permits a reroof in Los Angeles County depends on the address, and every address needs a permit of some kind. LADBS issues an express permit for City neighborhoods, while County Building and Safety issues a building permit where it holds authority.
Start with the address
Three kinds of office issue reroof permits here. Neighborhoods of the City of Los Angeles, such as Studio City and San Pedro, go to LADBS. Unincorporated communities such as Altadena go to Building and Safety, a division of County Public Works. Some cities contract with the County for the service, and La Mirada is one.
Other cities run their own departments. Pasadena's Permit Center, Irwindale's Building and Safety office, La Puente's Building and Safety Division and Culver City's Building Safety Division are examples. For any other address, ask the city's building department.
City of Los Angeles express permits
The LADBS express permit bulletin lists the re-roof cases (LADBS, 2026). Items 4 and 5 take a Class A or B covering on solid sheathing, whether the sheathing is existing or new, with a weight limit of 6 pounds per square foot. The City of Los Angeles requires a Class A covering inside a Very High zone (LADBS, 2026). Past 50 percent of a residential roof, the covering needs a CRRC label.
Item 23 is the tile case: lift the tiles, lay new underlayment, set them back. Cool roof compliance is waived there. Item 25 covers an approved coating on an existing roof. There is no plan check, and the permit can be had online or at one of five counters, Van Nuys and San Pedro among them.
The certificate and the final inspection
The certificate is form IN.Form.12, titled Re-roofing Certificate of Compliance. A signature from the contractor, or from an owner-builder, goes on it, and the form reaches LADBS through the inspector or by mail. The final inspection, the inspector's last visit, is what closes the permit.
A scope that lists the permit steps at the start makes this stage routine, since nothing has to be reconstructed afterward.
What the County manual requires
Where the County is the authority, its manual BCM 1512 (1 Apr 2025) sets the terms (LA County Public Works). An overlay is allowed in one situation: a single existing layer, framing with the capacity, and a deck that is sound and dry. Removal is total for clay or concrete tile, and for existing wood shakes.
The building permit is required for the reroof. Solar that is lifted and reinstalled gets a permit of its own. In a Very High zone the path is LACBC 1505.1.1, and a switch to metal needs sign-off from Regional Planning.
The 50 percent line, cool roofs and fire class
Half the roof is the line that matters. Past 50 percent of a single-family roof, the state cool roof test applies (California Energy Commission, 2022 Standards). In the City of Los Angeles, work within one year that adds up to more than half the roof brings the whole roof to current code, while half or less affects only the new part.
The zone sets the fire class, and the permit asks for it. Check the address on the CAL FIRE map viewer.
Permit questions, answered
Is a roofing permit a building permit?
In County jurisdiction, yes: a reroof needs a building permit, and solar removed and reinstalled needs a separate one. In the City of Los Angeles the permit for a re-roof is an express permit issued without plan check.
Which office handles my address?
A City of Los Angeles neighborhood goes to LADBS, an unincorporated community to County Public Works Building and Safety, and many cities to their own department. A city's building department can tell you which applies.
Do I need a permit to replace a roof in Los Angeles?
Yes. A City of Los Angeles re-roof is an express permit, issued online or by appointment, and in County jurisdiction a reroof requires a building permit.