New roof installation in Pasadena covers the roof on an addition, an ADU or a new building, built to the plans and the code in force when the permit is issued. The Permit Center, inside Planning and Community Development, is where those applications start.
Where the permit starts
Pasadena's Permit Center sits within Planning and Community Development, and the Building and Safety Division does the plan check and inspection. A roof on new construction is reviewed with the rest of the building, so its details belong on the plan set from the start.
Call the division to confirm what it wants shown for your project.
Matching an addition to the house
An addition can share the old roof's look and still be a different roof underneath. Slope, covering and color can be chosen to match. The layers beneath are chosen for the new structure, and the joint where the two roofs meet gets its own flashing plan.
In a house with a median build year of 1961 (U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 2020-2024), the existing covering may no longer be made, so the match is often close, not identical.
Energy code and fire class
The 2025 Energy Code, in force since 1 Jan 2026, carries forward the same reroof text as the 2022 code (California Energy Commission). Pasadena is in climate zone 9, and a new structure is judged under the code then current.
Parts of Pasadena are mapped Moderate, High or Very High for fire (City of Pasadena council report, 21 Jul 2025). Check the address on the CAL FIRE map viewer and ask the city which class applies.
Questions about new roofs in Pasadena
Which office issues permits for new roofs in Pasadena?
For a new roof, start at the Permit Center, which is part of Planning and Community Development. Inspection and plan check are done by Building and Safety. Ask what a new structure at your address needs.
Can an ADU or addition in Pasadena match the existing roof?
Slope, covering and color can usually be chosen to match. The materials underneath are specified for the new structure, and the joint where the roofs meet is flashed separately. An older covering may not be sold anymore, so the match can be close but not exact.
What should the plans show for a new roof in Pasadena?
At minimum the slope, the covering, the underlayment and the flashing at walls and joints, plus the energy and fire details the code asks for. The Building and Safety Division can tell you what it expects to see on the sheet.