A reroof needs a permit. West Hollywood is an incorporated city, separate from the City of Los Angeles, so LADBS does not issue its permits. For the permit, its fee and its inspections, check with the city's building department. Firmament Roofing writes each layer of the job into the scope first, deck to covering, so the permitted job and the job on the roof describe the same work.
West Hollywood: start with the city
For a West Hollywood reroof, check with the city's building department. Ask which permit the job takes, what the inspector looks at and when, and whether a new roof over an addition goes through a different path. Firmament Roofing puts those answers into the written scope before work begins. Keep whatever the city tells you in writing with the house papers; if an answer changes the work, the scope changes first, and you see the new line before anything happens on the roof.
Plan the permit from the deck up
A permit describes the job. Describe all of it: the deck sheets to be replaced, the underlayment, the flashing and vents, and the covering. A permit that names only the covering leaves the layers under it out of the paperwork, and the inspector and the homeowner end up looking at different jobs.
What to have ready for the city
The address, the covering on the roof now and the one planned, and a rough area. Note any rooftop solar, skylights or roof-mounted equipment, since each one changes the flashing and may change the paperwork. If the job adds a new roof over an addition, have the addition's plans ready. Firmament Roofing brings the scope, layer by layer, so the city sees the same job the roof will get.
State code items
Once a reroof covers more than half the roof, the state Energy Code may call for cool roof values, picked by climate zone (CEC, section 150.2(b)1I). Work on half the roof or less sits outside that section. A new roof over an addition shows its values on the plans and energy compliance forms instead. For fire hazard, check the address on the CAL FIRE map viewer.
Where LADBS is in charge
For an address inside the City of Los Angeles, LADBS puts reroofs on its express permit list, without plan check. The list covers coverings of Class A or B, weighing under 6 pounds per square foot, on solid sheathing. LADBS issues them online or by appointment at its counters. On a City of Los Angeles house, a reroof passing more than half the roof area needs a cool roof product with a CRRC label.
Where the County is in charge
Unincorporated areas file with LA County Public Works. There, in County jurisdiction, the reroof is a building permit job, and rooftop solar lifted for the work takes its own solar permit. Re-covering without a tear-off is allowed in County jurisdiction only over one existing layer, where the framing is adequate and the deck is dry and sound.
Permit questions from West Hollywood
Is a roofing permit a building permit?
In County jurisdiction, yes: the County's reroof manual calls for a building permit. Inside the City of Los Angeles, LADBS issues an express permit. For a West Hollywood roof, check with the city's building department which kind applies.
Do you need a permit to replace a roof in Los Angeles?
Yes, West Hollywood included. LADBS issues reroof permits in the City of Los Angeles, and County Public Works issues them in unincorporated areas. For a West Hollywood address, check with the city's building department.
How long does it take to get a roofing permit in California?
For West Hollywood, the office issuing the permit sets that, so ask it directly. In the City of Los Angeles, a reroof goes on the LADBS express list and needs no plan check.