In Los Angeles the choice usually comes down to asphalt shingle, concrete or clay tile, single ply membrane or metal.
At a glance
- Sun and heat drive material life here far more than rain.
- Tile is the long game. Shingle is the value pick.
- Flat and low slope roofs need a membrane, not shingles.
- Fire rating matters more the closer you live to brush.
Asphalt shingle
Cost runs about 5 to 9 dollars a square foot installed. Life runs fifteen to twenty five years in this climate. Architectural shingle outlives three tab by a wide margin and costs a dollar or two more per foot.
It suits most sloped homes in the valleys and the flats. It is the easiest roof to repair and the easiest to find a crew for.
Concrete and clay tile
Cost runs about 10 to 20 dollars a square foot installed for new tile, and 9 to 15 for a lift and relay of existing tile. Tile itself lasts fifty to a hundred years. The underlayment lasts twenty to thirty.
It suits Spanish and Mediterranean homes across the San Gabriel Valley, Pasadena, and much of the Westside. It is heavy, so the framing has to be built for it.
Single ply and torch down
Cost runs about 6 to 12 dollars a square foot. Life runs fifteen to thirty depending on the system and the maintenance.
This is the answer for flat and low slope roofs on duplexes, additions and most commercial buildings. White membranes bounce sun and keep the space under them cooler.
Metal
Cost runs about 14 to 25 dollars a square foot for standing seam. Life runs forty to seventy years.
It suits hillside and fire zone homes, modern designs, and anyone planning to stay put. It carries a Class A rating and sheds embers instead of catching them.
Wood shake, and why it is fading
Wood shake was common in the canyons for decades. Fire rules, insurance and cost have pushed most of it out. Many cities in Los Angeles County now bar new untreated wood roofs outright.
Composite shake products copy the look in a Class A rated material and have taken over that job.
Common questions
What is the cheapest roof that still lasts
Architectural asphalt shingle with good ventilation. The ventilation is what buys the extra years.
Is tile worth the money
On a home you plan to keep, yes. Over forty years a tile roof and one underlayment change costs less than two shingle roofs.
Can I mix materials on one house
Yes, and many homes do. Tile on the sloped sections and membrane on the flat porch is a normal pairing.