Cool Roofing in Los Angeles, CA

Most Los Angeles owners meet the cool roof rule at the estimate. The covering you thought you wanted may not qualify, or may qualify only in some colors. This page explains the rule, how to read the listings, and what a cool roof does and does not do for your energy bill. For other coverings, the roofing materials overview is the place to start.

Does Title 24 require a cool roof on a Los Angeles re-roof?

For most replacements, yes. Inside the City of Los Angeles, a replacement that covers more than half of the roof must use a cool-roof-rated product. Repairs are exempt, and so are replacements of half the roof or less.

Two layers of rules apply. California's Energy Code, Title 24, Part 6, 2025 edition, took effect January 1, 2026. It splits roofs at a 2:12 slope. Under the state rule, steep-slope roofs are covered in Climate Zones 4 and 8 to 15, and low-slope roofs in Zones 4 and 6 to 15. The City of Los Angeles adds its own rules on top.

Exceptions exist, such as certain insulation levels, a radiant barrier or building-integrated solar. Look up your zone with the California Energy Commission, because the zone of a neighborhood is not something to guess. Our post on Title 24 and cool roofs in Los Angeles walks through it.

What counts as a cool roof product?

A cool roof is defined by a rating, not by color. Cool roof products are tested for how much sunlight they reflect and how much heat they give off, and the results are listed with the Cool Roof Rating Council (CRRC). The listing gives each product an ID number.

We do not quote reflectance numbers here, because the thresholds depend on slope and jurisdiction. The point is that the roofing product itself needs a CRRC listing. Without one, a product is judged on default values that are often low for a dark shingle. Always ask for the listing for the exact product and color.

What does a cool roofing job include?

A cool roofing job is a normal re-roof with one extra rule: the covering has to be a listed, rated product. Los Angeles has been ahead of most cities on this. The City Council approved its cool roof requirement in December 2013, as reported by Yale Environment 360, and the state energy code has tightened since. A cool roof also helps with the urban heat island effect, where dark roofs and pavement hold heat across a whole neighborhood.

On our estimates, the scope covers:

• Area and slope check: how much of the roof changes and which planes are low-slope
• Rated covering: a CRRC-listed shingle, tile, metal panel or coating, named by product and color
• Underlayment and flashing: sized to the covering, not left as an afterthought
• Attic airflow: a look at vents so the cooler roof is not undone by a trapped attic
• Paperwork: the product listing and rebate details kept with your invoice

Unincorporated parts of the county follow LA County's own cool roof ordinance, so the agency to ask depends on the address.

Cool roof options by roofing material

Every major covering has cool-rated versions. The way the rating is achieved differs:

Wood shake is not on the list. Wood shake and shingle coverings are banned in the city, and any lookalike we discuss on the cedar shake roofing page also has to meet the cool and fire rules.

Can a cool roof lower your cooling bill, and when does it help most?

It helps most where the sun is strongest and the attic is least protected. A reflective roof sends more sun away, so the attic runs cooler and the ceiling radiates less heat into the house. NOAA's normals count roughly 77 days of 90°F-plus heat a year in Van Nuys, against about 5 near LAX, so a Valley house benefits more than a beach house.

No roof covering alone reduces attic heat the way the whole system does. Insulation depth, duct location and ventilation all matter, and the savings vary by house. If the attic runs hot, ask about attic ventilation as part of the same job.

Is there a cool roof rebate in Los Angeles?

LADWP residential customers may qualify for a Consumer Rebate Program cool roof rebate of $0.20 to $0.60 per square foot, depending on the product's rating tier. The product needs a CRRC product ID, and the application has to come within 12 months of purchase. Funding is limited and not guaranteed, so check ladwp.com/crp before you commit.

The rebate is for LADWP customers only. Homes served by other utilities need to ask their own provider. We do not advertise tax credits.

How we check the cool-roof rule on your estimate

1. Confirm the area. We measure how much of the roof is being replaced, because the rule turns on half.
2. Confirm the slope. Each plane is checked against the 2:12 split, since steep and low slopes carry different requirements.
3. Look up the zone. We use the California Energy Commission's lookup for your address.
4. Pick listed products. Only options with a CRRC listing go on the estimate.
5. Match color and rules. HOA or historic limits are checked against the listed colors.
6. Record it. The product, listing and rebate information go in your written estimate.

What affects cool roofing cost in Los Angeles?

A cool rating can add little or nothing to the price of a covering, or it can change the choice altogether. What moves the number:

• The covering you choose, and the rated version of it
• Roof size, slope and the number of penetrations
• Tear-off layers and deck repair
• Underlayment, which some fire-rated assemblies specify
• Coating versus full replacement on low-slope sections

We price after we see the roof and put it in writing. Ask whether the cool-rated option costs more than the same product in a non-rated color. Sometimes it costs the same.

Why Clear Shield for cool roofing in Los Angeles

Reviewers describe materials and colors explained with pros and cons, and a permit process handled for the customer. That is the habit a cool-roof job needs, because the rules turn on details. Keep the product listing with your permit paperwork, and compare estimates line by line.

We cover homes across the area, including Beverly Hills, La Crescenta-Montrose, Santa Monica and Monrovia. Each city runs its own building department, so ask which one handles your re-roof permit.