Re-Roof Permits: LADBS and the City of Burbank
A roof replacement is permitted work in every Valley city. Here is how the two jurisdictions we work in handle it, which roofs qualify for the no-plan-check path, and what happens at the final inspection.
In the City of Los Angeles, a re-roof with a Class A or B covering weighing less than 6 lb/sq ft over solid sheathing is an LADBS express permit, issued without plan check; heavier coverings such as tile go through the standard permit process. In Burbank, reroofing is a Tier 1 permit available online through Burbank Online Permits.
Both cities inspect the finished roof. Class A covering is required inside the Very High Fire Hazard Severity Zone, and the City of Los Angeles requires a CRRC-rated cool roof product on residential replacements over 50 percent of the roof. We pull the permit and schedule the inspection on every replacement.
The San Fernando Valley sits in two building jurisdictions. Sherman Oaks, Studio City, Encino, Van Nuys, Valley Glen, Valley Village, North Hollywood, Tarzana and Woodland Hills are the City of Los Angeles, permitted through the Department of Building and Safety (LADBS). Burbank is its own city with its own Building & Safety Division. Toluca Lake straddles the line, so the first thing we check on a Toluca Lake roof is which side of it the parcel sits on.
City of Los Angeles: the LADBS express permit
LADBS publishes a list of work that can be permitted without plan check, Information Bulletin P/GI 2026-003, "Express Permits (No Plan Check Required)", effective 1 January 2026 and revised 10 June 2026. Two items on it cover most Valley re-roofs:
- Re-roof with Class A or B roof covering material weighing less than 6 pounds per square foot over existing solid sheathing.
- The same over new solid sheathing.
Both items carry the same three conditions, printed on the bulletin: Class A roof covering is required within the Very High Fire Hazard Severity Zone; for residential roof replacement over 50 percent of the total roof area, apply a cool roof product labeled and certified by the Cool Roof Rating Council; and cool roof may be required for nonresidential buildings under Title 24 Section 141.0(b)2B. Two related express items matter too: removing existing roof tiles, applying new underlayment and resetting the tiles (listed as not requiring cool-roof compliance), and applying an approved coating to an existing roof.
Express permits are issued online through LADBS or at the permit counters, including the Van Nuys office at 6262 Van Nuys Boulevard, by appointment. The contractor pulls it, the permit number goes on the job, and the roof gets a final inspection when it is done.
When a re-roof is not an express permit
Weight is the dividing line. Concrete and clay tile exceed 6 lb/sq ft, so a tile re-roof, and especially a change from shingle to tile, goes through the standard permit process, where the framing is checked for the added load. A re-roof that includes structural work, new skylights cut into the roof, or changes to the roof framing is also outside the express list. Hillside and fire-zone parcels can still use the express permit as long as the covering is Class A.
City of Burbank: Tier 1 online permit
Burbank divides permits into two tiers. Tier 1 covers repair and maintenance work that does not require plan check, and the City lists reroofing among the Tier 1 permits available online through Burbank Online Permits for single-family homes. Tier 2 covers work that needs plan check or zoning approval, such as additions and structural changes. The Building & Safety counter is at 150 N Third Street, open Monday through Thursday 8:00 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. and Friday to 3:00 p.m., closed for lunch from noon to 1:00 p.m.; the permit line is (818) 238-5220.
Burbank enforces the state Energy Code rather than a city cool-roof ordinance, so the Title 24 Section 150.2(b)1I rule applies with its exceptions, and the hillside parcels above Glenoaks fall under the City's own fire-zone map and Class A requirement.
What the inspector looks at
- The product: fire class and CRRC label on the bundles, so they stay on the roof until the final.
- Underlayment and flashing where visible, nailing pattern, and ventilation.
- Decking repairs, if the permit noted them.
- In the fire zone, that the assembly is Class A and that eave and vent details match.
A passed final closes the permit, and the closed permit becomes part of the house's record. It is what the next buyer's inspector, the lender and the insurer look for.
Why it matters
An unpermitted re-roof saves a small fee and creates a problem that surfaces at the worst time: in escrow, when the buyer's inspector asks for the permit; in an insurance claim, when the adjuster asks who installed the roof; or at the City, when a neighbor's complaint brings an inspector who finds the work. A contractor who offers to skip the permit is telling you how the rest of the job will go.
Sources
- LADBS Information Bulletin P/GI 2026-003, Express Permits (No Plan Check Required), effective 01-01-2026, revised 06-10-2026
- City of Burbank Community Development, Building Permits (reroofing listed as a Tier 1 online permit)
- 2025 California Energy Code (Title 24, Part 6), Section 150.2(b)1I, effective 1 January 2026
- City of Los Angeles ZIMAS parcel lookup (fire-zone, hillside and zoning layers)
Questions We
Hear About This
Yes. Most shingle re-roofs are an LADBS express permit with no plan check; tile and other coverings over 6 lb/sq ft go through the standard permit process. The contractor pulls it and the roof gets a final inspection.
Small repairs generally do not require one. When a repair becomes a section re-roof, the re-roof rules apply and it is permitted like a replacement.
Reroofing is a Tier 1 permit available online through Burbank Online Permits for single-family homes, or over the counter at 150 N Third Street. We pull it as part of the job.
Yes. LADBS permit records are searchable online by address, and Burbank's Building & Safety Division can look up a property. If the last roof has no permit, say so when you sell; the disclosure is simpler than the surprise.
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