Roof Repairin Redlands, CA
A Redlands re-roof is permit work, and the City lets contractors start it in its online portal. In one of eight local historic districts or on a landmark, a re-roof is a minor Certificate of Appropriateness item that Planning staff approve. Class A coverings are required in Moderate, High and Very High fire zones.
Redlands began as a citrus town. The City dates its founding to 1881 and its incorporation to 1888, and by 1900 it called itself 'The City of Millionaires' on the strength of navel oranges. The Housing Element's population table shows 1,000 residents in 1888, 4,797 in 1900 and 26,829 in 1960, then 60,394 in 1990, with the postwar growth tied to subdividing former groves. Census Bureau ACS 2024 one-year estimates count 27,483 housing units, about 52 percent of them built in the 1960s, 1970s and 1980s, and about 56 percent before 1980. The 2019 Housing Element table says 65.8 percent, so read the pre-1980 share as a range from 56 to 66 percent. Either way, many roof decks here are four or five decades old, and a smaller core of Victorian and turn-of-the-century houses is far older.
On a roofing job, MDG Builders (CSLB #1040337) writes the scope, takes the permit through the City's online portal and keeps the calendar, while a licensed C-39 roofing subcontractor does the tear-off and the new covering. Our roofing page carries the sourced prices, the Redlands overview lists every trade we manage here, and the guides for San Bernardino and Rialto show how two other Inland Empire counters handle the same work. Permits come from the Building & Safety Division at the One Stop Permit Center on Cajon Street. We read the Municipal Code in GoCodebook's third-party mirror, text as of October 4, 2026, so each section number below should be confirmed with the City.
What Redlands' re-roof form, historic checklist and wildfire code say about roofs
Where roofing permits come from in Redlands: City of Redlands Development Services Department, Building & Safety Division.
- Re-roofs can be started in the City's online permit portal (payment in person; three hard-copy sets of plans only when plans are required), and the City's Re-roof Permit Application (revised March 2, 2021) asks whether the property is in a historic district or a designated structure (contact Planning, a Certificate of Appropriateness is required), whether it is in a Fire Hazard Area (Class A roof required), whether a solar system must be removed (a separate solar permit is required) and whether the structure can carry the new roof's weight.
- Cool roof rule on the City's re-roof form (written to the 2019 Energy Code): when more than 50 percent of the roof area is replaced, the new roofing must be a cool roof (3 year aged solar reflectance of at least 0.20 and thermal emittance of at least 0.75, or a solar reflectance index of 16 or more) unless an alternative applies, such as R-38 ceiling insulation, a radiant barrier, a 1 inch air space, no ducts in the attic or a roof slope under 2:12; Form CF1R-ALT-05-E is submitted and product labeling must be on site for final inspection.
- Fire class of the roof: Municipal Code 15.06.060 requires at least a Class B fire-retardant roof covering on every new roof, on any roof where more than 50 percent is replaced within one year, and on any repair or replacement roof, and Table 1505.1 as amended (15.04.040) requires Class A for construction types I through III and Class B for types IV and V, with Class A required in Moderate, High and Very High Fire Hazard Severity Zones (GoCodebook mirror).
- Historic districts: replacing or changing roofing material is on the City's list of minor Certificate of Appropriateness items (staff approval) for designated resources and properties in the eight local historic districts, and the 2.62.200 application asks for elevations and samples of proposed colors and materials.
- Re-roof permit fee line: the fee study lists a single-family or duplex re-roof of any size at $439 full cost (current $383.10) and a roof structure replacement at $732 full cost (current $638.50); no turnaround or fast-track time for re-roofs is published on the pages read.
Does a re-roof in a Redlands historic district need a Certificate of Appropriateness?
Yes, though it is the light version. Redlands lists eight local historic districts (Eureka Street, West Highland Avenue, Early Redlands, Normandie Court, East Fern Avenue, Garden Hill, La Verne Street and Smiley Park Neighborhood), two National Register districts (Santa Fe Depot and Smiley Park) and individual landmarks. Municipal Code 2.62.200 requires a Certificate of Appropriateness for exterior alteration of a designated resource, and the Planning Division's July 1, 2021 checklist names re-roofs among the minor items that staff can approve without a Commission hearing. The City's own re-roof application asks whether the property is in a district and tells the applicant to contact Planning if it is.
The certificate application asks for samples of the proposed colors and materials, so a switch from wood shake to composition, or from clay to a lookalike, is a talk to have before the contract is signed. Planning's permit page lists $539 for a minor certificate, against $356 quoted in the 2022 Housing Element. The same document puts the full process at about 45 days from a complete application to a public hearing, and we found no turnaround for staff approval of a minor item. Boundary maps were not among the pages we opened, so Planning, at (909) 798-7555 ext. 1, is the place to learn whether an address sits inside a district.
Get Planning's answer on your address in writing and keep it with the contract.
How old are Redlands roofs, and does North Redlands differ from South Redlands?
ACS 2024 counts 4,980 homes from the 1970s, 4,826 from the 1980s and 4,427 from the 1960s, plus 2,605 from the 1950s, 1,160 from the 1940s and 2,217 from 1939 or earlier. Those one-year cells carry margins of roughly 600 to 1,400 units, so treat them as a shape, not an exact count. About 18.5 percent of units date from 2000 on, so a sizeable minority of roofs sits on much newer houses.
The Housing Element draws a geographic line. It says older South Redlands homes are in better condition than their age predicts because owners fix up historic homes, and that most repair need, reroofing and painting among it, is in North Redlands, where many homes are over 50 years old and no historic districts apply. That matches the permit map: a North Redlands tract roof goes through the online portal, while a South Redlands bungalow may need Planning first. The same document estimates fewer than 10 substandard units citywide, so the issue here is age rather than neglect.
- Stains or damp spots on ceilings under the roof deck
- Slipped, cracked or missing shingles and tile
- Flashing lifting at chimneys, walls and valleys
- Soft or flexing deck boards when the crew walks the roof
Have deck repair priced as its own line before the tear-off begins.
How do I start a re-roof permit in Redlands, and who can pull it?
Re-roofing is one of the few permit types Redlands lets contractors start in its online portal, alongside solar, water heaters, HVAC changeouts, panel upgrades, patio covers, block walls and fencing. Payment is still made in person before the permit issues, and three hard-copy sets of plans are brought in only when plans are required. The City's Re-roof Permit Application, revised March 2, 2021, asks four things: whether the property is in a historic district, whether it is in a fire hazard area, whether solar must be removed (a separate solar permit is required) and whether the structure can carry the new roof's weight.
A City handout spells out who may pull the permit: the owner with ID, an owner's representative with a notarized agent letter, or a licensed contractor with a state license number and a certificate of workers' compensation insurance. The Building & Safety page gives counter hours of 8:00 am to 4:30 pm Monday through Thursday with alternate Fridays closed, while the One Stop Permit Center page says Monday through Friday with every other Friday closed, so call 909-798-7536 before driving over. The fee study's full-cost column lists a single-family re-roof of any size at $439 and a roof structure replacement at $732, but we could not confirm which fee column is in force. No re-roof turnaround time is published.
What do the 2025 Wildland-Urban Interface Code and Class A rules mean for a Redlands roof?
Redlands applies the 2025 California Wildland-Urban Interface Code in all areas of the city through Municipal Code 15.30, and the City's 2025 Community Wildfire Protection Plan says about 30 percent of Redlands sits in a high fire hazard severity zone. That is the south and east, not the north: the steep San Timoteo and Live Oak canyons, the Badlands, the Crafton Hills, Smiley Heights and the eastern edge near Mentone and Yucaipa.
On roofs, Municipal Code 15.06.060 requires at least a Class B fire-retardant covering on every new roof, on any roof where more than 50 percent is replaced within a year and on any repair or replacement roof. The amended table in 15.04.040 requires Class A in Moderate, High and Very High zones. Which parcels sit in which 2025 zone depends on a map adopted with Ordinance 2986 that we could not open, and the State's own map viewer refused our request, so we give no parcel answer. Redlands Fire Department, not the County, reviews fire plans, and its Community Risk Reduction Division answers at 909-798-7603.
Existing buildings in High and Very High zones also keep defensible space in three bands: 0 to 5 feet ember-resistant with no organic mulch, 5 to 30 feet lean, clean and green, and 30 to 100 feet of fuel reduction, with tree branches 6 feet clear of roofs.
Put the zone answer, and the map it came from, into the contract before material is ordered.
Does a Redlands re-roof have to be a cool roof?
Possibly, and the City's own form is the only source we read. Its re-roof application, written to the 2019 Energy Code, says that when more than 50 percent of the roof area is replaced the new roofing must be a cool roof, with a three-year aged solar reflectance of at least 0.20 and thermal emittance of at least 0.75, or a solar reflectance index of 16 or more. Alternatives listed on the form include R-38 ceiling insulation, a radiant barrier, a 1 inch air space, no ducts in the attic and a roof slope under 2:12.
The state Energy Code has moved through newer cycles since 2019, and we did not confirm what the current one says, so treat the form as a starting point and ask the Building Division which numbers apply today. The form also calls for Form CF1R-ALT-05-E and says product labeling must be on site for the final inspection, which is a reason to put the product name on the proposal and the delivery ticket. In a historic district, the color and material samples that satisfy Planning also have to meet the energy rule, so settle both at once.
How do Santa Ana winds, 104 days above 90 degrees and dust rules affect a Redlands tear-off?
NOAA's 1991 to 2020 normals for a station inside Redlands give 12.87 inches of rain a year, 9.77 inches of it from December through March, a 96.2 F average high in August, about 104 days at or above 90 F and about 26 at or above 100 F. The 2021 Local Hazard Mitigation Plan says winds can gust to 30 to 40 mph throughout the year and are most likely to worsen wildfires from August through October. The City's Structure Design Criteria handout lists basic wind speeds of 90 to 107 mph by risk category, so ask the roofer how shingles or tile are fastened.
South Coast AQMD Rule 403 bars visible dust beyond the property line, and Redlands can suspend a permit when dust exceeds standards. Rule 1403 requires a survey for asbestos-containing material and District notice at least 10 working days before most renovation or demolition, and a hired contractor is covered even where an owner-occupant is not. The survey duty does not reach a single-unit dwelling job that strips less than 100 square feet of asbestos-containing surface. We found nothing saying a shingle tear-off triggers the rule, so ask how older layers were tested. A dump trailer in the street needs City Engineer clearance under Municipal Code 15.04.060.
The City's wildfire plan lists the Palmer Fire of July 2017 (more than 8,000 acres, started on Highway 38 near Mentone) and the Bruder Fire of October 2019 (about 1,000 acres, started near Bruder Lane and Helen Drive in south Redlands) as recent examples of those winds at work.
How much does a roof replacement cost in Redlands, and what should the contract say?
We found no Redlands price survey, so these are Los Angeles figures and an Inland Empire bid can differ. Angi's Los Angeles guide, updated July 31, 2026, shows a typical $10,256 to $24,963 with a $17,271 average, asphalt at $4 to $12 a square foot, tile at $7 to $15, metal at $7 to $16 and tear-off at $1,000 to $3,000. Remodeling magazine's Cost vs. Value 2025 report prices an asphalt reference roof in Los Angeles at $36,417 without publishing its size, which explains why it runs so far above Angi. For planning we use roughly $10,000 to $25,000 for asphalt, $15,000 to $37,000 for tile and $20,000 and up for metal, with solar removal, deck repair and historic-district materials as extras.
Roofing is CSLB class C-39. A home improvement contract under Business and Professions Code 7159 must be written and signed, and its down payment cannot exceed $1,000 or 10 percent of the price, whichever is less. Ask for the roofer's license number and check it with our license guide, and read how general contractors use subcontractors to see who answers to whom. A solar array on the roof needs its own permit to come off and go back on, which the City's re-roof form says in so many words.
Roofing photos from Redlands and nearby communities
Roofing scenes tied to Redlands places such as Downtown, Smiley Park, North Redlands and Lugonia, and to nearby communities such as Loma Linda, Highland, Yucaipa and Mentone, from tear-offs and underlayment to tile repair and flashing.
Where these Redlands roof figures come from
The table on the roofing page shows every roofing price with its source and date, and the California roofing cost guide explains why a survey average and a fixed reference roof disagree. Roof work often leads to other exterior jobs, and the Redlands rules for them are on the fencing page, the painting page and the kitchen remodeling page. To compare with a neighbor that sorts roofs by fire zone, read the guide for Fontana.
| What it covers | Typical range |
|---|---|
| Asphalt shingle, typical single-family roof | $10,000 to $25,000 |
| Concrete or clay tile | $7 to $15 per sq ft |
| Metal | $7 to $16 per sq ft |
| Remodeling Cost vs. Value 2025, Los Angeles | Asphalt $36,417. metal $62,069. |
| Extras | Tear-off $1,000 to $3,000. solar detach and reset $500 to $1,000. |
Redlands roofing questions, answered
Do I need a permit to replace my roof in Redlands?
Yes. The City treats a re-roof as permit work and lets contractors start it in its online permit portal, with payment made in person before issuance. Its application asks about historic districts, fire hazard areas, solar removal and structural capacity. Call the Building & Safety Division at 909-798-7536 before treating even a small repair as exempt.
What is the 25% rule for roofing?
We found no 25 percent rule in the Redlands pages we read. The number that does appear is 50 percent: Municipal Code 15.06.060 requires at least a Class B roof when more than 50 percent is replaced within a year, and the City's form ties its cool roof rule to replacing more than 50 percent of the roof area. Ask the counter if a roofer quotes a different threshold.
Does Redlands require a Class A roof?
In Moderate, High and Very High Fire Hazard Severity Zones, yes. The amended table in Municipal Code 15.04.040 requires Class A there, and also for construction types I through III, while types IV and V need Class B. Every new roof must be at least Class B. Which zone a lot is in depends on the City's 2025 map, so ask before choosing a covering.
Is my Redlands roof in a fire hazard zone?
We cannot say for your lot. The City's wildfire plan puts about 30 percent of Redlands in a high fire hazard severity zone, mostly in the south and east canyons, but the 2025 map adopted with Ordinance 2986 sorts individual parcels and we could not open it. Ask the City or Redlands Fire Department about your address and put the answer in the contract.
How much should a 2000 sq ft roof cost?
Using Angi's Los Angeles range, 2,000 square feet of asphalt at $4 to $12 a square foot comes to about $8,000 to $24,000, and tile at $7 to $15 comes to $14,000 to $30,000, before tear-off and deck repair. That is arithmetic, not a quote, and a roof's surface runs larger than the floor area below it. We found no Redlands survey.
Does a new roof in a Redlands historic district need approval?
Yes. A re-roof on a landmark or in one of the eight local historic districts is a minor Certificate of Appropriateness item that Planning staff approve, and the building permit follows. The application asks for samples of colors and materials. Planning lists $539 for a minor certificate; call (909) 798-7555 ext. 1 to learn whether an address is inside a district.
What is the difference between roof repair and roof replacement for permits in Redlands?
The City's pages say nothing about small patches, so ask the permit counter before assuming a repair is exempt. The lines we can point to are percentages: replacing more than 50 percent of a roof within a year brings the Class B rule, and more than 50 percent of the area brings the cool roof rule on the City's form. A repair that stays under both is a different permit question from a tear-off.
What is the best month to replace a roof in Redlands?
Summer is driest but hottest. July and August bring only 0.10 and 0.09 inch of rain, yet August averages 96.2 F and about 26 days a year reach 100 F, while December through March brings 9.77 inches. Wildfire winds peak from August through October, so ask how the crew handles heat, gusts and sudden weather before you pick a start date.
Does an old roof need asbestos testing in Redlands?
Not by any rule we could find for shingles alone. South Coast Rule 1403 requires a survey and notice before most renovation or demolition by a hired contractor, but we found nothing saying a shingle tear-off triggers it. Ask the roofer how older layers are handled and whether any testing was done, especially on a house built before 1980.
How do I check a roofing contractor's license in California?
Search the number on the state Contractors State License Board website and confirm that the C-39 roofing class is active. Redlands asks for the state license number and a certificate of workers' compensation insurance when a contractor pulls a permit, so ask for both. Our license guide explains how to match the name on the card.
Ask for a roof inspection in Redlands
Tell us your part of town, the roof covering, roughly when the house was built and whether it sits in a historic district or near the south and east canyons. Before we call back we look at the Certificate of Appropriateness question, the fire class and the permit route.