Roof Repairin Upland, CA
Upland's permit exemption list does not name roof work, and we found no City reroof handout, so call Building and Safety at (909) 931-4110 before treating a roof job as exempt. Mapped fire hazard areas require fire-resistant roofing, and a roof on a registered historic home may need a Certificate of Appropriateness.
Upland's roofs cover land with a long farming past. The area belonged to the 1839 Cucamonga Rancho grant to Tiburcio Tapia, George Chaffey bought 6,216 acres with San Antonio Creek water rights in 1882 and laid out Euclid Avenue 200 feet wide, and the Town of Magnolia incorporated as the City of Upland in 1906, according to the City's preservation page and Wikipedia. Wikipedia's census table then shows 15,918 residents in 1960 and 32,551 in 1970. Census Bureau ACS 2024 one-year estimates count 28,366 housing units with a median year built of 1978, about 52.7 percent built before 1980 and 17.2 percent before 1960, so the framing under many roofs is at least 46 years old.
On a roofing job, MDG Builders (CSLB #1040337) is the general contractor that scopes the work, prepares the permit filing and holds the calendar, while a licensed C-39 roofing subcontractor strips the old covering and lays the new one. Our roofing page has the sourced prices and the Upland overview lists every trade we manage here. The guides for Rancho Cucamonga and Ontario show how two San Bernardino County neighbors treat the same work, while Claremont is in Los Angeles County and its roofing guide follows different rules. Permits inside city limits come from the Building and Safety Division. The City links its Municipal Code to ecode360, which answered our request with an HTTP 403 error, so the code text below was read in GoCodebook, a third-party mirror stamped October 4, 2026, and each section should be confirmed with the City.
What Upland's exemption list, Safety Element and historic code say about roofs
Where roofing permits come from in Upland: City of Upland Development Services Department, Building and Safety Division.
- Permit status: the City's exemption list (RMC 15.04.050) does not name re-roofing, roof repair or roof covering replacement, and says an exemption does not authorize work that violates the technical codes; no City reroof handout, repair-versus-reroof square footage threshold or roofing-class table was found on the City site, so the permit trigger for a roof job is a question for Building and Safety, (909) 931-4110. (read in GoCodebook's third-party code mirror, text as of 2026-10-04)
- Fire-resistant roofing is a General Plan rule in mapped fire zones: Policy SAF-4.6 of the Safety Element requires development in areas of potential wildland fire hazard shown on Figure SAF-3 (Very High, High and Moderate zones, map dated 2012) to include clearance around structures, fire-resistant ground cover and fire-resistant roofing materials. The specific roof class and the parcels in each zone were not found.
- High fire zone and ADU roofs: the City's pre-approved ADU page says the pre-approved plans cannot be used in high fire zone areas, where applicants need plans professionally drawn to meet the high-fire-zone building requirements, which confirms that such areas exist inside Upland's permit area.
- Historic roofs: in a historic district or on a registered or surveyed home, 'replacing roof with similar materials' is listed as a minor alteration that the Development Services Director may consider with the construction permit, but the order of preference in RMC 17.26.060 is to repair deteriorated features rather than replace them, to match the old feature in design, color, texture and materials, and to use simulated materials only with documentary and physical evidence; a different roof material is judged against the COA findings (compatibility with the architectural style and surrounding resources). (read in GoCodebook's third-party code mirror, text as of 2026-10-04)
- Structural and weather basis for roofs: the Building page's design data are wind load 110 mph Exposure C, rainfall 4 inches per hour (for drainage design), seismic design category D-2 and E depending on the site, and Climate Zone 10; no snow load is listed.
- Solar on a roof: the City's Solar Permit Streamlining page says residential solar permits may be submitted through SolarAPP+ for eligible projects, or through the CSS Portal.
- Coatings on roofs: SCAQMD Rule 1113 (last amended February 5, 2016) governs architectural coatings applied in Upland; in its limits table the rows read cleanly for roof coatings (50 grams per liter), aluminum roof coatings (100), primers, sealers and undercoaters (100) and nonflat coatings (50), as read by matching category codes in the PDF's scrambled table, so check the table before quoting a limit for a specific product.
Does a roof replacement on a historic Upland home need a Certificate of Appropriateness?
Possibly, when the house is on the City's local register, on its historic survey or inside one of the nine local districts. The City counts more than 580 registered properties across Arrow/Laurel Bungalow, Citrus and Transportation, Civic Center East, Euclid Avenue, Old Magnolia, Old Town, Pleasant View, Stowell and Victorian Row. A script count of the City's survey list, which makes it approximate, shows about 86 percent of the 674 entries with a legible year dated 1900 to 1929, and Craftsman is the most common style label.
In the code mirror, Chapter 17.26 lists replacing a roof with similar materials as a minor alteration that the Development Services Director may consider along with the construction permit. The order of preference in RMC 17.26.060 is to repair a worn feature before replacing it, to match the old feature in design, color, texture and material, and to accept simulated materials only with documentary and physical evidence. Composition shingles over a tile roof would be judged against the findings on compatibility with the architectural style and surrounding resources.
Call Planning at (909) 931-4130 before ordering material, and keep its answer with the proposal.
Does roof replacement in Upland need a permit, and how do I apply when City Hall closes on Fridays?
The City's own documents do not give a yes or no. The exemption list in RMC 15.04.050, as the mirror shows it, names painting, finish work, fences, sheds and low decks but not re-roofing or roof repair, and it adds that an exemption never authorizes work that breaks the technical codes. We found no reroof handout, no repair-versus-reroof square footage line and no roof classification table, so the trigger is a question for Building and Safety.
The filing itself is online. Every application goes through the Citizen Self Service Portal, which accepts submissions at any time and works them in the order received during business hours. The counter keeps Monday through Thursday hours, 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., and City Hall is closed on Fridays. Inspection requests go to the voicemail line, (909) 931-4129, and must arrive by 4:00 p.m. on the preceding business day; visits run Monday through Thursday, with the permit card and approved plans kept on site.
RMC 15.04.070 asks for a contractor license of the correct class, with an owner-builder exception for a single-family home. Past permits can be searched by address in the portal before you bid.
Get the permit number before the dumpster arrives.
Does my Upland roof have to be fire-resistant, and who enforces the fire code?
In mapped wildland fire hazard areas, yes in principle. Safety Element Policy SAF-4.6 says development in the areas shown on Figure SAF-3, which maps Very High, High and Moderate zones on a 2012 base, must include clearance around structures, fire-resistant ground cover and fire-resistant roofing. The text we read names no roof class. The County Fire District's Ordinance No. 4489 of June 10, 2025 designates fire hazard severity zones in its Local Responsibility Areas, but the ordinance PDF is an image scan we could not read, so we cannot say which Upland streets sit in a zone and we will not guess.
Upland has no fire department of its own. The San Bernardino County Fire Protection District has served the city since July 22, 2017, and RMC 8.28 makes the District the City's fire department and fire marshal for code purposes. Fire Prevention answers at (909) 387-5974. The City's pre-approved ADU plans cannot be used in high fire zone areas, which confirms that such areas exist inside the permit boundary.
Ask for the zone and the required roof class for your parcel in writing before material is ordered.
How old are Upland roofs, and what did the 1960s building boom leave behind?
Roof age follows the decade a tract went up. ACS 2024 counts 5,160 homes from the 1960s, 4,914 from the 1970s and 5,938 from the 1980s, but the cell margins of error are wide enough that the order of those decades is not safe to quote. Safer numbers: 4,874 units predate 1960, and the median year built is 1978. A house from that year is 48 years old, so ask whether its roof is original and whether older layers remain on the deck.
Not every roof has a single-family owner. ACS counts 12,155 renter-occupied homes, 44.3 percent of occupied units, and 5,217 units in buildings of five or more, where a landlord or association signs the roofing contract. We found no Upland roof lifespan study, so we print no years.
- Granules collecting in gutters
- Cracked, slipped or missing covering
- Flashing lifting at walls, vents and valleys
- Stains or damp insulation under the deck
What do 94.9 degree Augusts and a 4 inch an hour design storm mean for an Upland roof?
NOAA's 1991 to 2020 normals for Ontario International Airport, the closest station with full temperature data at about 5.4 miles southeast, give 11.64 inches of rain a year, 9.17 of it from December through March, an August average high of 94.9 F, 93.2 days at or above 90 F and 19.0 at or above 100 F. The foothill end of town is higher and wetter. A rain gauge 2 miles north-northeast of the center shows 21.32 inches, yet every value is an estimate from 2 to 5 years of data, so it is a hint and not a design number.
The City's design data are an elevation of 1,500 feet, wind load of 110 mph Exposure C, rainfall of 4 inches an hour, seismic design category D-2 or E depending on the site and Climate Zone 10, with no snow load. We opened no Upland source on Santa Ana wind events and claim nothing beyond that table. Gutters, valleys and eaves handle a heavy storm, so ask the roofer to price those details by name.
Do solar panels, lead paint, asbestos or dust rules change a tear-off on an older Upland house?
Solar is the simplest. The City's solar page says eligible residential systems may be filed through SolarAPP+ or the CSS Portal, and EV chargers have their own expedited ordinance, RMC Chapter 15.34. Panels normally come off and go back on during a re-roof, and Angi's Los Angeles guide puts that step at $500 to $1,000. We found no Upland rule written for the detach and reset, so ask the counter how it is permitted.
Lead and asbestos depend on age. EPA's Renovation, Repair and Painting rule covers paid work that disturbs paint in homes built before 1978, fascia and trim included, and ACS cannot separate 1978 from 1979, so no count is given for that year alone. South Coast AQMD Rule 1403 covers asbestos in demolition and renovation, excluding an owner-occupant who personally renovates a single-unit home, and Rule 403 limits fugitive dust. Roof coatings fall under Rule 1113, where the readable rows show 50 grams per liter for roof coatings and 100 for aluminum roof coatings; the PDF table is scrambled, so check the product label.
How much does a new roof cost in Upland, and what should the contract say?
Upland has no price survey that we could find, so these figures come from Los Angeles. Angi's Los Angeles guide, updated July 31, 2026, shows a typical $10,256 to $24,963 with an average of $17,271, 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 a reference Los Angeles asphalt job at $36,417 and a metal job at $62,069 without printing the roof size, which explains why it sits far above Angi. Our planning ranges are about $10,000 to $25,000 for asphalt, $15,000 to $37,000 for tile and $20,000 and up for metal, with deck repair extra.
Roofing is CSLB class C-39. California Business and Professions Code 7159 calls for a signed written contract before work starts, limits the down payment to $1,000 or 10 percent of the price, whichever is less, and ties progress payments to finished work. Read our license guide and how general contractors use subcontractors before you sign.
Roofing photos from Upland and nearby communities
Roofing scenes tied to Upland places such as Historic Downtown Upland, Euclid Avenue, Pleasant View and College Park, and to nearby communities such as Montclair, Claremont, Ontario and San Antonio Heights, from tear-offs and underlayment to tile repair and flashing.
Where these Upland roof figures come from
Each roofing price, with its source and date, sits in the table on the roofing page, and the California roofing cost guide explains why a survey average and a fixed reference roof can differ so much. A roof job often leads to other exterior work, and Upland's rules for it are on the fencing page, the painting page and the kitchen remodeling page. To set a Los Angeles County rulebook beside this one, read the roofing guide for Glendale.
| 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. |
Upland roofing questions, answered
Do I need a permit to replace my roof in Upland?
Ask the City, because its published rules do not say. Upland's exemption list does not name re-roofing, and we found no reroof handout or square footage threshold. Applications go through the online CSS Portal, and Building and Safety answers questions at (909) 931-4110 Monday through Thursday. Get the answer in writing before the crew is scheduled.
What is the 25% rule for roofing?
We found no 25 percent roofing rule in the Upland chapters we read. The number is usually quoted from other jurisdictions' building codes, and Upland publishes no repair-versus-reroof percentage that we could open. Ask Building and Safety whether any threshold applies to your roof, and have the roofer print the percentage of each plane replaced on the proposal.
How much should a 2000 sq ft roof cost?
Multiplying 2,000 square feet by Angi's Los Angeles asphalt range of $4 to $12 gives about $8,000 to $24,000, and tile at $7 to $15 gives $14,000 to $30,000, before tear-off and deck repair. Roof area is larger than floor area on pitched roofs, so a measured proposal sets the real number. We found no Upland survey.
Is my Upland roof in a fire hazard zone?
We cannot tell from an address. The General Plan maps Very High, High and Moderate zones on a 2012 figure, and the County Fire District adopted Ordinance No. 4489 on June 10, 2025, but the ordinance PDF is an image we could not read. Use the District's map viewer, then ask Building and Safety which roof requirement follows.
Does Upland have its own fire department?
No. The San Bernardino County Fire Protection District has provided fire protection and emergency medical response in Upland since July 22, 2017, and the Municipal Code treats the District as the City's fire department. Fire Prevention takes calls at (909) 387-5974. The General Plan Safety Element, written earlier, still uses the old department name.
Can I replace the roof on a historic Upland home without approval?
Only if the house has no designation or the work changes nothing visible. Replacing a roof with similar materials is a minor alteration that the Development Services Director may consider with the construction permit, but a different material is judged against compatibility findings. Check designation first with Planning at (909) 931-4130.
Do solar panels have to come off for a roof replacement?
Usually yes, because the covering underneath cannot be replaced around them. Angi's Los Angeles guide puts removal and reinstall at $500 to $1,000. Upland lets eligible residential solar permits go through SolarAPP+ or the CSS Portal, and we found no rule written for detaching and resetting, so ask how your roof permit treats it.
Can I stay in my house while the roof is being replaced?
Yes, in most cases, though the days will be loud. Upland limits building alteration and repair work to weekdays from 7:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. under RMC 9.40.M, with no Saturday hours in that text. Ask the roofer about daily tear-off dry-in, pets and where the dump trailer will stand.
How do I check whether a roofer is licensed in California?
Look up the license number on the Contractors State License Board site and confirm the C-39 roofing class, status and bond. A contract over $500 must be written, and the down payment is capped at $1,000 or 10 percent, whichever is less. Our license guide walks through each field, and Upland's permit office checks classification before issuing.
Ask for a roofing estimate in Upland
Tell us which part of Upland you are in, roughly when the house was built and whether it is a registered or historic district home. We confirm the permit route and any fire or historic review before we call you back.