At some point a roof stops being worth repairing. When leaks show up in several places, or the same roof has cost you money three winters running, replacing it is the move that finally ends the cycle. Orian Construction & Roofing installs new tile, shingle, and flat roofs across Los Angeles County, and we walk you through the whole thing before a single old shingle comes off.
A roof replacement is a full reset. We strip the old roof down to the decking, inspect and repair the wood underneath, lay new underlayment, and install a new roof covering. Unlike a repair, which addresses one area, a replacement gives the whole roof a fresh clock. Done properly, it should carry the house through the next couple of decades.
The word people sometimes hear from other contractors is "overlay," which means installing new shingles on top of the old ones without tearing off. We do not work that way on a full replacement. An overlay hides the condition of the decking and the old underlayment, adds weight, and traps the exact problems you are paying to solve. When we replace a roof, the old material comes off so we can see and fix what is underneath. That is the part that determines how long the new roof actually lasts.
If you are still deciding between fixing what you have and starting over, our roof repair page and our guide on repair versus replacement lay out the trade-offs. And if you want a written read before you commit, a roof inspection is the honest first step.
Nobody wants to replace a roof before they have to. These are the real scenarios where we tell a homeowner it is time, and why.
A single leak is a repair. Water showing up in three rooms means the roofing system has given out broadly, and chasing each spot costs more than starting over.
An asphalt shingle roof in this climate runs roughly 20 to 25 years. Once it is there, the material is spent, and repairs stop holding no matter how well they are done.
Tile lasts for decades, but the felt beneath it does not. When the underlayment fails across a tile roof, the tile comes off, the felt is replaced, and the tile goes back on. That is a replacement of the working layer.
If the roof has cost you a repair every rainy season, the math has already tipped. A new roof ends the yearly bill and the yearly worry.
A replacement has more moving parts than a repair, so it helps to know the layers involved. Each one does a job, and skipping any of them is where cheap roofs come from.
We remove the old roof covering and haul it away. This exposes the decking so nothing gets hidden.
We inspect the plywood or board decking and replace any that is rotted, soft, or water damaged. A new roof is only as sound as the wood under it.
We lay new underlayment across the deck. This is the water barrier that does the quiet work long after the visible roof is installed.
We rebuild the flashing at chimneys, walls, valleys, and vents. These transitions are where most roofs leak, so they get new metal, not reused pieces.
We install the new tile, shingle, or flat membrane you selected, following the manufacturer's specs so any material warranty stays intact.
We clear the site, run a magnet for stray nails, and walk the finished roof to confirm it is sealed and draining correctly.
A replacement is your chance to pick the right material for your home, your budget, and the LA climate. Here are the three we install most.
Clay and concrete tile suit Spanish and Mediterranean homes, handle sun well, and last for decades when the underlayment is kept sound.
Tile roofing →The practical choice for most homes. Architectural shingles give you a solid look and cost less up front than tile or metal.
Shingle roofing →For additions, mid-century homes, and small commercial roofs, we install membrane systems built around good drainage.
Flat roofing →People ask for a single price for a new roof, and we understand why, but two houses on the same street can land far apart. Here is what actually moves the number, so the estimate makes sense when you see it.
Size is the obvious one. Roofers price by the square, which is a hundred square feet, so a larger roof simply has more material and labor in it. Pitch matters too, because a steep roof is slower and less safe to work on than a gentle one, and that shows up in labor. The material you choose is the biggest lever you control: asphalt shingle sits at the low end, tile in the middle to high end, and specialty systems higher still.
Then there is what we find during tear-off. If the decking is sound, the job runs as quoted. If we uncover rotted wood, replacing it adds cost, which is why we note that possibility in the estimate rather than surprising you later. Access plays a role as well, since a hillside home with no driveway to stage materials takes more effort than a flat lot. Finally, permits and any code upgrades the city requires get folded in. We spell all of this out in writing so you can see where every dollar goes. For a deeper look, our article on the real cost drivers behind a roof replacement walks through each factor.
A replacement is a real expense, and we get that. Ask about financing options that let you break the cost into monthly payments instead of paying all at once.
We assess the roof and decking, go over material choices, and give you a written estimate with the options priced out.
We set a start date, order materials, and pull the permits the city requires for the work.
We strip the old roof, repair the deck, lay underlayment and flashing, and install your new roof to spec.
We inspect the finished roof with you, confirm the site is clean, and hand over the warranty paperwork.
A roof replacement is disruptive for a few days, and it is better to know that going in than to be caught off guard. Most residential replacements take anywhere from two to five working days, depending on the size of the roof, the material, and the weather.
There will be noise. Tear-off and nailing are loud, and the work runs during daytime hours. Most families stay in the home through it, though people who work from home or have young children sometimes plan to be out during the loudest stretch. You will want to move cars out of the driveway so we can stage materials and protect them from falling debris, and it is worth taking fragile items off the walls, since the vibration can travel. We cover landscaping and clean up each day, and we do a full nail sweep at the end. If you have questions about your specific home before you commit, our guide on staying home during a replacement covers the common ones.
Replacing a roof is a decision you make once every couple of decades, and it is a lot of money, so the contractor you pick matters more here than on almost any other home project. We are a family owned company working out of Sherman Oaks, licensed and insured in California, and we have spent 25 years on roofs across this county. The person who quotes your job is part of the company that stands behind it.
We do the parts other crews cut. We tear off instead of roofing over, we replace bad decking instead of hiding it, and we follow manufacturer specifications so your material warranty holds up. You get a written estimate, a clear timeline, and a crew that cleans up after itself. If you want to see how we approach the work, our about page tells the story, and our contact page is the fastest way to reach us.
We install new roofs for homeowners and property owners throughout the county, working from our shop on Ventura Blvd in Sherman Oaks. A few of the areas we serve:
Tell us about your roof and what you are seeing. We come out, assess the whole system, and give you a written estimate with your material options priced.