Roofs and gutters
Fire-resistant roofs in Los Angeles. Yours is probably close.
Most LA homes already have a Class A composition or tile roof. The weak spots are the edges: open tile ends, ridges, valleys, skylights and gutters full of leaves. Here's how to check your roof, what LA's rules require, and what the fixes cost.
Updated November 10, 2026
About 76%
of LA homes IBHS surveyed after the 2025 fires had asphalt shingle or tile roofs. Class A roofs were among the most common protective features it found.
50%
Replace half or more of a roof within 12 months and the whole roof must meet today's wildfire code.
$6,300
Rough installed cost to replace 1,000 sq ft of wood shake with Class A composition shingle, per the 2024 Headwaters study.
The short answer
Replace wood shake. Otherwise, fix the edges.
If your roof is wood shake or wood shingle, replacing it comes first. In the City of Los Angeles, new wood shake roofing is banned outright. If your roof is already Class A, a new one buys little. A study of more than 40,000 California structures from 2013 to 2018 found roof material "did not explain substantial variation" in which homes were lost, while eaves, vents and windows mattered more.
UC's fire network puts it simply: "Roofs generally ignite at edges and intersections." That's where your money goes further.
- 01
Confirm your rating
Most fiberglass shingle, clay or concrete tile and metal roofs are Class A. Old organic-mat shingles are only Class C. Check the installer's certificate, the product listing, or have a roofer look.
- 02
Close the tile ends and ridges
Barrel and S-tile roofs need bird stops at the eaves and mortared hip and ridge caps so embers can't blow into the gap under the tile.
- 03
Keep gutters and the roof edge clean
Debris in a gutter puts flame right at the roof edge. Use metal gutters with a guard and a metal drip edge, and still clean them twice a year.
- 04
Check skylights, valleys and solar
Plastic dome skylights and debris in valleys or under solar panels are easy ember targets. Then move on to vents, which most LA homes still need.
What Class A means
Class A is a test result, not a promise.
Roof coverings are rated Class A, B or C under the ASTM E108 or UL 790 fire test. Class A is "effective against severe fire test exposure." NFPA's plain-English version: a Class A roof resists burning brands weighing more than four pounds, while Class C resists brands about the size of a kitchen match.
Some materials are Class A on their own, and some only as a tested assembly. California's 2025 wildfire code counts brick, masonry and exposed concrete as Class A without testing, but metal, clay or concrete tile and slate only when they're installed over a noncombustible deck. Over ordinary wood sheathing, tile and metal need a tested assembly, such as a heavy cap sheet or a listed Class A underlayment underneath.
Even Class A has limits. IBHS's report on the 2025 fires says "even Class A roof coverings can be overwhelmed" in a conflagration, though "they still offer the highest level of protection." It also notes the standard roof test "was not designed to predict actual performance in wildfire events."
- Usually Class A
- Fiberglass composition asphalt shingles, concrete and clay tile, metal shingles or sheets, and slate (the materials IBHS lists for its Wildfire Prepared Home standard).
- Often not
- Older organic-mat asphalt shingles are only Class C, according to IBHS. Untreated wood shakes aren't rated at all, says UC's fire network.
- How to tell
- California Health and Safety Code 13132.7 requires the roofer to certify the roof's fire classification to the owner, so check your paperwork. Otherwise look up the product listing or have a roofer inspect it. IBHS notes it can be hard to tell unless the roof is obviously noncombustible, like tile.
Tile roofs
The tile won't burn. The gaps under it can.
Barrel and S-tile roofs leave open space at the eave ends and along ridges. Wind blows embers and debris into those gaps, where they reach the wood deck underneath. IBHS documented a Palisades barrel-tile roof that "ignited despite the use of bird-stop flashing" because "embers were able to penetrate gaps between the tiles."
California's code for new tile roofs (504.2.1.1) requires bird stops at the eaves where the profile fits, hip and ridge caps "mudded in to prevent intrusion of fire or embers," and a heavy 72 lb cap sheet (or a listed Class A underlayment) where the tile creates an airspace over a combustible deck. IBHS's standard also requires noncombustible bird stops at the eave ends of barrel tile.
Cost: the 2024 Headwaters study lists bird-stop material at about $20 per square foot, and metal flashing where a roof meets a wall at about $1 per linear foot. Tile roofing itself wasn't priced in that study.
Gutters and roof edges
Leaves in a gutter put fire at the roof edge.
UC's fire network calls debris in gutters "one of the greatest fire hazards for a building." IBHS's Camp Fire report found burning gutter debris "creates a direct flame contact exposure to the edge of the roof," and firefighters pulled off gutters full of burning debris.
California's 2025 wildfire code now says new gutters and downspouts must be noncombustible, with "an approved means to prevent the accumulation of leaves and debris" (504.4). That's newer than some guidance you'll find online that still says the code doesn't restrict gutter material.
| Item | Typical installed cost |
|---|---|
| Metal gutter guard | About $4.50 per linear foot |
| Metal gutter system | About $18.80 per linear foot |
| Metal drip edge | About $2.90 per linear foot, plus $100 to $200 per roof side |
| Replace 40 feet of vinyl gutter with metal plus a guard | About $930 |
Source: Headwaters Economics and Quarles (2024), Northern California prices. Southern California tends to land within 10 percent. No outcome study yet proves gutter guards reduce home losses; the support is lab work and field observation.
- Metal, not vinyl
- CAL FIRE says vinyl gutters can catch fire, and IBHS says they quickly detach from the fascia, dropping burning debris at the base of the wall.
- Guards help, cleaning still matters
- The Headwaters study found "no gutter cover device has been proven to completely eliminate" debris on top of the device or roof. IBHS warns some guards let debris build up on the roof behind them. Inspect at least twice a year.
- Add a metal drip edge
- CAL FIRE says to make sure a metal drip edge "completely covers the space above your gutter system," protecting the fascia and roof sheathing.
Skylights, valleys and solar
The other places embers settle.
- Skylights
- UC's fire network says skylights "can provide an entry point for embers." New code treats them like windows: multipane with at least one tempered pane, and operable skylights need metal mesh with openings of 1/8 inch or less. Replacing a plastic dome with a flat tempered-glass skylight runs about $1,430 ($1,570 operable), per Headwaters.
- Valleys
- Valleys collect needles and leaves. New roofs in fire zones need at least 26-gauge metal over a 36-inch cap sheet the full length of each valley. On any roof, keep them clear.
- Solar panels
- "Properly installed panels on the roof do not increase the fire risk," says UC's fire network, but debris collecting under them does. The State Fire Marshal requires the solar system to carry the same fire class required for the roof.
- Ridge vents
- Vents at the ridge and on the roof are covered in our vent comparison, including low-profile roof vents.
LA roof rules
Local rules are stricter than the state's.
- City of Los Angeles
- "All wood shake or wood shingle roof covering is prohibited" citywide (LADBS bulletin, effective January 1, 2026). Repairs of up to 5 percent with wood are allowed only by modification request. Reroof more than half in a year and the entire roof must meet current code.
- LA County
- Wood shake and wood shingle roofs are prohibited in fire hazard severity zones.
- The 50 percent rule
- Under California's wildfire code (507.1), a roof that's replaced, or has 50 percent or more replaced within 12 months, must meet new-construction rules. Any roofing used in a repair must be at least Class A.
- New homes
- Since July 2008, new homes in all state-responsibility fire zones and in local Very High zones have needed Class A roofs. A 2025 emergency amendment extended the wildfire code to local High zones too. Existing homes are only covered when they reroof.
History helps explain the rules. In the 1961 Bel Air fire, LAFD found two thirds of damaged homes first caught on the roof, and the 1991 Oakland Hills and 1993 Laguna Beach fires were tied to wood roofs. LA restricted wood shake roofs in 1989. As Class A roofs became the norm, investigators now find embers getting in through vents, eaves, windows and nearby fuel instead. More in roof vs vents.
Insurance
A Class A roof is on every discount list.
California's Safer from Wildfires rules list a Class A fire-rated roof as a required discount factor for insurers that price wildfire risk. IBHS's Wildfire Prepared Home standard requires a Class A roof and doesn't accept wood shake or shingle "regardless of test rating," because fire-retardant treatments and coatings don't last reliably. Ask your insurer what proof they accept; the roofer's fire-class certificate is a good start.
How RF1 helps
We check the roof from above and fix the edges.
Mark's drone flight shows the roof, gutters, valleys and tile ends without anyone climbing up. RF1 coordinates the roof edge work that stops embers: gutter guards, metal drip edges, bird stops and roof vents. We don't replace whole roofs, so we have no roof to sell you. If the roof itself is the weak point, we'll tell you and point you to a qualified roofer.
Questions
Roof and gutter questions we hear most.
- Is my roof Class A? How can I tell?
- Most fiberglass shingle, clay or concrete tile and metal roofs are Class A, though tile and metal often get there as an assembly with the right underlayment. Older organic-mat shingles are only Class C, and untreated shake isn't rated. Check the fire classification certificate your roofer must give you under California Health and Safety Code 13132.7, look up the product listing, or have a roofer inspect it.
- Are tile roofs fire resistant?
- The tile is. The weak points are the open ends at the eaves and ridges, where embers blow under the tile. They need bird stops and mortared caps, plus the right underlayment. IBHS documented a Palisades tile roof that ignited through those gaps.
- Is a metal roof fireproof?
- No roof is fireproof. IBHS found even Class A roofs can be overwhelmed in a conflagration. Metal is Class A on its own only over a noncombustible deck; over wood sheathing it needs a tested assembly.
- Should I replace my roof before anything else?
- Only if it's wood shake or wood shingle, damaged, or not Class A. Otherwise the same money does more on vents, gutters, roof edges and the first 5 feet around the house.
- Can I patch my wood shake roof?
- In the City of Los Angeles, wood roofing is prohibited, with repairs of up to 5 percent only by modification request. In LA County fire hazard zones it's prohibited. Under state wildfire code, any roofing used in a repair must be Class A.
- Does a fire-retardant spray make a shake roof safe?
- No. California's wildfire code says paints, coatings and other surface treatments "are not an approved method of protection," and IBHS doesn't accept treated shake for its standard. See fire-resistant paint, gels and sprinklers.
- Do gutter guards stop fires?
- They help keep debris out of the gutter, but no guard has been proven to stop debris building up on top of it or on the roof. Use metal gutters and guards, add a metal drip edge, and still clean at least twice a year.
- Do solar panels make a roof more dangerous?
- Not when properly installed, according to UC's fire network. Keep leaves and needles from collecting underneath, and make sure the system carries the same fire class as your roof.
Keep going
Sources
- 2025 California WUI Code 504.2, required roof assembly classification
- 2025 California WUI Code 504.4, gutters, downspouts and roof valleys
- 2025 California WUI Code 507, replacement or repair of roof coverings
- California Health and Safety Code 13132.7
- LADBS, roofing requirements for wood shakes and shingles
- LA County 2026 Very High Fire Hazard Severity Zone plan review
- State Fire Marshal emergency amendment EF 01/25 (readoption)
- State Fire Marshal Information Bulletin 14-011, rooftop solar
- IBHS, The 2025 LA Conflagrations, executive summary (December 2025)
- IBHS, The 2025 LA Conflagrations, full report
- IBHS, early field observations from the Palisades and Eaton fires (March 2025)
- IBHS Wildfire Retrofit Guide, Southwest
- IBHS Camp Fire report
- IBHS Wildfire Prepared Home 2025 Technical Standard
- 10 CCR 2644.9, California Department of Insurance wildfire mitigation discount factors
- Syphard and Keeley (2019), factors in California structure losses, 2013 to 2018
- Headwaters Economics and Quarles, Retrofitting a Home for Wildfire Resistance (2024, CAL FIRE funded)
- UC ANR Fire Network, roofs
- UC ANR Fire Network, gutters
- CAL FIRE home hardening guidance
- NFPA report on the 1991 Oakland and Berkeley Hills fire
- LAFD report on the 1961 Bel Air fire (archived)
- LAFD, roofing ordinance history
Facts checked November 10, 2026. Costs are rounded from the 2024 Headwaters Economics study for CAL FIRE (Northern California prices; Southern California tends to land within 10 percent). They're a benchmark, not RF1 quotes.
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