Burbank built more homes in the 1940s than in any other decade.
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If the roof still has good years left, the report tells you.
Roof replacement and free written roof inspections across Burbank. Nearly half the city’s housing went up before 1960. The Verdugo foothills are a Very High Fire Hazard Severity Zone, and the city has banned wood roofs since 1992, including the ones hidden under newer shingles.
Deck, underlayment, then shingles or tile. The underlayment keeps the water out, and you can only check it from up on the roof.
What we check on a Burbank roof
What is under the top layer
Burbank required old wood shakes left under newer roofing to come off by August 14, 2020. On an older house, the report says what we found beneath the surface and where, with photographs.
Two fire zones, not one
Burbank Fire inspects two Very High zones: the Verdugo foothills in the northeast and a section in the southwest of the city. The 2017 La Tuna Fire burned into city limits on the foothill side.
A 1940s deck
In ZIP codes 91505 and 91506 the median home was built in 1949 or 1950. On a house that age, the deck and the number of layers matter as much as the shingles, and the report records both.
Before the rain in Burbank
From the Verdugo foothills down to the flats near the airport.
Foothill lots
Homes along the Verdugo foothills sit below steep ground. Where the roof water goes, and whether it stays away from the house, matters as much as the roof itself.
Layers hide soft spots
A roof covered over more than once can trap water between layers and hide soft decking. A long storm is when that turns into a ceiling stain.
Porch roofs and old additions
On 1940s houses the low porch roofs and later additions shed water slowly. Those tie-ins are where we look first before the wet months.
Before the first big storm: book the free roof check, or read our winter storm roof guide.
From our roofs
Recent MAMOS roofing work: shingle re-roofs, flat ADU roofs and tile.
The rules that apply to a Burbank roof
Set by the City of Burbank, which issues its own re-roof permits.
Re-roofs are permitted by Burbank’s own Building & Safety Division, and since 2023 the permit can be pulled online.
Wood shake and shingle roofs are banned citywide. Wood left in place under another roof had a final removal deadline in 2020.
Inside the Very High zones the roof must be a Class A assembly, and brush clearance is inspected every summer.
We get on the roof, photograph what we find and write it up.
Get my free reportBuying or selling in Burbank? Ask what is under the roof.
Burbank’s code has long required sellers to tell buyers about the wood roof deadlines. A written report with dated photos of the layers answers that question before escrow.
the decade that built more Burbank homes than any other. Close to one in four houses in the city dates from it.
Roof questions in Burbank
Repair or replace?
Usually the underlayment decides it, and you have to get on the roof to check that. The report gives you the answer, with photos.
What does a new roof change for my insurer?
Most letters name roof age. The permit and completion papers show the new roof’s date; what the carrier does with them is its decision.
How would I know if there is old wood under my roof?
Usually not from the ground. We look at the roof edges, the penetrations and the attic, and the report tells you in writing what is there. If the house is in a fire zone, it says that too.
Know what you have before the next owner asks.
The report gives you roof age, remaining life, fire zone status and what sits under the top layer, in writing. The answer may be a replacement, or a repair and a few more years.
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Request your report
Fire zone status, what is under the top layer, and remaining roof life. We call back within 15 minutes: 8am to 5pm Monday to Thursday, 8am to 2pm Friday.
Got it.
Rather talk? Call (818) 934-0075.
We call or text you about this request only. Your details are never sold or shared.
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