Choosing a Shingle for Burbank UV Load — Costs and Timelines
The working range for an asphalt shingle roof in the Valley, written as a scope rather than a total.
Price is the first thing anybody wants and the last thing most contractors will commit to. The working figure for an asphalt shingle roof in the San Fernando Valley is $5.50 to $9.00 a square foot installed, and the rest of this explains what moves it, because the same roof can differ by half again depending on things you can check yourself before anyone quotes.
What you are actually paying for
Layer count, deck condition and roof complexity move the figure more than the shingle you choose. Tearing off two existing layers instead of one adds disposal and labour before a single new shingle goes down, and a cut-up roof with several valleys and dormers takes far longer per square than a simple gable.
Where quotes diverge
The starter course and the drip edge are where cheap work shows first. A starter strip laid the wrong way round, or an eave with no metal under the first course, will wick water back into the fascia no matter how good the shingles above it are. Deck repair should be priced per sheet in writing before work starts, because it is the one item nobody can size until the covering comes off.
How the San Fernando Valley changes the figure
Most of the housing went up between 1950 and 1975, which means original decking, undersized ventilation and at least one previous layer that somebody roofed straight over rather than tearing off. Summer is the problem here. The Valley runs ten to fifteen degrees hotter than the coast and holds it for weeks, so a roof surface that reads 90 degrees in Santa Monica is well past 160 in Van Nuys by mid-afternoon. Everything on the roof expands into that heat and contracts again overnight, and it is that daily movement, not the peak temperature, that opens laps and backs fasteners out.
What we look at before quoting
- Granule loss across the field, and how much is sitting in the gutters
- Curling, cupping or cracking, particularly on the sun-facing slopes
- Nail placement and whether shingles have begun to back off the deck
- Valley construction, and whether it is woven, closed-cut or metal-lined
- Flashing at every wall, chimney, skylight and pipe penetration
- Deck condition underfoot, checked by walking rather than by eye
- Attic ventilation, both intake at the eave and exhaust at the ridge
Common questions
Can I get an accurate price without an inspection?
You can get a range. You cannot get a price, because nobody knows the deck condition until the covering comes off, which is why the per-sheet repair rate belongs in the estimate.
Why is one quote thousands cheaper than another?
Almost always because it excludes something. Compare the deck repair rate, the layer count and whether flashing is being replaced or reused before you compare totals.
The honest summary
In the San Fernando Valley, watch attic temperature and intake ventilation, because a Valley attic that cannot breathe cooks the underside of the roof as hard as the sun cooks the top. Shingle roofs rarely fail suddenly. They give years of warning through granule loss and edge curl, and the difference between a planned replacement and an emergency one is usually whether anybody was looking.
Free inspection, drone photography where access is difficult, and a written estimate with deck repair priced per sheet. No obligation.
More on Shingle Roofing
- Cool-Rated Shingles and Long Beach Attic Heat — Materials ComparedShingle Roofing
- Cool-Rated Shingles and Ventura County Attic Heat — Before You CommitShingle Roofing
- Cool-Rated Shingles and LA Attic Heat — Materials ComparedShingle Roofing
- Laying Over vs Tearing Off: The Honest AnswerShingle Roofing