Roofing Contractor in Lawndale, CA
0-square-mile South Bay city that filled in after World War II as a bedroom community. Census figures put the median home at 1967 with only 37% owner-occupied, a mix of small-lot houses and stucco apartment buildings where many roofs are low-slope sections and drains and parapets decide how long they last.
- ★ 4.9 on Google · 69 reviews
- Same-day or next-day bookings
- Based in Van Nuys, CA
The drive from Van Nuys is about 29 miles and 50 minutes.
On this page
Hawthorne Boulevard apartments and Lawndale's bedroom-community bungalows
Lawndale grew fast after World War II, when returning veterans and newcomers needed housing. The Census ACS median home dates to 1967, and only 37% of homes are owner-occupied. That produces two roof types side by side: small stucco bungalows with shingle roofs, and low apartment buildings with flat or low-slope sections.
The pitched roofs are simple. The flat ones need more scrutiny, because a few drains and one parapet are all that move water off a whole building. When a scupper (an opening through the parapet that lets water out) clogs, the roof holds a shallow pond that works into every seam.
Postwar bungalows face the other usual problem: shingles worn by decades of sun, with tired flashing at vents and chimneys. Our flat roofing page covers low-slope systems, and roof repair covers the smaller pitched jobs.
Marine layer damp and mild South Bay summers
Lawndale is 5.7 miles from LAX, and at LAX only about 5 days each year reach 90°F or hotter, compared with roughly 77 in Van Nuys. NOAA normals put LAX near 12 inches of rain annually, mostly December through March. This is a milder roofing climate than the Valley, which helps asphalt and membranes, but it does not cancel damp.
North-facing edges stay wet under the marine layer. Algae and slow drying wear on shingles, and flat roofs with poor drainage keep their water longer.
Hawthorne Boulevard, the old Red Car line and Burin Avenue
Hawthorne Boulevard was once Railway Avenue, and the Pacific Electric Red Car ran down its middle until 1933. Charles B. Hopper subdivided the land in 1905, but lots sold slowly, and at one point it was promoted as chicken-raising country. The Santa Fe railroad arrived in 1927. After World War II, returning veterans made Lawndale a bedroom community, and it incorporated on December 28, 1959.
Today Interstate 405 passes through, with Artesia Boulevard (SR 91) and Hawthorne Boulevard (SR 107) as the main roads, and the Lawndale Library on Burin Avenue is one of the county's branch libraries. That grid of busy boulevards and tight side streets matters on a job. Tight lots leave little room for staging, so we map the truck position and drop point before the first morning.
Reaching Lawndale from Van Nuys
Our estimate for Lawndale is roughly 50 minutes from Van Nuys, and traffic on the 405 can add to that, so ask for an actual arrival window. For an apartment building we ask who controls roof access and how tenants will be notified. The visit covers every section of roof, the drains, the parapets and the flashing, and we write each up on its own.
Lawndale permits, and where Los Angeles County comes in
The city's own pages list re-roofs as building-permit work, say roofing must meet the Los Angeles County cool roof requirements, and note that Lawndale contracts with the county for inspections and plan check. Lawndale runs its own permit process inside Los Angeles County, so a bid priced for a Los Angeles address should be checked against Lawndale's rules. Under California code a new roof may not be laid over two earlier applications, and re-roofs past half the roof area generally call for a cool-rated product.
What customers say
“They also performed a full water test afterward to make sure the leak was fully resolved, and everything stayed dry.”
“The crew’s workmanship looked top-notch, and they kept me updated by sending drone photos of the roof work as it happened, which was really helpful since I wasn’t about to climb up there myself!”
4.9 on Google · 69 reviews as of November 2026. Read all reviews
Roofing questions from Lawndale
What roof types are typical on Lawndale apartment buildings?
Many are flat or low-slope with a parapet, a membrane or built-up surface and a few drains. Stairwells and rear additions may be separate sections. Because each section drains differently, we assess them one at a time and write the scope so a manager can see what each part needs.
Does Lawndale handle its own permits or does the county?
Both, in practice. Lawndale is the permitting authority, and its pages list re-roofs as building-permit work. The city contracts with Los Angeles County Building and Safety for inspections, permit issuance and plan check. That is not LADBS, so a bid priced for a City of Los Angeles address may not match. Have the contract name who applies.
Does Lawndale's coastal air change the roofing I need?
Slightly. Lawndale sits about 5.7 miles from LAX, so the marine layer keeps shaded surfaces damp longer than inland valley roofs, which favors algae and slow drying on north-facing edges. It is milder in heat too. The result is more attention to drainage and sealed seams than to heat.
Who gives the roofing permit in Lawndale?
Lawndale is its own city, so the permit is issued by the City of Lawndale, not LADBS or the county. Your contract should name the permit applicant and who requests the inspection. A multi-unit building may bring extra steps, so ask the city early what your property needs.
Services in Lawndale
- Flat Roofing
Lawndale's 1960s apartment buildings and rear additions carry flat sections with parapets and scuppers. Standing water and cracked seams are the usual causes, and we trace them before recommending a repair.
- Commercial Roofing
Small retail and office buildings along Hawthorne and Artesia boulevards often have low-slope roofs. Drains, edge metal and equipment curbs need a full look, not just a patch at the stain.
- Roof Repair
Postwar bungalows on narrow Lawndale lots often have worn shingles at the edges and tired pipe boots. A targeted repair can hold, and we say when the roof is beyond that.
- Roof Replacement
Mid-1960s housing here is now several roof cycles old. A replacement begins with a tear-off, which lets us count layers and look at the decking before settling on a new system.
- Gutters
Tight lots and shared walls leave little margin for runoff. Gutters and downspouts that move water past the foundation matter more than the roof surface on some buildings.
- Multi-Family Roofing
Only 37% of Lawndale homes are owner-occupied, and stucco apartment buildings fill the grid. We scope each section of a building separately, plan tenant notice and roof access, and write each part up on its own line.
- Flat Roof Repair
Scuppers, parapet bases and patched membrane on Lawndale's 1960s flat roofs are where ceiling stains start. We trace the entry point first, then say whether a repair or a section replacement fits.
- Cool Roofing
Lawndale's city pages tie roofing to the LA County cool roof requirements. We go over CRRC-listed membranes and shingles early, so the product is settled before the permit is filed.
- Shingle Roof Repair
- Tile Roof Repair
Map of Lawndale
Near Lawndale
Worth reading
Part of our Los Angeles County service area, worked from our base in Van Nuys.
Roof trouble in Lawndale?
Call us with your address and what you are seeing.