Architectural shingles
Metal roofing
Tile roofing
GAF
Owens Corning
Flat & low-slopeFree roof inspection with deck photos before we talk money - GAF and Owens Corning certified installation
Fast, Reliable Roof Replacement Across Santa Monica
Roof replacement in Santa Monica typically runs $9,500 – $18,000 for a standard single-story bungalow with asphalt shingles, and most jobs take 3 to 5 working days once materials are on site. We’re Chatham Roof Repair, and we’ve torn off enough marine-exposed roofs between Ocean Park and Sunset Park to know exactly what hides underneath them. If your roof looks tired on the ocean side but fine everywhere else, call (866) 361-1724 and we’ll tell you straight whether you need a full replacement or a properly-matched repair.
Why Chatham Roof Repair Is Santa Monica’s Preferred Roof Replacement Company
We don’t push replacement. We push the right call. That starts with a roof inspection that documents what’s actually failing, what’s still serviceable, and what a competent repair would cost versus a full tear-off. Our team, led by Nelson Quarry, has worked on enough 1920s-to-1950s Santa Monica cottages to know the difference between a roof that needs help now and one that can safely wait. Homeowners in Santa Monica tend to appreciate that we write scopes of work from inspection findings, not from a sales target.
One company handles the whole lifecycle here. Inspection, repair, or full replacement, all in-house, all roofing-exclusive. That matters when a spot repair on the west-facing plane turns up something bigger. You’re not handed off between an inspector who finds the problem and a different contractor who fixes it. The same crew that diagnoses the issue does the work, and that continuity shows in our finished roofs.
We install products from seven major manufacturers including Roof Replacement systems from GAF, CertainTeed, and Owens Corning. That’s not a list of logos to impress you. It means when we quote a Santa Monica home, we can match the existing shingle profile, color, and warranty class instead of forcing whatever single brand we happen to stock. For older homes with a specific architectural character, that matters.
Styles & brands we work with
Asphalt Shingle Roof Replacement in Santa Monica
Asphalt shingle roof replacement is the most common full-roof job we perform in Santa Monica, and it’s where the salt-air problem shows up hardest. The west-facing plane on a bungalow near the ocean takes wind-driven marine moisture almost year-round, and we routinely find fasteners and flashing on that side corroded years before the inland slope shows any real wear. A typical shingle replacement here runs $9,500 – $14,000 for a 1,200 to 1,800 square foot single-story home, depending on what the tear-off turns up.
Architectural Shingle Upgrades
Many Santa Monica homeowners replace aging three-tab shingles with architectural shingles, which offer better wind ratings and a deeper profile that suits the Spanish and California cottage styles common here. Expect to add $1,500 – $3,000 over the cost of standard three-tab for the material upgrade. The coastal wind exposure makes the extra fastener pattern worth the money.
Roof Decking Replacement
On original 1920s and 1930s roofs, the decking under old shingles is often skip-sheathing or plywood that has spent eighty years absorbing marine-layer moisture. When we open it up, we sometimes find decking that can’t hold a new nail pattern. Replacing decking runs $65 – $95 per sheet installed, and we document every sheet and get written approval before adding it to the job.
New Roof Installation in Santa Monica
New roof installation in Santa Monica generally applies to additions, rebuilds, or cases where the existing roof structure is too far gone to justify a re-cover. This is a different animal from a straightforward replacement because it involves framing, underlayment, flashing, and often a permit plus inspection. A new roof on a small Santa Monica lot, with all-new decking and architectural shingles, typically runs $14,000 – $22,000 depending on square footage and roof pitch.
New Construction
For new construction on post-Northridge rebuilt lots, we work from the plans up, coordinating with the general contractor before walls close in. The coastal wind zone and marine exposure mean we spec fastener patterns and underlayment rated for salt air, not just whatever the code minimum allows. We handle the roofing portion exclusively, so there’s no generalist crew figuring it out on your dime.
Flat Roofing
Santa Monica has a meaningful stock of 1960s and 1970s two-story apartments and condos with flat or low-slope roofs. These fail in the winter rain, usually at seams, drains, and penetrations. A flat roof replacement for a typical Santa Monica multi-unit building runs $12,000 – $20,000 depending on membrane type and insulation condition. We bid these plane-by-plane when the ocean side shows accelerated deterioration.
Trusted Brands We Service in Santa Monica
We install GAF, CertainTeed, Owens Corning, IKO, Atlas, Tamko, and Boral. In Santa Monica, GAF architectural shingles are the most common spec we write because of their wind ratings and warranty structure. Atlas and Tamko offer strong mid-range options for homeowners who want a specific color match on an older cottage. We stock local materials for the common profiles we see across 90401, 90402, 90410, and 90411, which keeps turnaround tight when a tear-off reveals something unexpected and you need material on site fast.
See the difference
Before
After
Before
After
Before
AfterCommon Roof Replacement Problems We See in Santa Monica Homes
- West-plane corrosion. On the same Santa Monica bungalow, the ocean-facing slope often fails years before the inland slope. Salt fog and wind-driven moisture eat fasteners, flashing, and metal vents on the marine-exposed plane while the east side still looks serviceable.
- Skip-sheathing surprises. Original 1920s and 1930s roofs in neighborhoods like Ocean Park and Sunset Park frequently hide skip-sheathing or undersized framing under worn shingles. Opening the decking triggers a permit-driven scope change that a decent bid should anticipate in writing.
- Skylight and valley failures. Marine-layer moisture and aging underlayment around skylights, valleys, and pipe boots let the few intense winter storms find the weak spot years before the shingles look worn. We see tar-patched penetrations on older Santa Monica roofs more than anywhere else we work.
- Post-Northridge structural fatigue. The 1960s and 1970s two-story apartments rebuilt after Northridge often have soft-story framing that wasn’t re-engineered for current coastal wind loads. When we tear off these roofs, we regularly find decking that no longer meets nailing requirements.
Pricing for Roof Replacement in Santa Monica, CA
A full asphalt shingle roof replacement in Santa Monica typically runs $9,500 – $18,000 for a single-story home between 1,200 and 2,000 square feet. New roof installation with full new decking runs $14,000 – $22,000. Flat roof replacement on small multi-unit buildings starts around $12,000. The biggest cost variables are roof pitch, decking condition, the number of planes, and whether the west-facing slope needs full re-decking. We write fixed, line-item quotes with allowances for decking and any permit-triggered framing corrections. Call (866) 361-1724 for a free estimate on your Santa Monica home.
We Also Serve Cities Near Santa Monica
Our crews work throughout the Westside. In addition to Santa Monica, we regularly replace roofs in Venice, Century City, Culver City, and Beverly Hills. The marine-layer conditions that eat Santa Monica roofs don’t stop at the city line, and neither do we. Call (866) 361-1724 and we’ll schedule your inspection wherever you are on the Westside.
Serving Santa Monica, CA — Our Local Coverage Area
We’re based in the Santa Monica area and know this community well. Use the map below to see our service coverage — if you’re nearby, we can almost certainly help.
FAQs About Roof Replacement in Santa Monica
The west-facing slope takes the brunt of wind-driven salt fog and marine moisture nearly year-round, which corrodes fasteners, flashing, and metal vents years before the shingles themselves look worn. On the same Santa Monica bungalow, the west plane often fails a decade before the east plane. We price these jobs plane-by-plane for exactly that reason. Call (866) 361-1724 and we’ll walk your roof and show you the difference.
On older Santa Monica cottages, tear-off frequently exposes skip-sheathing decking, corroded fasteners on the west plane, and failed underlayment at skylights or valleys. Recently, on a 1940s California cottage near Ocean Park Boulevard, our tear-off uncovered original skip-sheathing, corroded 8d fasteners on the west plane, and a skylight whose flashing had been tar-patched for a decade over failed underlayment. We documented every item and wrote the decking replacement and new ice and water shield into an approved change order before touching it. That’s how we work on every Santa Monica tear-off. Call (866) 361-1724 to schedule your inspection.
Yes. Santa Monica Building and Safety requires a permit for roof replacement, and once the decking is open, the inspector can require structural corrections if the framing doesn’t meet current code. On older bungalows, that sometimes means upgrading undersized rafters or adding hurricane ties. We pull permits on every full replacement in Santa Monica and write allowances into the contract so you’re never surprised by a code-mandated scope change. Call (866) 361-1724 and we’ll explain what your roof will trigger before we start.
Compare the scope line by line, not the bottom line. A cheap Santa Monica bid often excludes decking replacement, underlayment, or the plane-by-plane corrosion work the west slope actually needs. We write fixed, line-item quotes with allowances for decking, permit-triggered framing, and material matching. If another bid doesn’t itemize those, it’s comparing a real roof to a hope. Call (866) 361-1724 for a bid you can actually read.
Yes, if they’re installed to the right fastener pattern with corrosion-resistant nails and underlayment rated for marine exposure. In Santa Monica, we spec architectural shingles with higher wind ratings and stainless or hot-dip galvanized fasteners for ocean-facing planes. The material matters less than the install spec. Call (866) 361-1724 and we’ll show you the difference on a roof we’ve actually built here.
Written by Nelson Quarry, Owner at Chatham Roof Repair, serving Santa Monica since our founding.