This comes up constantly, and the useful version of the answer is shorter than most of what is written about it. Here is how cool roofs and energy savings actually works for a homeowner in Sunland, without the parts that exist to sell something.
What makes a roof cool
Two numbers: solar reflectance and thermal emittance. Together they give the Solar Reflectance Index that code references.
What it saves
Real savings on cooling load in a valley summer, and a meaningfully cooler attic, which extends the life of everything stored in it.
Where it is required
California Title 24 sets prescriptive requirements for many re-roof scenarios by climate zone.
The short version
- What makes a roof cool
- What it saves
- Where it is required
- Get it in writing, whatever it is
- Ask what happens if the assumption behind the price turns out to be wrong
None of this is complicated, but it is the sort of thing that is easy to skip when the roof is already leaking and the decision feels urgent. That urgency is exactly when the questions matter most.
Questions we get asked
How much does cool roofs and energy savings usually cost?
It varies with scope more than with anything else, which is why a number quoted before anyone has looked at the roof is not a number. Get an itemized estimate.
How do I know the contractor is legitimate?
Check the license against the CSLB database yourself, ask for the workers compensation certificate, and confirm the permit is pulled in the contractor's name rather than yours.
Should I get more than one estimate?
Yes, and compare the scopes rather than the totals. Two estimates that differ by a third usually differ because one of them includes underlayment, flashing and deck repair and the other does not.
Working with a Sunland roofer
All American Roof Repair & Commercial Roofing has been on Sunland roofs since 1986. We cover Sunland and the surrounding communities including Burbank, Glendale and Sherman Oaks, and every estimate we write names the material, the underlayment and the flashing scope so you can compare it line for line against anyone else's.
If you want a second opinion on cool roof, call (818) 275-0921 or run your address through our instant quote tool for a ballpark figure before you talk to anyone.
Need a roofer in Sunland?
Free inspection, honest scope, and an estimate that names the material and the flashing work. Call (818) 277-6626 or get a ballpark in about a minute.
