Metal roofing
Architectural shingles
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 Alhambra
Roof replacement in Alhambra typically runs $11,000 – $22,000 for a full tear-off and new shingle system on an average 1,200 – 1,800 sq ft home, with flat roof portions adding $8 – $12 per square foot. We’re Koreatown Roofing, and we’ve replaced enough roofs on Fremont Avenue, Emery Park, and the Midwick Tract to know exactly what Alhambra’s 1920s and 1930s homes throw at you once the old layers come off. Our Roof Replacement team handles the full scope, from salvaging original clay tile to rebuilding low-slope porch roofs that have been leaking into fascia for decades. Call (866) 974-2271 and we’ll schedule a free estimate, usually within a few days of your call.
Why Koreatown Roofing Is Alhambra’s Preferred Roof Replacement Company
We’re roofing specialists, not generalists. That means every crew member on an Alhambra job spends their week doing roofs, not splitting time between drywall, plumbing, and the occasional gutter repair. When Manny Cordero and our crew open up a 1928 Craftsman bungalow on Almansor Street, they know what they’re looking for: failed underlayment, cracked original tile, and flashing that’s been patched with caulk one too many times. That’s the kind of knowledge that only comes from doing one trade every day.
Our reputation in Alhambra is built on showing up when we say we will and giving straight answers on what a roof actually needs. We don’t push a single manufacturer because we work with seven: GAF, CertainTeed, Owens Corning, IKO, Atlas, Tamko, and Boral. So when we recommend a product for your Spanish Colonial Revival in the Bean Tract, it’s because that material fits the roof, the pitch, and your budget, not because it’s what we have sitting in the yard.
We also handle the full lifecycle under one contractor. If an inspection turns up a repairable section rather than a full replacement, we’ll tell you that. When a repair turns into a replacement three years later, you already know us. One contractor, every stage.
Styles & brands we work with
Flat Roof Replacement in Alhambra
Flat Roof Replacement in Alhambra is a different animal from pitched roof work, and it shows up constantly on the low-slope porch roofs, rear additions, and carports attached to the city’s pre-1950s housing stock. A typical flat section under 400 square feet runs $3,200 – $4,800 when we tear off the old membrane, replace damaged sheathing, and install a new modified bitumen or TPO system. Larger flat roofs climb from there based on square footage and how much decking needs to come out.
The reason these roofs fail in Alhambra is rarely the membrane itself. It’s the flashing at wall intersections and the minimal overhangs on 1920s porches that let water run down behind stucco and into the soffit. By the time you see staining on the porch ceiling, the fascia is usually soft and the underlayment has been compromised. We rebuild that junction properly with new flashing, not another bead of sealant.
Porch and Overhang Flat Roofs
Alhambra porches are notorious for low slope and tile transitions. When we replace these, we remove the old layers and check the actual framing. Too often the original 2×4 rafters are undersized for the added weight of modern membranes plus future tile reset. If the framing won’t carry the new system, we say so and price the correction before we touch it.
We also account for drainage. Flat porch roofs on older Alhambra homes often drain toward the house rather than away from it. We fix that when possible with tapered insulation or new scupper locations, because a new membrane on a roof that still ponds water is a new membrane that fails early.
Rear Addition Flat Roofs
Many Alhambra homes have flat-roof additions built between 1940 and 1970, which is a polite way of saying they were permitted differently or not at all. These sections often lack adequate slope and may have framing that predates current code. When we replace them, the job is rarely just a membrane swap. We inspect the decking, correct the slope where we can, and document everything in writing before work begins.
Roof Installation in Alhambra
Roof Installation in Alhambra often means one of two things: a complete tear-off and re-roof on an existing 1920s or 1930s home, or new construction on a lot in the hills above Almansor Park. For a standard tear-off and architectural shingle install, expect $11,000 – $18,000 depending on square footage, roof complexity, and decking condition. New construction from bare framing starts around $9 – $13 per square foot for materials and labor, not including the framing itself.
The tricky part in Alhambra isn’t the shingles. It’s what’s underneath. Original clay tile roofs from the 1920s often sit on skip sheathing and a tar-based underlayment that has turned to dust. The thermal cycling from Alhambra’s hot, dry summers and the occasional heavy winter rain creates cracks in the tile, and once water gets through, the old underlayment was never meant to be the primary waterproofing. When we install a new roof, we replace that underlayment with a synthetic system and upgrade the decking to meet current code.
Full Tear-Off and Re-Deck
Most Alhambra replacements are full tear-offs. We don’t shingle over old shingles, because that hides the rot and shortcut work that this housing stock is prone to. Once the old layers are off, we inspect the decking. If more than a few sheets are compromised, you’ll know before we proceed, with a written change order that shows the exact cost.
New Construction Roof Installation
New builds in Alhambra tend to be on steep hillside lots, which means tie-down requirements, shear paneling, and wind uplift details matter. Santa Ana winds can lift loose tiles and shingles like playing cards if the fastening isn’t right. We install to code and we pull the permit, so the work gets inspected and signed off.
Trusted Brands We Service in Alhambra
One of the reasons homeowners call us is the material choice. You’re not stuck with one brand at one price point. We install GAF and Owens Corning architectural shingles on the majority of Alhambra replacements because they perform well on pitched roofs and hold up to high heat. But when a homeowner wants a clay or composite tile look for a Spanish Colonial Revival, CertainTeed and Boral give us options that match the original aesthetic without reinventing the wheel. We order what fits the job, not what’s easiest for us. Your roof, your material choice. And because we run these installs weekly, we can get materials staged quickly for Alhambra jobs, which keeps the schedule honest.
See the difference
Before
After
Before
After
Before
AfterCommon Roof Replacement Problems We See in Alhambra Homes
- Original clay tiles cracked from thermal cycling and Santa Ana winds. The 1920s tiles on homes across Emery Park and the Bean Tract expand and contract differently than the underlayment beneath them. Once they crack, water gets through and the old tar-based underlayment, which was never meant to be the primary waterproofing, starts to fail silently.
- Low-slope porch roofs with flashing failures at wall intersections. These are the most common source of hidden rot in Alhambra. The original flashing was often just a strip of metal nailed into stucco, and once the sealant fails, water runs behind the wall and rots the fascia and soffit.
- Dry-rotted decking under multiple layers of old roofing. We regularly find two or three layers of roofing on older Alhambra homes, because each previous owner overlaid rather than tore off. By the time the decking is visible, it’s soft, and the repair adds real cost to the job.
- Permit-driven framing corrections. Alhambra requires a permit for roof replacement, and once the roof is open, the inspector looks at framing. Undersized rafters, improper notching, and outdated wiring running through the attic often need to be corrected before the new roof can be signed off.
Pricing for Roof Replacement in Alhambra, CA
For a standard tear-off and architectural shingle replacement, Alhambra homeowners should budget $11,000 – $18,000 on a typical 1,200 – 1,800 sq ft home. Roofs with original clay tile that we salvage and re-lay run higher, often $18,000 – $25,000, because tile reset is labor-intensive and requires custom flashing work. Flat roof sections add $8 – $12 per square foot. The two biggest cost movers are decking condition and framing corrections triggered by the permit inspection. Both of those get written into an allowance in our contract, so you see the line item before the job starts, not after. Call (866) 974-2271 for a free estimate with a written, line-item quote.
We Also Serve Cities Near Alhambra
Our crews regularly run jobs in Alhambra and the surrounding San Gabriel Valley. If you’re in East San Gabriel, San Gabriel, South Pasadena, or San Marino, the same crew, the same material options, and the same straight answers apply. We know the housing stock in those areas too, because it’s the same vintage and the same weather.
Serving Alhambra, CA — Our Local Coverage Area
We’re based in the Alhambra 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 Alhambra
Yes, in most cases we can. The original tiles on Alhambra’s 1920s Spanish Colonial Revival and Craftsman homes are no longer manufactured, so we salvage and re-lay existing tiles whenever possible. Tiles that are cracked beyond reuse get replaced with close matches from salvage yards or modern equivalents that mimic the original profile. The match won’t be invisible, but it will be honest and the roof will look right for the house. Call (866) 974-2271 and we’ll tell you what your tile situation actually looks like.
Because on older Alhambra homes, the framing is often undersized by current code, and you won’t know until the old roof comes off. We write an allowance into the contract for exactly this, and any work against that allowance gets documented and approved in writing before we proceed. No secret charges.
Yes, Alhambra requires a permit for roof replacement. Once the roof is open, the inspector will look at framing, and that inspection often reveals outdated wiring or undersized rafters that must be corrected before the roof can be signed off. We handle the permit, schedule the inspection, and make sure the corrections happen before the roof closes up.
We replace them with a flat membrane system and new flashing at the wall intersections, which is where these roofs always fail. If the slope isn’t sufficient, we correct it with tapered insulation or new drainage so the new membrane doesn’t sit in water. The goal is a porch roof that outlasts the original, not one that needs another repair in five years.
Ask if the square count is measured from the roof surface or from the house footprint. On a steep Alhambra hillside lot with multiple roof planes, those numbers can differ by 20% or more. Our quotes show the actual roof surface squares and the unit pricing, so you can verify the math yourself.
Written by Manny Cordero, Owner at Koreatown Roofing, serving Alhambra and the San Gabriel Valley.
Ready to talk about your roof? Call (866) 974-2271 and we’ll schedule a free estimate. We’ll walk the roof, tell you what’s actually wrong, and give you a written quote with real numbers.