Fire Retardant Roof Materials

As provided for in Civil Code § 4720, associations cannot put aesthetics over fire safety when it comes to roofs. Associations are prohibited from requiring owners to install or repair their roofs in a manner that violates Health & Safety Code § 13132.7.

Developments in very high fire severity zones must allow for at least one type of fire-retardant roofing material that meets the requirements of the Health and Safety Code. Simply repairing a roof does not trigger the requirement for fire-retardant materials. However, replacing more than 50% of a roof within one year requires the use of Class A or B materials for very high fire hazard zones and Class C for all other areas.

Recommendation: All associations should have their roofing requirements reviewed by an architect or roofing consultant to establish proper standards for their particular development. NOTE: Changes required by this statute are exempt from the 30-day member notice and comment period found in Civil Code § 4360.

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