Roofing Contractor in Pomona, CA Built for Heat, Wind & Winter Storms

Water coming through ceilings, light fixtures, or walls during a storm, or missing shingles and ridge tiles after a Santa Ana wind event. Once water reaches the decking and drywall, damage spreads fast and can lead to mold, rot, and electrical hazards.

Pomona gets most of its yearly rain in a handful of intense storms. Cracked underlayment and failed flashing go unnoticed for 7–8 dry months, then many homes start leaking during the first atmospheric river. Santa Ana gusts over 50 mph break shingle seal strips and pop off hip and ridge tiles, which leaves openings that the next storm finds right away. Because the leaks happen all over town at once, roofers get backed up quickly, so it pays to have a contractor lined up before the season starts.

• Dripping or stained ceilings during rain
• Shingles, tabs, or ridge tiles in the yard
• Exposed underlayment or bare decking visible from the street
• Wet attic insulation
• Bubbling paint or drywall near exterior walls
• Water near light fixtures or smoke detectors

Leak calls rise sharply in the first heavy storm between November and February. Wind damage shows up most on exposed hillside homes in Phillips Ranch, Ganesha Hills, and Mountain Meadows. Flat-roofed masonry buildings downtown tend to leak at parapets and scuppers when water ponds.

Emergency tarping or a temporary seal to stop water entry, photo documentation for insurance, and then a permanent repair to the flashing, underlayment, or roofing once the weather clears.

Concrete and clay tiles shed most water, but the felt or synthetic underlayment beneath them is the real waterproofing layer. When that layer turns brittle, tears, or rots, water that gets past the tiles goes straight to the roof deck.

Many Pomona tile homes were built in the 1960s–80s with 30-lb felt that's now 35 to 55 years old. Summer heat trapped under the tiles cooks the felt until it cracks, especially on south- and west-facing slopes. Owners often assume a tile roof lasts 50+ years, and the tile may, but the underlayment usually doesn't. Because the tiles look fine from the ground, these roofs often fail without warning in a heavy storm.

• Leaks on a tile roof that looks intact
• Crumbling black felt visible at tile edges or eaves
• Slipped or sliding tiles
• Stains along valleys or below skylights
• Tiles that rock or sound hollow
• Daylight visible through the attic deck

This is the most common big job in Phillips Ranch, where many concrete tile roofs from the 1970s and '80s are on original felt. Clay tile Spanish Revival homes near Ganesha Park and Hacienda Park show the same failure, often along with parapet issues.

A tile lift-and-relay: remove and save the tiles, replace damaged decking, install modern underlayment and flashing, and then reset the original tiles.

Asphalt shingles that have lost their protective granules, dried out, curled, or cracked from years of heat and UV. Once the granules are gone, sunlight breaks down the asphalt quickly and the shingle stops protecting the deck.

On a 100°F Pomona afternoon, dark shingles can top 150°F, and the inland sun is strong all year. South- and west-facing slopes often wear out years before the warranty suggests. Older 3-tab shingles on post-war tract homes are especially vulnerable. Poor attic ventilation, which is common in 1940s–60s houses, traps heat under the deck and speeds up the damage from below.

• Granules piling up in gutters or at downspouts
• Faded, bald, or blotchy shingle patches
• Curling, cupping, or cracked tabs
• Shingles that crack or crumble when touched
• Very hot attic and high summer cooling bills
• Uneven wear between sunny and shaded slopes

This is widespread on ranch and minimal-traditional homes across North Pomona, South Pomona, Westmont, and along the Holt Avenue corridor, where many roofs are on their second or third 3-tab install. West-facing slopes usually fail first.

Targeted repair if the damage is limited. If it's widespread, a full replacement with cool-roof-rated shingles and better attic ventilation to cut heat buildup.

Flashing is the metal and sealant that waterproofs the joints where a roof meets a chimney, wall, parapet, skylight, or vent. When it rusts, pulls away, or was installed poorly, water runs into the wall cavity and roof deck.

UV breaks down roofing mastics and sealants quickly in Pomona's sun, and years of daily heat cycles pull flashing loose. Older homes often have rusted galvanized flashing or have been patched with roofing cement many times. Parapets on Spanish Revival homes and downtown masonry buildings are a constant problem, because water collects behind them and has to drain through small scuppers during intense rain.

• Stains on walls or ceilings next to chimneys
• Cracked or peeling caulk and mastic
• Rusted, bent, or lifted metal flashing
• Water stains on parapet walls inside
• Damp or efflorescent brick near the roofline
• Leaks only during wind-driven rain

We see this often on brick chimneys in Lincoln Park and Wilton Heights Craftsmans, at parapets on Spanish Colonial homes, and on early-1900s commercial buildings in Downtown Pomona and the Arts Colony.

Remove the failed flashing, then install new step, counter, or parapet flashing with proper laps and fasteners instead of surface caulk. Clear and resize scuppers where needed.

Standing water that stays on a flat or low-slope roof for more than about 48 hours after rain. Ponding speeds up membrane breakdown, adds weight, and finds every seam and crack. Many low-slope roofs in Pomona are past their service life.

Pomona's rain often comes as a few inches in a day or two, which overwhelms clogged drains and undersized scuppers. Many post-war homes have patio covers and owner-built additions tied into the main roof at too low a pitch. Older built-up and tar-and-gravel roofs sag over time, and UV dries out exposed coatings during the long summer.

• Puddles or dirt rings on the roof after rain
• Blistered, alligatored, or cracked roof surface
• Leaks at additions or patio cover tie-ins
• Sagging ceilings under low-slope sections
• Exposed or bare gravel on built-up roofs
• Clogged drains or scuppers

Common on downtown masonry commercial buildings, small multifamily properties near the Fairplex and Holt Avenue, and on tract-home additions throughout South Pomona and Westmont.

Clear and improve drainage, add tapered insulation or crickets where needed, then apply a reflective coating or install a modern modified-bitumen or single-ply membrane.

Wood decking, rafter tails, eaves, and fascia boards softened by long-term leaks, dry rot, or termites. Rotted decking won't hold nails properly, and damaged eaves let pests and wind-blown embers into the attic.

Pomona's older housing stock means lots of wood that's been exposed for 60 to 140 years. Small leaks that went unnoticed for several winters slowly rot the deck. Termite damage at eaves is common, and pre-1978 painted trim calls for lead-safe handling. On Victorians and Craftsmans, skip sheathing under several old reroofs often can't meet current code without new solid sheathing.

• Soft or spongy spots when walking the roof
• Sagging rooflines or wavy shingles
• Crumbling or stained fascia boards
• Peeling paint at eaves
• Termite frass or tunnels near rafter tails
• Gaps at eaves letting in birds or rodents

Most common in Lincoln Park, Wilton Heights, and Hacienda Park historic homes, and on post-war tract houses where hidden damage turns up only after tear-off reveals multiple layers.

Replace the damaged decking and fascia, add solid sheathing over skip boards where required, and seal the eaves to keep out pests and embers.

Not enough intake and exhaust venting to move hot, moist air out of the attic. In Pomona this mostly causes heat problems: it bakes the roof from below, shortens shingle and underlayment life, and drives up air-conditioning costs.

Many 1940s–60s homes were built with only a few small gable vents, and later reroofs rarely fixed that. In Pomona's summers, an attic without good airflow can get far hotter than the outside air. Near the hills, old open vents are also an ember entry point, which matters in fire hazard zones.

• Attic that feels like an oven in summer
• Upstairs rooms that won't cool down
• AC running nonstop on hot afternoons
• Premature shingle curling or blistering
• Few or no ridge or soffit vents visible
• Painted-over or blocked vents

Very common on post-war ranch homes across North Pomona and Westmont. In Phillips Ranch and Ganesha Hills, we often pair ventilation fixes with ember-resistant vent upgrades.

Balance the intake and exhaust venting, add ridge or low-profile vents and radiant barriers, and use ember-resistant vents on homes in fire zones.