South Gate

The South Gate City Council has adopted an ordinance that requires all new wood roofs to be permanently fire retardant. The ordinance also applies to any re-roofing done in the city.

The cost of fire retardant wood roofing for an average house with 1,000 square feet of roof surface is $3,500, compared with $2,250 for non-fire retardant roofing. Residents have the option of installing asphalt-fiberglass shingles instead, at a cost of about $1,100, Mark Sutton, director of the Building Department, said in a report to the City Council. There are approximately 540 wood-roofed residences in South Gate, or 3% of the total residences, the report said. The ordinance will take effect Jan. 1.