ADUs are booming—your roof plan matters more than you think
California has leaned hard into ADUs as a housing solution, and homeowners across Southern California are building backyard units and converting garages at record pace. Cal HCD+1
But here’s what many owners learn the hard way: the roof is where ADU projects most often get delayed, red-tagged, or hit with surprise costs—especially when you’re tying new construction into an older home.
ADU roofing is different from “just a small roof”
Even a small ADU roof has to handle the same performance requirements as a house:
- Waterproofing and drainage
- Proper ventilation (or correctly designed unvented assemblies)
- Weather and heat exposure
- Fire-rated materials where required
- Inspections and permit compliance
And because ADUs are often built close to fences, trees, and other structures, they can be more vulnerable to debris buildup and drainage problems.
The #1 ADU roofing issue: the tie-in
If your ADU/garage conversion connects to an existing roofline, the “tie-in” detail is mission-critical:
- Roof-to-wall transitions
- Valleys and dead zones
- Roofing-to-stucco interfaces
- Step flashing / counterflashing sequences
- Underlayment continuity and slope changes
A bad tie-in can leak even when the shingles (or membrane) are brand new.
Drainage: small roofs can create big problems
ADU projects often have:
- Limited slope
- Tight setbacks that force odd gutter/downspout routing
- Hardscapes that don’t absorb runoff
So the drainage plan should be intentional:
- Where does the water go in a heavy downpour?
- Do gutters overflow near doors or windows?
- Is runoff directed away from both the ADU and the main home foundation?
Don’t forget heat + comfort (especially in SoCal)
ADUs can get hot fast. Your roof choices affect comfort and operating cost:
- Roof color/reflectivity
- Insulation strategy
- Ventilation strategy
- HVAC placement and penetrations (each penetration is a leak opportunity if done wrong)
And because California continues to update ADU guidance and related housing rules, it’s smart to work with contractors who keep up with the latest handbook updates and local permitting expectations. California State Assembly+1
Pro tip: plan your roof penetrations early
ADUs often include:
- Bathroom exhaust vents
- Kitchen vents (sometimes)
- Mini-split linesets
- Solar conduit (if planned)
- Plumbing vents
The best way to prevent future leaks is to design penetrations up front, then flash them correctly—rather than “patching in” after finish work.
If you’re building an ADU or converting a garage in Southern California, Rocket Roofing can inspect the existing roof, coordinate tie-in strategy, and help you avoid the “finished inside, leaking outside” nightmare.
Real customers, Real reviews
Real customers, Real reviews
Rocket Roofing is professional and honest. Super happy with their service.
Alan and his company was very clean professional in doing the work. Out of 4 other companies, Rocket Roofing gave me a better price for the same work.
They did the work well and communicated ok
Roof repair for storm & wind damage. Professionalism, Punctuality, Quality, Responsiveness, Value
These guys are the absolute very best. They are very talented, smart they took their time explaining the process and followed through absolutely amazing. I tell you I e spent 22 years in the Marines these guys are top shelves
Excellent job. I would definitely recommend Rocket roofing. We really appreciate your work. Thank you
Rocket Roofing came through again for me on one of my investment properties in LA, not only did they do the job well, they were honest in letting me know my sky lights did not need replacement and saved me even more money! Highly recommend!
Great service, great employees and great experience overall. I have been working with Alan for over 2 years now. He and his team inspected the property I bought and made some repairs on the roof as well. They also offered a warranty work that I purchased (5 years warranty).After 2 years of wind and rain in San Diego, I started getting some leaks and sign of leakage couple of months ago, so I called Allen.
He sent the first available person after the rain was done and repaired the spot. I noticed the leak again after the next rain so I called him again. This time he send 2 people and replaced the entire section free of charge under the warranty work.
They also screwed in a tiny section of my gutter that was loose.
Overall I am very grateful to know Rocket Roofing and I will definitely contact him to replace a new roof when the time is arrived.
Alan and the guys at Rocket Roofing were absolutely amazing! They were responsive and very professional! They didn’t waste time and made sure that everything was complete and no additional damage was done. I would recommend them to anyone who needs any work done!
Great company to work with. Alan was very professional when inspecting my property, and his team did great job fixing my roof. Highly recommended.
This is the second time I have used Rocket Roofing and I am very happy with their work. They were extremely fast, friendly, professional and most importantly very affordable. I would highly recommend them to anyone in need of roofing repairs, especially for storm and wind damage. They are a top-notch company that truly cares about their clients and their work. I will definitely be using them again in the future!
I recently had a new roof installed by Rocket Roofing. The installation was done very professionally and on time. They were extremely responsive to all of my questions, even after we got started and the job was about 75% done, we had a few questions for them. They came back out to check everything a few days later and made sure it was right before moving on to the next phase of work. I received several quotes on our house before deciding on Rocket Roofing, they were by far less expensive than anyone else. Our home is much safer now that the roof has been replaced and I highly recommend them!
My roof was looking pretty bad after the last big storm we had. I called up Rocket Roofing to see if they could give me an estimate. They came out the next morning and gave me a very reasonable estimate. I was able to get the work done that afternoon so that my roof would not be damaged any further by another storm. The technicians were very friendly and professional, and cleaned up after themselves. My roof looks great! Thank you so much for all your help.
I recently had a new roof put on my home and I am so pleased with the quality, professionalism, and communication.Rocket Roofing came in to assess what needed to be done, let us know what he was going to charge and how long everything would take. He was right on time and completed the job exactly as he said he would. We will definitely use them again in the future!
Alan was phenomenal to work with. Always answered my call(s); if he wasn’t able, he returned my call promptly. He went out of his way to match the tiles of my Client’s home which we both were very appreciative of. Alan is a true professional.
I was extremely satisfied with my experience working with Rocket Roofing. The work quality was excellent, and the crew was extremely friendly and courteous. I would highly recommend them to anyone looking for roof installation or in need of repair work. My thanks to all at Rocket Roofing for a job well done!
Rocket Roofing did a great job on my roof. They were responsive to all my questions and took care of all the insurance red tape. The price was very reasonable and they did a great job cleaning up after themselves. I would highly recommend them.
Rocket Roofing is a trustworthy company that did a terrific job replacing our roof. We were very pleased with their timeliness, professionalism and overall knowledge of the roofing business.
Owens Corning Roofing Products
Owens Corning Roofing Products
Rocket Roofing is proud to be selected as an Owen’s Corning Approved Roofing Contractor.
Owens Corning is a leader in roofing shingles, underlayment and components products. The look of a roof can have a significant impact on the overall design and perceived value of a home. After all, the roof can make up half of a home’s exterior.
Owens Corning systems look better, last longer and offer more choices to perfectly fit your project.
Rocket Roofing is proud to be selected as an Owen’s Corning Approved Roofing Contractor.
Owens Corning is a leader in roofing shingles, underlayment and components products. The look of a roof can have a significant impact on the overall design and perceived value of a home. After all, the roof can make up half of a home’s exterior.
Owens Corning systems look better, last longer and offer more choices to perfectly fit your project.
