Whittier neighborhoods we cover
- Uptown Whittier
- Hadley-Greenleaf
- Central Park
- College Hills
- Earlham Drive
- Starlite Estates
- East Whittier
- Friendly Hills
- Murphy Ranch
- Leffingwell Ranch
What’s hard on roofs around Whittier
Homes at the edge of the Puente Hills
The Puente Hills preserve, which includes Turnbull Canyon, borders Whittier neighborhoods and lies in CAL FIRE’s Very High Fire Hazard zones. The preserve’s managers clear brush along the neighborhood edge and ask residents to harden their homes. In mapped fire hazard zones, California’s wildland-urban interface code requires a Class A roof assembly.
Historic districts and roof shape
Whittier has four historic districts: Hadley-Greenleaf, Central Park, College Hills and Earlham. A change that significantly alters a historic home’s appearance needs a Certificate of Appropriateness from the Historic Resources Commission, while minor roofing may get a staff waiver. In Hadley-Greenleaf, pitched roofs are typical, and new work must fit the existing roof forms.
1950s and 1960s tracts
Friendly Hills, Murphy Ranch and Leffingwell Ranch were built in the 1950s and 1960s. These homes have had decades of inland sun, and many have added rooms, patio covers and newer roofs since. A licensed roofer checks the decking, the flashing and the seams where newer sections join the original roof.
Inland heat
Summer highs in Whittier run from the mid-80s into the 90s, and nights stay warmer than near the coast. Rain is light and falls mostly in winter. That long, hot stretch dries out shingles, sealants and flashing, so a check before winter finds worn spots before the first storm tests them.
Many homes here are decades old, and roofs and flashing wear out with age: a licensed roofer checks the deck and underlayment, not just the surface.
