The Fall season is a time when many homeowners take advantage of the cooler, drier weather to make home improvements. For many California homeowners, a new roof is at the top of their Fall to-do list, before the start of peak wildfire season and the onset of winter storms.
In the past, the California Title 24 Energy Code's cool roof requirements might have meant sacrificing your new roof's curb appeal for code compliance, especially if you prefer the look of darker shingles.
GAF has solved this dilemma, with an exceptional line of fire-rated, impact-resistant, energy code-compliant shingles that give you deeper, richer color choices than before.
What Is the California Title 24 Energy Code?
Title 24, Part 6 of the California Code of Regulations, otherwise known as the California Building Energy Efficiency Standards (or Energy Code) spells out the requirements for both new and remodeled buildings in California's sixteen climate zones. The latest (2025) iteration of the code became effective on January 1, 2026.
The portion of California Title 24 that applies to residential roofs is based on the requirements of the Cool Roof Rating Council (CRRC), a nonprofit organization that utilizes science-based methods for evaluating and rating the energy-efficiency of roofing materials.
To qualify as a California residential cool roof, the shingles you choose for your home must be CRRC-rated and reflect a prescribed amount of solar radiation and heat away from your roof based on your climate zone. This Solar Reflectance Index (SRI) should be a minimum of 16 in most of California's climate zones. Los Angeles County has its own Green Building Standards Code – known as Title 31 – which requires a minimum SRI of 20.
GAF Cool Roof Technology: The Stylish Solution
In the past, meeting the SRI target for a California cool roof meant your color choices were limited to pale colors. Lighter colors naturally reflect the sun's radiation and heat, but they might not complement your home's aesthetic.
GAF Timberline HDZ® RS shingles have resolved this issue. Timberline HDZ® RS shingle stands out as a top choice for reflective shingles, boasting rich, vibrant colors that allow you to confidently offer customers a shingle that can be used to comply with code requirements.The secret is GAF's proprietary EcoDark® technology, which successfully reflects and emits the sun's heat back to the sky instead of transferring it to the building below. Even with a color like Charcoal, the darkest highly-reflective shingle color available in the market.
Protection That Is More Than Skin Deep
While Timberline HDZ® RS shingles are a beautiful residential cool roof solution, they also stand up to California's harsh seasonal weather threats.
Here are some of their outstanding characteristics:
Class A Fire Rating: the highest rating possible, as established by UL 790 testing. A Class A rating will help protect your roof from the damage caused by wind-blown embers, the number one cause of residential fires during wildfire events.
WindProven™ Limited Wind Warranty: Timberline HDZ® RS shingles with LayerLock® technology qualify for the WindProven™ Limited Wind Warranty, a 15-year warranty with no maximum wind speed limitation, when installed with the required combination of GAF accessories.
Class 3 Impact Rating: passes the UL 2218 Impact-Resistance Test with a Class 3 Rating, which helps protect your roof against wind-blown debris.
StainGuard Plus™ Algae Protection Limited Warranty: a 25-year limited warranty against blue-green algae discoloration,
made possible by GAF's exclusive time-release algae-fighting technology.
FAQ's
Does California Title 24 require every residential roof to be a cool roof?
It depends on your climate zone. Residential cool roofs are a requirement in most (but not all) California climate zones, particularly inland and desert areas, and in Southern California. A GAF-certified contractor can easily verify the requirements in your area.
Can I install dark shingles and still pass California Title 24?
Not just any dark shingle will do. Only a shingle which has been rated and approved by the Cool Roof Rating Council (CRRC) and has the required Solar Reflectance Index (like GAF Timberline HDZ® RS shingles with EcoDark® technology) will qualify under California Title 24.
What is the difference between a fire-rated roof and a cool roof?
A fire-rated roof is tested and approved by Underwriters Laboratories (UL) for its ability to withstand varying degrees of fire exposure: Class A is the most effective against severe fire exposure, Class B is rated for moderate exposure, and Class C for light exposure.
A cool roof is CRRC-rated and meets the Solar Reflectance Index (SRI) required by your governing energy code. It is designed to reflect solar heat and radiation, resulting in less heat load and lower air conditioning costs.
GAF Timberline HDZ® RS is an example of a cool roof which is also Class A fire rated, since it meets the requirements of both.
Next Steps
If you are curious how a Timberline HDZ® RS roof would look on your home, check out the GAF Roof Visualizer Tool.
For additional information, explore GAF Timberline HDZ® RS or contact a GAF-certified contractor to verify your specific climate zone requirements, explore your Title 24 code-compliant shingle color options, and get a free quote for your home's new roof.
Title 24 & LA County Disclaimer (When mentioning Cool Roof Requirements or using the LA County and/or Title 24 badge)
Can be used to comply with the Cool Roof Requirements for steep slope residential buildings of 2025 Title 24, Part 6, of the California Code of Regulations and the Green Building Standards Code of Los Angeles County.25-year StainGuard Plus™ Algae Protection Limited Warranty (When mentioning the warranty or using the badge)
25-year StainGuard Plus™ Algae Protection Limited Warranty against blue-green algae discoloration is available only on products sold in packages bearing the StainGuard Plus™ logo. See GAF Shingle & Accessory Limited Warranty for complete coverage and restrictions.15-year WindProven™ Limited Wind Warranty (When mentioning the warranty or using the badge)
15-year WindProven™ limited wind warranty on GAF Shingles with LayerLock® Technology requires the use of GAF Starter Strips, Roof Deck Protection, Ridge Cap Shingles, and Leak Barrier or Attic Ventilation. See GAF Roofing System Limited Warranty for complete coverage and restrictions Visit gaf.com/LRS for qualifying GAF products.For installations not eligible for the WindProven limited wind warranty, see GAF Shingle & Accessory Limited Warranty for complete coverage and restrictions.Lifetime Limited Warranty (When mentioning the warranty or using the badge)
Lifetime refers to the length of warranty coverage provided and means as long as the original individual owner(s) of a single-family detached residence [or eligible second owner(s)] owns the property where the qualifying GAF products are installed. For other owners/structures, Lifetime coverage is not applicable. Lifetime coverage on shingles requires the use of GAF Lifetime Shingles only. See the GAF Shingle & Accessory Limited Warranty for complete coverage and restrictions. Visit gaf.com/LRS for qualifying GAF products.
