Monday, August 24, 2026

For Rivas Roofing, Rebuilding Altadena Is Personal

Family-owned company brings three decades of local experience — and a commitment to integrity — to the community’s recovery

For Rivas Roofing CEO Felipe Rivas, rebuilding Altadena is about more than replacing roofs. It is about helping restore a community his family has worked in for three decades.

Founded by Rivas’ father in 1995, the family roofing company grew from modest beginnings. Rivas remembers his father being on every job site, sometimes working alone. As a high school student, Rivas began helping on weekends when his father needed extra labor.

The lessons from those years continue to shape the company, he said.

“We try to keep our name as clean as possible,” Rivas said, describing the emphasis his father placed on correcting mistakes, taking pride in the work and maintaining integrity.

Those local roots have made the aftermath of the Eaton Fire particularly personal. Rivas estimated that Altadena accounted for at least 40% of the company’s business for many years. Many customers became friends and referral sources over the years, and Rivas said many homes where the company had previously replaced roofs were lost.

The impact, he said, has been both financial and emotional. Driving through parts of Altadena now can mean passing areas he no longer recognizes.

As rebuilding progresses, homeowners are asking Rivas Roofing about metal, composition and tile roofs. But Rivas cautions against believing that any particular roofing material by itself can make a house safe from wildfire.

“It’s about the entire envelope of the home that really makes a difference, not just the roof,” he said.

For owners of Altadena’s architecturally distinctive homes, Rivas said safety improvements do not necessarily require abandoning historic character. Older clay tiles, for example, may be reusable while newer fire-resistant underlayment is installed beneath them. Modern materials and techniques can also be incorporated while preserving the appearance of Craftsman and Tudor-style homes.

Rivas also urged homeowners to carefully investigate contractors during the rebuilding process, calling finding the right contractors one of the biggest struggles facing customers. Among the warning signs he identified are contractors without an established body of work or recommendations and businesses whose credibility rests largely on an online presence.

Looking ahead, Rivas said his company hopes to be “an integral part” of Altadena’s rebuilding.

For him, however, a successful recovery will ultimately be measured by more than new construction. He hopes Altadena retains the diversity and neighborly character he remembers — a community of people from different economic, racial and religious backgrounds where neighbors knew one another and looked out for each other.

For Rivas, a healthy rebuild would preserve that sense of diversity, familiarity and community.

Rivas Roofing is a family-owned roofing company serving Altadena, Pasadena and surrounding communities. The company offers residential, commercial and specialty roofing services, including roof inspections, repairs and replacements. Free, no-obligation estimates are available based on an in-person roof inspection. Rivas Roofing is located at 2143 Fair Oaks Ave., Altadena. For more information or to request an estimate, call (626) 797-5718 or visit RivasRoofing.com.