Metal roofing
Tile roofing
GAF
Owens Corning
Flat & low-slopeFree roof inspection with deck photos before we talk money - GAF and Owens Corning certified installation
Fast, Reliable Roof Repair Across San Francisco
Roof repair in San Francisco rarely waits for a convenient moment. A leak that starts as a small stain near a chimney can spread through plaster ceilings and into your kids’ bedroom by the next rain. Most residential roof repairs in San Francisco run between $450 and $1,800 depending on what’s failing, and you’ll see your exact number in writing before any work starts. We work across the city every week, from the Richmond to Bernal Heights to the Mission, and we know what San Francisco’s older homes actually need. Call (831) 228-3330 and a live person answers, day or night.
Why Birchbark Roofing San Francisco Is San Francisco’s Preferred Roof Repair Company
San Francisco homeowners keep our number for two reasons. First, we show up prepared for what this city’s housing stock actually throws at us. Victorian and Edwardian homes here aren’t like suburban track housing. They have redwood decking that’s been up there since the Harding administration, flashings that look fine from the ground but are corroded through from decades of fog and salt air, and shallow slopes that pool water in exactly the wrong places. Our team sees these problems weekly, which means we diagnose them faster and fix them without trial and error.
Second, we protect what’s inside the house while we’re working on what’s outside it. Shoe covers at the door, drop cloths through the hallway, all debris cleared and photographed before we leave. Our technicians are background-checked and uniformed, so you know exactly who’s walking through your door and onto your roof. Erik Lindgren leads our San Francisco crew, and he’s built the business around a simple promise: written pricing before work begins, and a 365-Day Done Right Promise on every repair. If it’s not right, we make it right.
Styles & brands we work with
Emergency Roof Repair in San Francisco
Emergency Roof Repair in San Francisco usually means one of three scenarios: a branch came through a roof during a winter storm, a flat roof membrane tore and water is coming through the ceiling, or a leak has been ignored long enough that the roof deck is now soft and dangerous. We treat these as true emergencies, because in a city where the next rain usually isn’t far off, a small opening becomes a big problem fast. Most emergency roof repairs in San Francisco run between $650 and $2,400, and that price covers temporary protection if the weather won’t allow a permanent fix the same day.
Storm Damage Response
When wind and rain hit San Francisco, flat roofs and older shingle roofs take the worst of it. We respond day or night, tarp the damaged section to stop active water entry, then return with a written quote for the permanent repair. Our crews carry GAF and CertainTeed emergency materials in their trucks so most call-outs don’t require a second trip just to start the work.
Leak Containment and Temporary Fixes
A leaking roof in San Francisco can’t wait for a clear week. We contain the interior damage first, covering furniture and flooring, then address the source. If the roof isn’t safe to walk that day, we secure it from the eaves and come back as soon as conditions allow. You always get the temporary fix and the permanent plan written out before we leave.
Flat Roof Repair in San Francisco
Flat Roof Repair in San Francisco is its own specialty, and honestly it’s the one we see most done badly. The city’s Victorians and Edwardians often have flat or very low-slope roofs, and repairs that don’t address drainage will re-leak within a season. We repair built-up roofs, torch-down systems, and modern single-ply membranes, always starting with the question of why water is sitting. Most flat roof repairs in San Francisco run between $500 and $2,200, depending on whether we’re patching a membrane, replacing a rotted section of decking, or rebuilding a drain or scupper. Your written price comes before any work starts.
Torch-Down and Built-Up Roof Repairs
Many San Francisco flat roofs are torch-down or built-up systems that date back decades. When these fail, it’s usually at a seam, a penetration, or a low spot where water has been ponding. We cut out the failed section, inspect the decking underneath for rot, and patch with compatible material so the repair doesn’t create a new weak point.
Drainage Corrections
In neighborhoods like the Sunset and Noe Valley, poor drainage is the root cause of most flat roof failures. We don’t just patch the hole. We check the slope, clear and repair drains and scuppers, and add tapered insulation where needed so water actually leaves the roof instead of sitting on it.
Trusted Brands We Service in San Francisco
Birchbark Roofing works with materials from GAF, CertainTeed, Owens Corning, and other major manufacturers, and we keep common repair materials stocked for San Francisco jobs. That means faster turnaround when you need a specific shingle profile or membrane matched. If your existing roof is GAF architectural shingles or a CertainTeed membrane, we can typically match the product without special ordering. Being part of the Cedarwell family of roofing companies since 2000 gives us access to a broad supply chain, so San Francisco customers aren’t waiting on backordered materials when a repair can’t wait.
See the difference
Before
After
Before
After
Before
AfterCommon Roof Repair Problems We See in San Francisco Homes
- Corroded flashing around chimneys and vents: Salt air from the Pacific and decades of fog eat galvanized metal faster here than almost anywhere else in the Bay Area. By the time a homeowner notices a ceiling stain, the flashing is usually gone entirely.
- Ponding water on shallow-slope roofs: Many San Francisco Victorians have slopes that are almost flat. Without proper drainage, water pools and eventually finds its way through seams, cracks, and nail holes.
- Brittle original redwood decking: In neighborhoods like the Mission and Noe Valley, century-old redwood sheathing is often still in place. It’s solid until you over-drive a fastener, then it splits, and that split travels under seismic movement.
- Historic district material restrictions: If your home sits in a designated historic district, your repair may need to match the original roof profile and material. We handle the documentation and product selection so you don’t end up with a stop-work order.
Pricing for Roof Repair in San Francisco, CA
Here’s what San Francisco homeowners can expect to pay. Shingle replacement on a standard San Francisco roof runs $450 to $900 for a small section. Flashing repair around a chimney or vent runs $550 to $1,400, depending on the metal and the access. Flat roof patches run $500 to $1,200 for a small repair, and full drain or scupper rebuilds run $1,200 to $2,200. Vent boot replacement runs $350 to $650. Valley repair runs $600 to $1,500. What affects your number: how many layers we’re removing, whether the decking underneath is intact, and whether your district has material requirements. You’ll see your exact written price before any work starts. Call (831) 228-3330 for a free estimate.
We Also Serve Cities Near San Francisco
Our Roof Repair crews work throughout the Bay Area, including South San Francisco, Alameda, Oakland, and Pacifica. If you’re in one of those cities, the same written pricing and 365-Day Done Right Promise apply. See our Roof Repair in San Francisco page for full local details, or call us directly.
Serving San Francisco, CA - Our Local Coverage Area
We’re based in the San Francisco area and know this community well. Use the map below to see our service coverage - if you’re nearby, we can almost certainly help.
FAQs About Roof Repair in San Francisco
Yes, most roof repairs on Victorians in San Francisco require a permit, especially if the home is in a historic district or if the repair involves structural work. We handle the permit paperwork and product selection, and we’ve worked with the city’s preservation staff enough to know what will pass review. Call (831) 228-3330 if you want to know whether your specific repair triggers a permit.
Flat roofs in San Francisco leak at low spots because water ponds there, finds a seam or crack, and works its way through over months. The fix isn’t just patching the leak; it’s correcting the drainage so water stops pooling. In the Mission and other flat-roof neighborhoods, we rebuild the slope with tapered insulation and repair or replace drains so the roof sheds water the way it was meant to.
Yes, flashing repair around a chimney is one of the most common repairs we do in San Francisco, and it doesn’t require replacing the roof. We remove the old metal, check the underlying decking for rot, install new flashing, and seal the transition properly. Most chimney flashing repairs run $550 to $1,400. Call (831) 228-3330 for an exact quote.
Repairing a torch-down roof in the Mission starts with cutting out the failed section, which is usually a seam, a penetration, or a blistered area. We inspect the decking beneath, replace any rotted sections, then torch down a new membrane that’s compatible with the existing system. Mission district jobs often also need drain or scupper work, since the district’s flat roofs route water through interior drains that clog over time.
San Francisco’s seismic code requires that roof repairs maintain the structural integrity of the roof diaphragm, which means the decking must be properly fastened to the framing and any new sheathing must be secured to code. We sister new plywood around weak spots rather than over-driving fasteners into brittle redwood, and we verify every repair meets the current seismic requirements before we call the job done. Erik Lindgren checks each completed San Francisco job personally.
Written by Erik Lindgren, Owner at Birchbark Roofing San Francisco, serving San Francisco with written-price roof repair and the 365-Day Done Right Promise.