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 Roofing Company Across San Rafael
Finding a roofing company in San Rafael means sorting through a lot of claims. Here’s what actually matters for your home: wind ratings that meet Marin County code, underlayment installed correctly on hillside exposures, and a written price before any tear-off starts. Birchbark Roofing handles roof repair, replacement, and inspections across San Rafael, from the flat-roofed Eichlers off Freitas Parkway to the 1970s ranchers climbing the hills above Terra Linda. Call (831) 228-3330 and a live person answers, day or night.
Why Birchbark Roofing San Francisco Is San Rafael’s Preferred Roofing Company
San Rafael homeowners deal with a specific set of roofing headaches: fog that sits on the Dominican hills in summer, wind gusts that whip through the 101 corridor in winter, and housing stock that was built when nailing patterns were a suggestion, not a code section. Our crews work these neighborhoods weekly. We know which Eichler-style flat roof sections tend to pond water after a heavy storm, and which 1950s ranchers above Sun Valley still have original wood shake under their second layer of composition. That local knowledge changes how we quote, how we stage equipment on a steep driveway, and how we protect your landscaping when the tear-off starts.
Every San Rafael job includes shoe covers at the door, drop cloths through the hallway, and a photo of the completed clean-up before the crew pulls away. If you have a dog that needs to stay inside, we coordinate door schedules with you. It’s slower work, but it’s the only way we do it. Erik Lindgren oversees every San Rafael project personally.
Styles & brands we work with
Metal Roof Installation in San Rafael
Metal roof installation in San Rafael is a smart upgrade for the 1960s and 70s ranchers that dominate the Sun Valley and Santa Venetia hillsides, where 30-year composition shingles give out early under relentless summer UV. Standing seam metal carries a 130 mph wind rating when properly fastened, which matters when winter storms barrel through the gap in the hills. Most metal roof installs in San Rafael run between $18,500 and $34,000 for a typical 1,600 to 2,200 square foot single-story home, depending on standing seam versus exposed fastener panels and how much old decking needs replacement.
Standing Seam vs. Exposed Fastener Panels
Standing seam panels hide all fasteners under raised ribs and lock together mechanically. No screw penetrations means no rubber grommets failing in 15 years. They cost more but outlast the house. Exposed fastener panels are what you see on barns and workshops, and on some mid-century flat roof transitions. They’re less expensive, but those gasketed screws need re-torquing and eventual replacement every 8 to 12 years. On a windy hillside in San Rafael, we default to standing seam.
Fire Hazard Zone Compliance
If your home sits in a Fire Hazard Severity Zone, the county requires a Class A assembly under the metal. That’s not optional, and it’s not something a cheap quote will include. We price tear-off to decking, the required underlayment, and the permit inspection into every metal roof quote. You’ll see it in writing before we touch the roof.
Residential Roofing in San Rafael
Residential roofing in San Rafael breaks into two categories: composition shingle replacements on steeper single-family lots, and flat or low-slope membrane work on Eichler and mid-century modern homes. A composition re-roof on a 1,800 square foot rancher typically runs $12,000 to $19,000 with tear-off, new underlayment, flashing, and the permit. A flat roof coating or single-ply membrane replacement on a 1,400 square foot Eichler usually lands between $9,500 and $15,000. We work with GAF shingles, CertainTeed membrane systems, and Owens Corning underlayment products, and we’ll write down exactly what we’re installing on your roof.
Hillside Weatherproofing Requirements
Marin County’s wind exposure for hillside homes above San Rafael requires six nails per shingle and a full ice and water shield along eaves and in valleys. Not three nails. Not a strip of felt. The difference is the difference between a roof that shrugs off a January storm and one that leaks into your living room the first winter.
Flat Roof Membrane Systems
Eichler-style homes need a different approach than a sloped roof. We coat or re-membrane low-slope sections with materials rated for ponding water, and we make sure the metal edge flashing ties into the built-in gutters properly. Skipping that flashing detail is the most common cause of ceiling stains we find in Lucas Valley and along North San Pedro Road.
Trusted Brands We Service in San Rafael
We install products from GAF, CertainTeed, and Owens Corning because their wind-rated systems match the exposure conditions in San Rafael. That includes GAF StormGuard ice and water shield for eaves and valleys, CertainTeed Flintlastic SA for low-slope Eichler sections, and Owens Corning Deck Defense for hillside homes where wind-driven rain is a real threat. By standardizing on these brands, we can pull materials from Bay Area distribution the same week, so a re-roof in Terra Linda doesn’t drag on while we wait for shingles from out of state. For every San Rafael job, you’ll know the exact product names and model numbers in your written quote.
See the difference
Before
After
Before
After
Before
AfterCommon Roofing Company Problems We See in San Rafael Homes
- Original wood shake under a second layer: Homes in Dominican and Sun Valley were built with wood shake roofs that are now fire hazards. A cheap overlay hides the problem. A compliant re-roof means tear-off to decking and a Class A assembly.
- Wind-blown shingle loss on hillside exposures: Shingles installed with four nails instead of six start peeling off the ridgelines after two or three seasons of 50+ mph gusts. We see it every spring along the ridges above China Camp.
- Leaking flat roof sections on Eichler-style homes: Low-slope roofs fail where the membrane meets the edge flashing, especially after storms drive water sideways. Proper metal edge details and seam repairs stop this.
- Reused flashing and drip edge on a re-roof: Old flashing is brittle and leaks within a year. The manufacturer’s wind warranty is void if flashing is reused. We replace drip edge and flashing on every re-roof, no exceptions.
Pricing for Roofing Company in San Rafael, CA
Roofing prices in San Rafael trend 10 to 15% above the East Bay average because hillside access adds labor hours, and the overlay-versus-tear-off decision changes the whole bid. A typical asphalt shingle re-roof on a standard San Rafael home runs $12,000 to $19,000. A metal roof install runs $18,500 to $34,000. A flat roof membrane replacement on a mid-century home runs $9,500 to $15,000. The single biggest cost driver is whether your quote includes tear-off to decking, new underlayment rated for Marin County wind, replacement flashing, and a pulled permit. Cheap quotes leave those out. You’ll see every line item in writing before any work starts. Call (831) 228-3330 for a free, written estimate.
We Also Serve Cities Near San Rafael
Our Roofing Company team covers San Rafael and the surrounding communities, including San Anselmo, Richmond, San Pablo, and Pinole. If you’re in one of those areas and need a written quote with the same warranty and clean-up standards, call (831) 228-3330.
Serving San Rafael, CA - Our Local Coverage Area
We’re based in the San Rafael 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 Roofing Company in San Rafael
Marin County requires a 130 mph wind rating for most hillside and ridgeline exposure zones in San Rafael. Proof comes from the manufacturer’s installation specification sheet, the inspector’s field verification of the nailing pattern, and a final sign-off on the permit. The inspector checks the underlayment and nailing pattern in at least two stages before we close it up.
No. In a Fire Hazard Severity Zone, going over original wood shake violates the requirement for a Class A fire-rated assembly, which starts at the decking. The county will reject the overlay. More importantly, your insurance company can deny a claim or drop the policy. Tear-off to decking is mandatory here. Call (831) 228-3330 for a quote that includes it from the start.
Steep hillside roofs in Sun Valley need a full ice and water shield along all eaves and in every valley, plus six nails per shingle. That’s the Marin County wind zone requirement. Without that underlayment, wind-driven rain pushes water up under the shingles and into the attic. We install GAF StormGuard on those sections and document it in the permit file.
A permitted re-roof with documented wind-rated installation gives your insurer proof the roof met code at the time of installation. After a wind or hail claim, that usually means the payout reflects full replacement cost rather than depreciated value, and some insurers apply a discount once the roof is on record. The permit ledger and inspection sign-offs are the proof. Without them, the claim becomes a fight.
Flat Eichler-style roofs use perimeter edge flashing and internal scupper drains instead of the step flashing and drip edge you’d see on a sloped shingle roof. The flashing has to tie into the built-in gutter system and handle standing water at the edges. If the metal is the wrong gauge or the laps are short, wind-driven rain gets under the membrane. We replace edge flashing and test the drainage on every flat roof job in San Rafael, not just on the ones that are already leaking.
Written by Erik Lindgren, Owner at Birchbark Roofing San Francisco, serving San Rafael and Marin County.