● Your local San Rafael & Marin County roofing team Open 7 days a week · (628) 202-3250
San Rafael Roofing ProsResidential & Commercial ↗ Talk to a pro(628) 202-3250
Aerial view of San Rafael rooftops — red tile and shingle roofs on the Marin hills above the bay
San Rafael’s Local Roofing Team

Roofing in San Rafael, CA — both sides of the hill.

Puerto Suello Hill splits this city in two, and the roofs split with it: 1880s Victorians and tile roofs on the 94901 side, some 900 Eichlers and mid-century homes on the 94903 side. We work on both — Eichler foam and low-slope roofs, tile lift-and-relay, shingle repair and replacement — and we start every job the same way: a free inspection with photos, and a number in writing.

Call (628) 202-3250 → Get a free inspection ↓
94901 · 94903Both sides of Puerto Suello Hill 32–34 inchesAverage yearly rainfall (NOAA)
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Photos with every inspection

You see what we see, before you decide

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Your number in writing

Priced from your roof — never an average

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Permits handled

San Rafael requires one for replacement

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Fire-ready materials

Class A assemblies for WUI streets

A mission-style tower and Victorian homes on a tree-lined San Rafael street below Mount Tamalpais
Your Local San Rafael Roofers

In the City With a Mission, Roofs Are a Serious Business

San Rafael is the City With a Mission — founded around Mission San Rafael Arcángel in 1817, still the county seat, still watched over by Frank Lloyd Wright’s Civic Center and Mount Tamalpais. It is also a city of old roofs. The median San Rafael home was built in 1967, and about three out of four homes here went up before 1980. Roofs installed when Terra Linda was new are not “getting old” — they are on their second or third life by now, and the Pacific storms rolling off San Pablo Bay test every seam of them.

That is the work we do. San Rafael Roofing Pros is based right here at 1101 Andersen Drive — roof repair, replacement, inspections, gutters, and storm response for both sides of the hill, from the Canal District to Lucas Valley.

  • Free inspection, with photos of everything we find
  • Written quotes — repairs, replacement, and the honest middle option
  • Permits pulled through the City’s online OpenGov portal
  • Class A fire-rated assemblies in the city’s wildfire zones
San Rafael Roofing ProsLocally owned & operated — 1101 Andersen Dr, Unit J, San Rafael, CA 94901
What We Do

Roofing Services in San Rafael

Six services, one standard: we show you the problem with photos before we quote you the fix.

Roof RepairReplacementInspectionGuttersStorm DamageNew Roofs
Local Roofing Excellence

Why Homeowners Trust Our San Rafael Roofing Team

Plenty of out-of-town contractors advertise roofing in San Rafael. We work here — we know how a December storm stacks water in Terra Linda’s valleys, how tile underlayment ages out in Peacock Gap while the tile still looks new, and which hillside streets the fire map has marked. That firsthand knowledge is what a trust section is supposed to be about.

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Based Here, Not Visiting

Our office, crews, and materials are at 1101 Andersen Dr in San Rafael. We roof one city and its Marin neighbors — Terra Linda foam, Gerstle Park Victorians, Peacock Gap tile — because this is home territory, not a line on a service-area map.

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Inspections That End in Writing

Every free inspection closes with photos and one of three verdicts: fix now, watch it, or leave it alone. If your roof has years left, the report says so — with the evidence attached.

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Permits Pulled, Paperwork Clean

San Rafael requires a building permit for roof replacements. We file through the city’s OpenGov portal, meet the inspectors, and keep the documentation your future resale report will ask about.

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Class A in the Fire Zones

Roughly 1,800 San Rafael parcels sit in High fire-severity zones, with about 4,100 more in Moderate. Where the WUI map requires it, we build full Class A assemblies with ember-resistant vents — and we verify your parcel before materials are discussed.

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Quotes With the Math Shown

Repair or replace is a numbers question, so our written quotes show both numbers, itemized — size, pitch, layers, deck condition, material. No phone-call pricing, and no day-two surprises.

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Storm Help From In Town

When an atmospheric river finds the weak detail, stopping the water is the first job — and the photo documentation your insurance claim needs starts on that same visit, not after the cleanup.

Call Before It Gets Worse

Common Roof Problems We Repair Across San Rafael

San Rafael roofs take a beating from both directions: winter atmospheric rivers that find every weak flashing detail, and long dry summers that bake sealant and age foam coatings. Here are the calls we run most often — and how we shut each one down.

Ask a pro →
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Water coming in at the Eichler downspout seams

It is the classic Terra Linda call. Eichler foam and built-up roofs move differently than the metal downspouts and flashing tied into them, and the seam between the two is where the water gets in — often small, often fixable without a re-roof when it is caught early. If your ceiling stain sits below a downspout line, that seam is suspect number one.

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Drainage that fails when the rain arrives all at once

San Rafael averages roughly 32 to 34 inches of rain a year (NOAA), but it does not fall gently — it arrives in atmospheric rivers, a season’s worth in a few storms. In December 1995, 8.74 inches fell in a single day. Drainage sized for drizzle fails in that weather, which is why we check gutters, scuppers, and ponding on every low-slope roof we touch.

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Tile roof leaking with perfect-looking tile

Clay and concrete tile can last 50 to 100 years — but the underlayment beneath it lasts 20 to 30. When a Peacock Gap or Dominican tile roof starts leaking, the tile is usually innocent. The fix is lift-and-relay: we lift and save your tile, replace the underlayment and flashing, and relay the same tile — the right job at a fraction of a full replacement.

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Moss and shade eating the north slope

San Rafael is not the fog belt — but a north-facing slope under oak, bay, or redwood canopy stays wet long after the street dries. Moss lifts shingle edges and holds moisture against the roof. We clear it, treat it, and check the shingles underneath, because the moss is the symptom, not the disease.

San Rafael Neighborhoods

Roofs Age Differently on the Two Sides of Puerto Suello Hill

94903

Terra Linda & Lucas Valley

Around 900 Eichlers went up in Terra Linda between 1955 and 1965, with several hundred more in Lucas Valley — low-pitch roofs, original tar-and-gravel, most re-covered in foam or TPO since. Our specialty up here: foam condition, downspout seams, and knowing when a recoat is honest and when it is not.

94901

Gerstle Park, the West End & Montecito

The city’s oldest housing — 1880s-to-1910s Victorians and Craftsman homes with steep pitches, layered tear-offs, and chimneys that have outlived several roofs. Detail work matters here: flashing, valleys, and matching a historic profile.

94901

Peacock Gap, Loch Lomond & Glenwood

Bay-side streets where tile roofs and view homes meet salt air and the city’s fire-severity zones. Tile underlayment age and Class A assemblies are the two conversations we have most out here.

94901

The Canal & Santa Venetia

The Canal is the city’s densest neighborhood — 1950s-to-1970s multifamily buildings close to sea level, where flat-roof drainage and flood-season readiness decide everything. Santa Venetia’s levee-side streets share the same low-slope, drainage-first logic.

94901

Dominican & San Rafael Hill

Around Dominican University (founded 1890), the mix is older homes, tile roofs, and shaded hillside streets under oak canopy — underlayment checks and moss control are the standing orders.

Searching for “roofing near me” anywhere in central Marin? Our only base is 1101 Andersen Dr in San Rafael — in town for every San Rafael roof, and about 4–9 miles from each of the towns below.

Also On Roofs In
Roofing Novato Roofing San Anselmo Roofing Fairfax Roofing Larkspur Roofing Corte Madera Roofing Mill Valley
ZIP 94901ZIP 94903
Real Numbers

What Does a Roof Cost in San Rafael?

Honest answer: it depends on your roof — but here are the published Marin County ranges we quote against, with their sources, so you can sanity-check any bid, including ours.

JobPublished rangeSource
Roof repair (typical)$974 – $2,697 · avg $1,835Angi, San Francisco market (Bay Area proxy)
Leak repair$700 – $3,100Angi, San Francisco market
Shingle roof replacement$18,000 – $38,000Lifetime Roofing, Marin County guide
Replacement, all materials$18,000 – $45,000Hamilton Exteriors, Marin guide
Tear-off & replace, per sq ftShingle $9 · Tile $14 · Metal $21Marina Bay Roofing, Marin table
Flat roof (TPO/PVC), residential$15,000 – $28,000Lifetime Roofing, Bay Area guide

And two real Marin jobs, published as case studies: a Mill Valley replacement at $26,000, and a Corte Madera project (roof, solar prep, deck and gutters) at $41,500. That spread is the honest picture — a straightforward Terra Linda re-roof and a hillside tile job are simply different animals.

A note on honesty: no San Rafael-specific Angi average exists, so the repair figures above are the San Francisco market — the closest published proxy. Anyone quoting you a “San Rafael average” to the dollar is making it up. Your number comes from your inspection, in writing.

Permits, Fire Zones & Resale

The Paperwork Side of a San Rafael Roof

Do I need a permit to replace my roof?

Yes. San Rafael expressly requires a building permit for roof replacements, and the Building Division runs fully online through OpenGov — permits, plan review, and inspections. We pull the permit, schedule the inspections, and keep the paperwork with your job file.

Is my home in a fire-severity zone?

Possibly. Roughly 1,800 San Rafael parcels sit in High and about 4,100 in Moderate Fire Hazard Severity Zones. In the WUI, California requires Class A fire-rated roof assemblies (CRC R902 / Chapter 7A). We check your parcel before we spec materials — not after.

Selling soon? Your roof is in the report

San Rafael requires a Residential Building Report (RBR) at resale, and roof condition is one of the first things buyers and their inspectors look at. A documented inspection before you list beats a surprise credit negotiation after.

Local FAQs

Roofing Questions San Rafael Homeowners Ask Us

01 How much does a roof replacement cost in San Rafael?

Published Marin County guides put shingle replacement at $18,000–$38,000 (Lifetime Roofing) and $18,000–$45,000 across all materials (Hamilton Exteriors). Per-square-foot tear-off pricing in Marin runs about $9 for shingle, $14 for tile, and $21 for metal (Marina Bay Roofing). Your exact number depends on size, pitch, layers, and material — we give it in writing after a free inspection.

02 My Eichler roof is foam. How long should it last, and when does it need recoating?

Foam roofs live or die by their coating. Published recoat intervals vary widely — treat any single number with suspicion. What is certain: once the coating thins, UV breaks the foam down quickly. Our inspection checks coating condition and the seams at downspouts and penetrations, and we will tell you plainly whether a recoat buys you years or just delays a re-roof.

03 My tile roof leaks, but the tiles look fine. Do I need a new roof?

Usually not. Tile itself lasts 50–100 years; the underlayment under it lasts 20–30. The standard fix is lift-and-relay — lift and keep your tile, replace underlayment and flashing, relay the same tile. It solves the leak at a fraction of full replacement cost.

04 Do I need a permit for a roof replacement in San Rafael?

Yes — the City of San Rafael expressly requires a building permit for roof replacements, processed online through OpenGov. Small repairs generally do not. We handle the permit and inspections for every replacement we install.

05 When is the best time of year to replace a roof in San Rafael?

The dry season — roughly late April through October — is when replacements schedule fastest and weather delays are rare. Repairs and inspections run year-round, and storm work runs whenever the storm says so. If your roof is near the end, booking the replacement before the November–April rains beats shopping during them.

06 How do I know if my home needs a Class A fire-rated roof?

About 1,800 San Rafael parcels are in High and 4,100 in Moderate Fire Hazard Severity Zones (CAL FIRE mapping). If your parcel is in the WUI, California code (CRC R902 / Chapter 7A) requires a Class A assembly. Tell us your address and we will check the map before quoting materials.

07 I searched for “roofing near me” — are you actually based in San Rafael?

Yes. Our only base is 1101 Andersen Dr, Unit J, San Rafael — the crews, the materials, and the office are all here. That puts us in town for every San Rafael neighborhood and about 4–9 miles from Novato, San Anselmo, Fairfax, Larkspur, Corte Madera, and Mill Valley, so a “near me” search anywhere in central Marin lands on a local crew that actually works out of San Rafael — not a dispatch center two counties away. Inspections are free across all of it.

Find Us

Based in San Rafael — 1101 Andersen Dr

Our office and crews run out of Andersen Drive, minutes from downtown and the 101 — which is how the whole of central Marin stays inside one short drive.

Ready When You Are

Not Sure What Your Roof Needs? Start With a Look.

The inspection is free, the photos are yours, and the quote is in writing — whether the answer is a small repair, a lift-and-relay, or a full replacement. Call us, or send the form below and we will call you.

Call (628) 202-3250 → Request a free inspection ↓
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