Concord Wood Siding

There's a reason some Concord homeowners won't consider anything but real wood: nothing else quite reproduces the shadow line of a cedar clapboard, the way redwood shakes silver as they weather, or the crisp verticality of board-and-batten on a farmhouse elevation. It's a legitimate choice, and Bay Area Siding Company, a Larkspur-based siding and window contractor, installs natural wood siding across Concord. We install it with an honest conversation up front, though, because in this particular inland climate — and on certain parcels near the hills — wood asks more of you than any other material. Go in knowing that, and wood can be exactly right.

Set on real wood? Call (415) 619-5167 or request a bid.

The forms wood takes

"Wood siding" is really a family of very different looks:

• Clapboard / bevel lap — the classic horizontal profile, in cedar or redwood, that reads as traditional California and Bay Area craftsman; at home on the older homes near downtown and Todos Santos Plaza.
• Shingle and shake — for cottage and rustic looks; shakes are thicker with a hand-split feel, shingles thinner and more uniform.
• Board-and-batten — vertical boards with narrow battens over the seams, suited to farmhouse, barn-style, and modern-rustic elevations.

Cedar and redwood are the workhorses because both carry natural oils that give them a head start against decay — a genuine advantage over commodity softwoods, though not immunity.

The honest reckoning: what wood costs you over time

This is the part we won't soften. Wood is the highest-maintenance cladding we install, and Concord's climate makes that maintenance non-negotiable rather than optional.

• Finish upkeep. Paint or stain is the only thing between your wood and the weather, and Concord's intense summer UV breaks down a finish faster than it would on the coast. Expect a real repaint or re-stain cycle — skip it and the wood pays for it quickly.
• Rot and moisture. Even cedar and redwood will rot if water gets in and lingers — at the base of walls, behind failed caulk, at end grain. Wet Concord winters find every gap.
• Pests. Untreated wood invites termites and other wood-boring insects in a way cement board and vinyl never do.
• Higher up-front cost, too. Quality cedar and redwood are premium materials, and installing them well is skilled labor.

None of this disqualifies wood. It means wood rewards an owner who genuinely enjoys keeping a house and will hold the finish current. If that's you, wood is a joy. If the honest answer is "I'd rather not think about it," an engineered look-alike will make you happier.

The fire question — take this one seriously

There is one factor in Concord that can move wood off the table for certain homes. Most of the city is flat valley floor with no fire-zone designation, and there wood is fully available. But Cal Fire's updated maps, adopted locally in 2025, place High and in spots Very High Fire Hazard Severity Zones along Concord's southeastern edges — around and south of Ygnacio Valley Road near the Cal State East Bay campus, Crystyl Ranch, and the slopes bordering Lime Ridge and Thurgood Marshall Regional Park, under the Contra Costa County Fire Protection District (Con Fire). Wood is combustible — the single most combustible cladding choice — and on a parcel where California Building Code Chapter 7A governs the exterior wall, natural wood siding generally isn't the appropriate material; the code points toward noncombustible or tested ignition-resistant assemblies, which is where fiber cement comes in. Whether Chapter 7A applies depends on your parcel designation and scope, and we confirm that with the City before speccing anything. If you're near those hills, we'll tell you honestly why wood may not be an option; if you're in the flat established neighborhoods, it's open to you.

If wood isn't the fit — the look-alikes

Plenty of homeowners want the wood look but not the wood commitment. Two products get you most of the way:

• LP SmartSide — engineered wood with genuine grain, far better rot and pest resistance, and much lighter maintenance (still combustible, so the fire caveat applies).
• Fiber cement — cement board in wood-grain lap and shingle profiles: noncombustible, dimensionally stable, and low-upkeep, the usual answer for a fire-zone parcel that still wants a wood aesthetic.

We're glad to set samples side by side with real cedar so you can judge the trade-off honestly. The broader material decision lives on the Concord siding replacement page.

Installing wood to last

Wood's longevity is made or lost at installation. After the old cladding comes off, we inspect the sheathing and substrate, confirm the water-resistive barrier, and correct flashing at windows, doors, and penetrations. New wood is then installed with proper clearances above grade and roofline, back-priming or all-sides finishing where called for, correct fastening, and detailing that lets the wall shed water and dry out. A first-rate finish coat is part of the job, not an afterthought. Exterior siding work in Concord is permitted through the City of Concord Building Division, and we handle the permit.

What drives the cost

Wood is a premium material and a skilled install, so both the material and the labor sit above vinyl or engineered wood. The specific drivers: species (cedar vs. redwood vs. others) and grade, the profile (shakes and board-and-batten detail differently than lap), the size and height of the home, how much substrate or dry-rot repair the tear-off reveals, the finish system, and site access. We price after a walkthrough.

FAQ

How much maintenance does wood siding really need in Concord? More than any other material. Concord's strong summer UV shortens the life of any finish, so plan on a regular repaint or re-stain cycle, plus keeping caulk and flashing sound so water can't get behind the boards. Wood rewards a hands-on owner and punishes a hands-off one.

Can I have wood siding near the Lime Ridge or Crystyl Ranch fire edge? Often not. Wood is combustible, and on a Chapter 7A parcel a noncombustible material is generally required. We verify your parcel's designation with the City before speccing — if it applies, we'll steer you to fiber cement in a wood-look profile. Most of Concord's flat neighborhoods aren't in a mapped zone.

Is cedar or redwood better? Both carry natural decay-resistant oils and both look beautiful. The choice usually comes down to availability, grade, budget, and the exact color and grain you want. We'll walk through current options for your project.

What if I want the wood look but not the upkeep? Then engineered wood (LP SmartSide) or wood-grain fiber cement is likely your material. You keep the aesthetic and lose most of the maintenance — and, with fiber cement, gain fire resistance for a fire-zone parcel.

Get a wood siding bid for your Concord home

Call (415) 619-5167 or request a bid. We'll talk through species, profiles, the maintenance reality, and whether the fire zone affects your parcel — then price it. Comparing options? See LP SmartSide, fiber cement, and the full Concord siding replacement overview. We serve Contra Costa County; browse finished exteriors in the project gallery.