Kentfield Wood Siding

There's a reason so many Kentfield homes wear wood. Cedar and redwood clapboard, shingle and shake, board-and-batten — natural wood siding belongs to the woodsy character of the Ross Valley, the tree-shaded lots, the custom homes tucked into Kent Woodlands. Nothing imitates it quite convincingly, it's renewable, and a good wood wall can be repaired board by board rather than replaced wholesale. For the right home and the right owner, it's still the material.

Bay Area Siding Company installs and restores wood siding across Marin from Larkspur, minutes from Kentfield. This page is candid about what wood asks of you in this particular climate, because Kentfield is one of the more demanding places in the Bay Area to keep it healthy. For the full material comparison, see the Kentfield siding replacement overview.

Considering wood? Call (415) 619-5167 or request an estimate.

The case for real wood here

Wood's appeal is aesthetic and it's real. On a period cottage near College of Marin or an architect-designed house on the slopes, cedar or redwood reads as authentic in a way no engineered product fully matches — depth of grain, the way it takes a stain, the way it weathers. Redwood and western red cedar are also naturally more rot- and insect-resistant than most softwoods, which is part of why they've lasted on Marin homes for generations. And because it's dimensional lumber, damaged sections can be swapped and blended rather than triggering a full re-side.

Wood is also the most repairable and, when maintained, the most timeless-looking option — which is exactly why owners who love their home's character keep choosing it over lower-maintenance substitutes.

The two honest costs of wood in Kentfield

Wood's trade-offs are sharper here than almost anywhere, and we'd rather you hear it plainly.

Maintenance. Kentfield records one of the highest annual rainfall totals in the Bay Area, and its shaded, creek-valley air keeps walls damp long after the rain stops. That's the toughest environment for a wood finish. Paint and stain don't last as long here as in a drier town, and letting the finish lapse is how rot and mildew get started — especially on north and creek-facing walls. Wood siding in Kentfield is a commitment to a repaint/re-stain cycle, kept ahead of, not caught up on. If that upkeep isn't for you, LP SmartSide gives a wood look with far less maintenance, and fiber cement holds paint longer.

Fire. This is the bigger one on the slopes. The wooded parcels climbing toward Kent Woodlands carry genuine wildfire exposure, and Cal Fire's updated Fire Hazard Severity Zone maps are moving through local review and adoption across Marin. Solid wood is combustible, and where a parcel falls under a fire-hazard designation, California Building Code Chapter 7A can steer exterior cladding toward noncombustible or ignition-resistant materials — which can limit or rule out wood on a hillside lot. Whether Chapter 7A applies depends entirely on your specific parcel and scope, so we confirm it with Marin County before speccing wood on a fire-exposed home. On the lower-exposure valley floor, that constraint often eases. We'll tell you honestly where your parcel likely falls and let the County confirm it.

Getting wood to last in a wet valley

Wood that's installed and detailed well outlasts wood that's just nailed up. On a re-side we remove the old cladding to the sheathing and substrate, inspect and repair any concealed rot, install a proper water-resistive barrier, and detail the flashing and clearances at grade, decks, windows, and every transition — the places creek-valley moisture attacks first. Framing is only involved if the sheathing itself has failed. We back-prime where appropriate, keep proper gaps and clearances, and finish for the climate. That detailing is the difference between wood that ages gracefully and wood that fails in a few wet winters.

Kentfield is unincorporated, so permitting runs through the Marin County Community Development Agency, Building and Safety Division at the San Rafael Civic Center. Kent Woodlands homes may also face design review through the property owners association — which, for wood, can cut both ways on approved species, profiles, and finishes. Tell us early.

What affects the cost

We price after seeing the walls, not online. Wood species (cedar vs. redwood, clear vs. knotty grades), profile (clapboard, shingle, board-and-batten), the size and height of the home, hillside access, how much concealed rot appears once the wall is open, the finish system, whether trim and windows are integrated, and any County or association review all move the number.

Frequently asked questions

Is wood siding a bad idea in a climate this wet? Not a bad idea — a high-maintenance one. Cedar and redwood have natural rot resistance, and with correct flashing, clearances, and a kept-up finish, wood lasts in Kentfield. But the repaint/re-stain cycle comes sooner here than in a dry town. If you don't want that upkeep, engineered wood or fiber cement gives a similar look with less work.

Can I have wood siding on a Kent Woodlands hillside home? It depends on the parcel. Solid wood is combustible, and where a fire-hazard designation applies, Chapter 7A may steer you toward noncombustible cladding. We confirm your parcel's designation and scope with Marin County — and check association design review — before recommending wood on a fire-exposed lot.

Can you repair my existing wood siding instead of replacing it all? Often, yes. One of wood's advantages is that damaged boards or shingles can be replaced and blended. If the failure is localized and the rest is sound, we repair and refinish rather than re-side.

Which lasts longer here, cedar or redwood? Both are naturally rot- and insect-resistant and both do well when maintained. The bigger factors are grade, correct detailing, and staying ahead of the finish. We'll talk through species and grade for your home and exposure.

Get a wood siding estimate for your Kentfield home

Call (415) 619-5167 or request an estimate. We'll give you the honest picture on maintenance and fire for your parcel, compare wood with lower-upkeep alternatives, and handle any County or association review. See our project gallery and the Marin service area.