Bay Area Siding Company is based right in town, on Magnolia Avenue, and we re-side homes across every part of Larkspur — the shaded redwood canyons above Madrone and Baltimore, the hillside lots below King Mountain, and the flats near Corte Madera Creek. Full siding replacement is our core work: we strip the old cladding, look hard at what's behind it, rebuild the weather barrier and flashing, and install the new system to the manufacturer's specification.

Thinking about a re-side? Request an estimate or call (415) 619-5167 and we'll walk the exterior with you.

When patching stops being worth it

Larkspur is tough on wall assemblies in two different ways. In the wooded canyons, damp shade and slow-drying redwood duff keep moisture against the walls for months; down near the creek, marine air and tidal humidity do the same at sea level. Both conditions punish tired siding. These are the signals that a wall is asking for replacement rather than one more repair:

• Boards that cup, split, or feel spongy when you press on them
• Fresh paint that blisters or peels within a season or two
• Dark staining, moss, or a persistent musty note along the north and shaded elevations
• Caulk and joints you re-seal every year that keep opening back up
• Original T1-11, hardboard, or thin aluminum that has simply run out its life

One of these might be a repair. Several of them together usually mean the problem is behind the siding, not on it.

Why we tear off rather than side over the top

Adding a new layer over failing cladding buries the questions that actually decide whether your wall stays dry: Is the sheathing sound? Is there a working water-resistive barrier? Was the flashing at windows and transitions ever done right? On a Larkspur canyon home that has spent decades in the damp, those answers matter more than the finish you see. Covering over also traps moisture and piles weight onto the wall. Tearing off costs more at the start and leaves you with an assembly that's correct from the sheathing outward — which is the point.

Picking the right material for your exposure

We install several systems and would rather talk them through against your specific lot than push one answer. A shaded canyon elevation and a sunny hillside face are two different problems. Starting points:

• James Hardie fiber cement — noncombustible and dimensionally stable in damp air; see our Larkspur James Hardie page for the fire-zone and product detail
• Fiber cement generally — the wider category, including other makers
• LP SmartSide — engineered wood, treated for moisture and pests
• Vinyl siding — a lower-upkeep choice where it suits the home
• CertainTeed and natural wood — when the look or a historic elevation calls for them

If any part of your property sits on a wooded slope, the material conversation isn't only about appearance and maintenance — fire exposure comes into it too, which we get into below.

What to expect: our process

1. Consultation — we look at the existing walls, note your exposures, and talk goals and budget.
2. Measure and spec — exact field measurements and a written scope for the job.
3. Permit — we pull the City of Larkspur building permit and handle any design-review or WUI steps your parcel triggers.
4. Tear-off and inspection — the old siding comes off and we assess sheathing, framing, and any concealed rot before new material goes up.
5. Weather barrier and flashing — a water-resistive barrier and correct flashing at every opening and transition, detailed for a damp climate.
6. Install to spec — new siding fastened and set per the manufacturer's published instructions.
7. Finish and walkthrough — trim, caulk, cleanup, and a final review together.

Larkspur-specific things to know

Your permit runs through the City, not the County. Larkspur operates its own Building Division within the Community Development Department, working from the 2025 California Building, Residential, Energy, and Fire codes as amended by the Larkspur Municipal Code. The city treats re-siding as permitted work — it lists like-for-like siding replacement among the jobs that still need a permit — so plan on one. We file it for you.

Wooded slopes and fire zones. Larkspur's canyon and hillside neighborhoods carry real wildfire exposure, and the fire authority here is Central Marin Fire, which adopted California's updated Fire Hazard Severity Zone maps in 2025. Where a parcel falls in a High or Very High zone or the Wildland-Urban Interface, California Building Code Chapter 7A shapes what the exterior wall can be — generally steering toward noncombustible or ignition-resistant assemblies. Whether and how it applies depends on your address, the product, and the scope, so we confirm the designation with the City and Central Marin Fire rather than guess. If you're up a canyon, mention it early; it changes the material shortlist.

Downtown and the flats. The Magnolia Avenue core is a designated historic district (on the National Register since 1982), and homes in and around it can sit under design-review or heritage sensitivities, especially if a re-side changes the look. Nearer Corte Madera Creek — Larkspur Plaza Drive, the Marina and Riviera Circle — low elevation and king tides mean walls live with tidal damp, so drainage and clearance detailing earn their keep.

Doing more than the walls? We also handle window replacement in Larkspur, and you can see the wider region on our Marin service area page. Finished jobs live in the project gallery.

What affects the cost

No two Larkspur re-sides price the same. The real drivers are how much concealed repair the tear-off uncovers, the number of stories and how reachable the walls are on a sloped lot, the siding system and finish you choose, whether a fire-zone assembly is required for your parcel, and any design-review steps in the historic area. We price it after we've seen the walls, not before.

Frequently asked questions

Do I need a permit to replace siding in Larkspur? Yes. The City of Larkspur's Building Division requires a permit for siding replacement, including like-for-like work, under the codes it enforces locally. We pull it and manage any added design-review or fire-area steps.

My house is up a canyon — does that limit my siding choices? It can. Canyon and hillside parcels may fall in a High or Very High Fire Hazard Severity Zone or the WUI, where Chapter 7A favors noncombustible or ignition-resistant walls. We confirm your parcel's status with the City and Central Marin Fire before speccing anything.

Is it better to re-side over the old material or tear it off? For Larkspur's older, damp-exposed homes we almost always tear off. It's the only way to check the sheathing, barrier, and flashing and fix what's wrong underneath instead of sealing it in.

How long will the job take? It depends on the home's size, the material, what the tear-off reveals, and permitting. We give you a realistic window once we've measured and scoped.

Get started

Let's get your Larkspur re-side moving the right way. Request an estimate or call Bay Area Siding Company at (415) 619-5167 — we're local, on Magnolia Avenue, and happy to come look.