Millbrae's neighborhoods filled in fast after the war, and a lot of those postwar single-family houses are now wearing their original or second-generation cladding. Bay Area Siding Company is a Larkspur-based siding and window contractor working across the Peninsula, and we take siding replacement start to finish: pulling the old material, checking what's behind it, rebuilding the weather barrier and flashing, and installing new siding to the manufacturer's spec.

Ready to move forward? Request an estimate or call (415) 619-5167 to talk through your Millbrae project.

When it's time to replace, not repair

The tell isn't one bad board — it's a pattern. On Millbrae's ranch and mid-century homes, and the older streets up in the Highlands, these are the symptoms that point to full replacement rather than another repair cycle:

• Boards that cup, split, or feel spongy, and trim that gives when you press it
• Fresh paint that blisters or peels within a season or two
• Caulk and joints you're re-sealing every year just to stay ahead of the fog
• Dark staining, mildew, or a musty note on the inside face of exterior walls
• Aging T1-11, hardboard, or older aluminum that has simply reached the end

Why a tear-off beats siding over the top

Adding a new layer on top of tired siding buries the questions that actually decide how long the wall lasts: is the sheathing sound, is there a working water-resistive barrier, and was the flashing ever detailed correctly? In Millbrae's marine air, moisture that gets trapped behind a cover-up doesn't dry out — it sits. Taking the old cladding off is the only way to see the framing, dry any damp spots, and start the new wall from a known-good surface. It's more work up front and a more honest result.

Choosing a material

We install a range of siding systems and will walk the trade-offs with you at the house. A few starting points:

• James Hardie fiber cement — noncombustible fiber cement; see the Millbrae James Hardie page for the full rundown
• Fiber cement — the wider category across manufacturers
• LP SmartSide — engineered wood with a warmer, milled look
• Vinyl siding — a lower-upkeep choice where the home and budget suit it

We also work in CertainTeed, wood, and aluminum. If your home sits on Millbrae's western hillside, material choice carries a fire-exposure angle too — more on that below.

What to expect: our process

1. Consultation — we walk the exterior, look at what's failing, and talk goals and budget.
2. Measure and spec — exact measurements and a written scope of work.
3. Permit — the City of Millbrae Building Division issues the building permit for altering an exterior wall; we handle the paperwork.
4. Tear-off and substrate inspection — old siding off, then a look at the sheathing and framing before anything new goes up.
5. Weather barrier and flashing — water-resistive barrier and flashing detailed to keep water out at windows, doors, and transitions.
6. Install to spec — new siding hung per the manufacturer's clearance and fastening instructions.
7. Finish and walkthrough — trim, paint or finish, cleanup, and a final review together.

Millbrae-specific things to know

Permits. Millbrae runs its own Building Division, and a building permit is required to alter a structure — re-siding qualifies. Submittals go through the City's permit process rather than the county, and the crew confirms the current code cycle the City is enforcing at application time. We manage that step so you're not chasing it.

The western hillside and fire zones. Millbrae is served by the Central County Fire Department, which also covers Burlingame and Hillsborough. In 2025 the State Fire Marshal's updated Local Responsibility Area maps identified fire hazard severity zones inside Millbrae — moderate, high, and very high — concentrated toward the wildland edge on the west side, near neighborhoods like the Highlands and Mills Estates. Where a parcel carries one of those designations, California Building Code Chapter 7A can shape what exterior materials are allowed, generally steering toward noncombustible or ignition-resistant assemblies. Whether it applies to your address and scope is parcel-specific, so we confirm it with the City and CCFD before speccing rather than assuming either way. Flatland homes east toward El Camino and the BART/Caltrain corridor usually aren't affected.

Climate. Millbrae sits in the Peninsula fog belt, with cool, damp marine air pushing through the San Bruno Gap much of the year. That's a moisture-and-mildew climate more than a heat climate, which puts the weight on drainage, back-ventilation, and flashing detail — the parts of the wall that keep the assembly drying out between fog cycles.

Doing windows at the same time? See Millbrae window replacement. You can browse finished work in our project gallery or read more about the wider Peninsula service area.

What affects the cost

There's no online price because no two re-sides are the same. The real drivers are the home's size and number of stories, hillside access and staging on the west-side lots, how much substrate repair turns up once the old siding is off, the material and finish you choose, whether fire-zone assembly detailing applies to your parcel, and whether windows or trim are being integrated at the same time. We price it after we've measured and seen the walls.

Frequently asked questions

Do I need a permit to replace siding in Millbrae? Yes. The City of Millbrae Building Division requires a building permit to alter an exterior wall, which a re-side is. We prepare and carry the permit for you.

My house is on the Millbrae hillside — does that limit my material options? It can. Parcels the 2025 fire hazard severity zone maps place in a designated zone may be subject to Chapter 7A, which favors noncombustible or ignition-resistant exterior materials. We confirm your parcel's designation with the City and Central County Fire Department before recommending a material.

Is it worth tearing off, or can I just re-side over what's there? On Millbrae's older stock we almost always recommend a full tear-off. In this damp marine climate, covering over hides moisture and skips the chance to fix the barrier and flashing that actually protect the wall.

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

Get started

Let's get your Millbrae siding project moving. Call (415) 619-5167 or request an estimate and we'll look at the walls, talk through materials, and lay out the process.