Millbrae has a window problem most Peninsula towns don't share to the same degree: it sits right up against San Francisco International Airport, and much of the city lives under the arrival and departure paths. Bay Area Siding Company installs replacement and new-construction windows for Millbrae homeowners — from the flatland tracts near El Camino to the older streets climbing into the Highlands — and we spec them for the two things that matter most here: energy performance and keeping aircraft noise out. We're a Larkspur-based siding and window contractor, and we handle measuring, glazing selection, permitting, removal, flashing and air-sealing, and the final walkthrough.

Ready to move forward? Request an estimate or call (415) 619-5167.

Signs your windows are due

Millbrae's postwar housing stock left a lot of original aluminum and early dual-pane windows in place, and they tend to give themselves away:

• A failed seal — fog or haze trapped between the panes that no cleaning removes
• Drafts and cold glass even with the sash shut, common on old single-pane aluminum
• Sashes that stick, drop, or won't lock, from worn hardware or swollen frames
• Aircraft noise that carries straight through — thin glass and leaky frames do almost nothing against overflights
• Rot, soft sills, or water staining at the frame or surround

When several of these line up, replacement usually beats another round of repairs.

The Millbrae angle: windows and SFO noise

This is the decision Millbrae homeowners weigh that others don't. Because the city borders SFO and much of it falls within the airport's influence area, aircraft noise is a real, daily consideration — Millbrae's own General Plan addresses it, points to the SFO Airport Land Use Compatibility Plan, and sets interior-noise goals for homes in the higher noise contours. Windows are the weakest link in a wall for sound, so the glass package is where the gains are.

What actually moves the needle:

• Laminated glass. An acoustic interlayer between two panes damps the sound frequencies aircraft produce far better than standard glass of the same thickness. It's the single most effective window upgrade against overflight noise.
• Asymmetric (unequal-thickness) panes. Using two different glass thicknesses in one insulated unit disrupts the frequencies that pass through matched panes — a proven noise-control trick.
• A tight, well-flashed install. Even the best glass underperforms if air leaks around the frame; sound follows the same gaps water does, so the air-seal is part of the acoustic result.
• Frame and weatherstripping quality. A solid frame with good seals keeps both conditioned air and noise where they belong.

Whether your home is in a higher noise contour depends on its exact location relative to the flight paths, so we'll talk through how far to push the acoustic spec for your address rather than over-building every opening.

What else to weigh in a replacement window

• Energy performance. Dual-pane insulated glass with a Low-E coating is the baseline. California's Title 24 energy code sets maximum U-factor and SHGC values for replacement windows, and those figures shift by climate zone and code cycle — so the units need to meet the code in force when you pull the permit, which we confirm rather than assume.
• Frame material. Vinyl, fiberglass, aluminum-clad wood, and aluminum each balance cost, thermal performance, and looks differently. Millbrae's mid-century and ranch homes can take a clean modern profile; the Spanish, Mission, and Tudor homes up in the Highlands often look right with a frame that respects the original openings.
• Retrofit vs. new-construction. A retrofit (insert) keeps the existing frame and is less invasive; a new-construction install goes down to the framing so flashing can be fully renewed — the better call where there's rot or water intrusion. We do both.

Comparing brands? Start at our window hub, then read the specifics for Anlin, Milgard, Andersen, Marvin, and Pella. We also install aluminum windows.

What to expect: our process

1. Consultation — we look at the existing windows, the openings, and your priorities, noise included.
2. Measure — precise field measurements for every opening.
3. Product and glazing selection — frame, Low-E glass package, and any acoustic or laminated upgrade, spec'd to meet Title 24.
4. Permit — the City of Millbrae Building Division requires a building permit for window replacement; we handle it.
5. Removal and prep — old units out, openings checked for rot or damage.
6. Install, flashing, and air-seal — set level and plumb, then flashed and sealed against both water and air.
7. Finish and walkthrough — trim, caulk, an operation check, and cleanup with you.

Millbrae-specific things to know

Permits. Millbrae issues its own building permits through the City Building Division, and window replacement requires one. Because California treats window replacement as an alteration under the Energy Code, a Title 24 compliance form is part of the submittal; we prepare it and carry the permit.

Fire-zone glazing on the west side. The 2025 State Fire Marshal maps, adopted by the City and administered with the Central County Fire Department, placed parts of Millbrae's western hillside — toward the Highlands and Mills Estates — in fire hazard severity zones. Where Chapter 7A applies to a parcel, exterior glazing in the wildland-urban interface can face added requirements, such as multi-pane units with tempered glazing. Whether that reaches your project depends on your parcel and whether the work is a repair or an alteration, so we confirm it as part of scoping. Flatland homes to the east generally aren't affected.

Older housing stock. Millbrae's ranch, mid-century, and Highlands homes frequently still carry their original aluminum or early dual-pane windows, so the jump to a modern Low-E, laminated unit is felt on both the energy bill and the noise floor at once.

Also looking at the exterior envelope? We install James Hardie siding and handle siding replacement in Millbrae, and we serve the wider Peninsula. See finished work in our project gallery.

What affects the cost

We don't quote prices online because every job is different. The drivers are the number and size of openings; frame material and brand; retrofit vs. new-construction; how far you take the acoustic/laminated glass spec; whether fire-zone tempered or multi-pane glazing applies to your parcel; the condition of the existing framing (rot repair adds scope); and access, since upper-story and hillside openings take more setup.

Frequently asked questions

Will new windows really cut the aircraft noise in my Millbrae home? They can make a clear difference. Laminated acoustic glass and unequal-thickness panes, paired with a tight air-seal, target the frequencies overflights produce. How far to push the spec depends on where your home sits relative to the SFO flight paths, which we assess before ordering.

Do I need a permit to replace windows in Millbrae? Yes. The City of Millbrae Building Division requires a building permit for window replacement, and a Title 24 energy compliance form is part of the submittal. We handle both.

I'm on the Millbrae hillside — do my windows need to be tempered? Possibly, if the work is classed as an alteration on a designated fire-hazard parcel. In the wildland-urban interface, Chapter 7A can require multi-pane glazing with tempered glass. The exact requirement depends on your parcel and scope, which we confirm before ordering.

Retrofit or new-construction — which install do I need? Retrofit is less invasive and keeps the existing frame; new-construction goes to the framing so flashing can be fully renewed, which is the right call where there's rot or water damage. We assess each opening and recommend.

Get started

Get replacement windows sized, spec'd, and installed right the first time — quiet, efficient, and code-compliant. Request an estimate or call Bay Area Siding Company at (415) 619-5167.