Mountain View is a mid-century town at heart. Between the Eichler and Mackay tracts around Monta Loma, the ranch and split-level streets that filled in after the war, and the older bungalows of Old Mountain View, most of the housing here was built with wood or hardboard cladding that has been repainted more times than anyone can count. James Hardie fiber cement is the material a lot of those owners land on when they finally want the repainting to stop — and it can do that without erasing the clean, horizontal lines these houses were designed around.

Bay Area Siding Company is a Larkspur-based siding and window contractor working throughout the South Bay. This page is about where Hardie fits a Mountain View home, how to keep the character of a mid-century or bungalow facade, and what a correct install actually requires.

Thinking about re-siding? Request an estimate or call (415) 619-5167 to talk through your home.

Matching fiber cement to a Mountain View facade

The mistake with fiber cement on an older Valley home is treating it as a generic swap. It doesn't have to read that way. Hardie makes narrow-reveal lap, smooth panel, and board-and-batten profiles that suit different eras of Mountain View housing:

• Eichler and Mackay mid-century homes (Monta Loma's Oakwood, Fairview, and Mardell tracts) lean on flat planes, wide overhangs, and horizontal siding. Smooth panels and tight-reveal lap hold that language far better than a chunky traditional profile.
• Ranch and split-level tracts from the 1950s and 60s take a clean lap siding comfortably, often paired with a panel or batten accent at a gable.
• Old Mountain View bungalows near Castro Street and Downtown carry more trim and texture, where a slightly wider lap and generous trim boards keep the period feel.

Because Hardie's ColorPlus finish is applied at the factory across a large color range, you can hold or update the palette deliberately rather than being stuck with whatever a field crew can spray on site.

Why owners here move off wood and hardboard

Mountain View's climate is mild and dry for most of the year, with a wet stretch in winter and steady sun the rest of the time. That combination is hard on painted wood and on the hardboard and T1-11 that showed up on a lot of Valley tract homes: coatings chalk and fade in the sun, and the wet season finds every split and unsealed edge. The result is a repaint cycle that never really ends.

James Hardie fiber cement is dimensionally stable, resists the moisture and UV swings the Santa Clara Valley delivers, and holds its factory finish far longer than paint on wood. Hardie also builds to regional specifications through its HardieZone system, and California falls in the HZ10 line engineered for hot, dry conditions with seasonal moisture — the correct baseline for a home here. It is a low-maintenance wall, not a no-maintenance one, but the difference over a decade is real.

What a re-side actually involves

A quality James Hardie installation is mostly about what happens before the boards go up. Removing the old cladding — rather than furring over it — is the only way to see and correct what's behind it:

1. Assessment. We look at the existing siding, trim, and the home's profile, and talk through color and budget.
2. Tear-off to the sheathing. With the old cladding off, we can inspect the sheathing/substrate and the wall's water-resistive barrier (WRB) and flashing, and find any concealed dry rot at window corners or wall bases.
3. WRB and flashing. A code-compliant weather-resistive barrier and correct flashing at windows, doors, and penetrations is the system that keeps the wall dry — this detailing matters more than the brand on the boards.
4. Install to Hardie spec. James Hardie publishes required ground, roof, and deck clearances plus fastening and joint details; the product warranty depends on installing to those specs.
5. Finish and walkthrough. Trim, caulk joints, ColorPlus touch-up, cleanup, and a final review with you.

Permits in Mountain View

Re-siding is permitted work here, and Mountain View makes the common case easy: the city's Building Division (Building/Fire Protection, within Community Development) offers a same-day permit to replace exterior siding in the same location — essentially a like-for-like re-side. If you're changing the exterior appearance in a way that goes beyond that, the city encourages a look with the Planning Division before you submit. We handle the permit either way and confirm the path for your specific project.

What drives the cost

No two Valley re-sides price the same. The honest drivers are the size and number of stories on the home; how much concealed substrate repair turns up at tear-off; the Hardie profile and finish (ColorPlus vs. primed for field paint); the amount of trim and detailing an older bungalow carries; and whether you're integrating window replacement at the same time so the flashing can be sequenced together. A walkthrough is the only way to price it honestly.

Warranty

James Hardie backs its fiber cement with a transferable 30-year, non-prorated substrate limited warranty, and its ColorPlus Technology finish carries a 15-year limited warranty against peeling, cracking, and chipping — both contingent on installation to James Hardie's published specifications.

FAQ

Can James Hardie keep the mid-century look of an Eichler or Mackay home? Yes, with deliberate profile and color selection. Smooth panels and tight-reveal lap siding preserve the flat, horizontal lines these homes were designed around, so you get the low maintenance without losing the character.

Do I need a permit to re-side my Mountain View home? Yes. Mountain View's Building Division offers a same-day permit to replace siding in the same location; a change that alters the exterior appearance may warrant a Planning review first. We take care of the permitting.

Is fiber cement worth it over just repainting? If the wood or hardboard underneath is sound, a repaint buys you a few years. If you're on a short repaint cycle, or seeing splits, soft spots, or failed coatings, a Hardie re-side ends the loop and lets us inspect and correct the WRB and flashing while the wall is open.

Which Hardie product line is right for the Valley? The HZ10 line, which James Hardie engineers for California's hot, dry, seasonally wet climate. Specific profiles and colors depend on your home's era and exposure.

Start your Mountain View project

We're based in Larkspur and work across the South Bay. Browse finished work in our project gallery, compare the broader material category on our fiber cement siding hub, or read up on the full James Hardie siding hub. Weighing the whole envelope? See Mountain View siding replacement and Mountain View window replacement.

Call (415) 619-5167 or request an estimate and we'll walk your home, talk profiles and color, and lay out the process.