Most Mountain View siding projects start as a decision, not an emergency: the paint isn't holding, a few boards are soft, and the owner is weighing one more repaint against replacing the cladding for good. This page is about making that call well — when re-siding beats another patch, what a full replacement actually gets you, and how the material and permit picture looks for a home here.

Bay Area Siding Company is a Larkspur-based siding and window contractor working across the South Bay. We handle the whole job: tear-off, substrate inspection, weather barrier, flashing, and installation to spec.

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

Re-side or repair? How to tell

A lot of the wood, hardboard, and T1-11 cladding on Mountain View's postwar tracts and Old Mountain View bungalows is at the age where repairs stop being worth it. The signs that tip the decision toward replacement:

• Paint that fails within a year or two no matter how well the prep was done
• Boards that are cracked, cupped, splitting, or flex when you press them
• Soft or swollen material at wall bases and around windows — often hidden water damage
• Hardboard or T1-11 that's delaminating at the edges
• Recurring caulk failures and gaps that keep opening back up

One or two isolated spots may be a repair. A pattern across the walls usually means the cladding is at the end of its service life, and spending on it again mostly buys time.

What a tear-off gets you that a cover-over can't

The tempting shortcut is to fur out and install new siding over the old. It hides the one thing that matters most: the condition of the wall behind the cladding. Removing the existing siding down to the sheathing/substrate is what lets us actually see the water-resistive barrier (WRB) and flashing, find concealed dry rot at window corners and wall bases, and correct details that may never have been done right — flashing at windows and penetrations especially. Covering over also adds weight and can trap moisture against a wall that's already struggling. A full tear-off costs more up front and gives you a wall that's sound and correctly detailed from the sheathing out.

Choosing a material

Replacement is also the moment to reconsider the material. We install several systems and walk through the trade-offs on site:

• James Hardie fiber cement — durable, low-maintenance, holds a factory finish through the Valley's sun-and-wet cycle (the Mountain View James Hardie page goes deeper on profiles and mid-century fit)
• Fiber cement generally — the broader category, other manufacturers included
• LP SmartSide — engineered wood
• Vinyl siding — a lower-maintenance option where it fits the home

We also work with CertainTeed, wood, and aluminum. On Mountain View's mid-century homes the profile matters as much as the material — a clean lap or panel keeps the horizontal lines these houses were built around, where a heavy traditional profile fights them.

Permits in Mountain View

Re-siding is permitted work, and the city keeps the common case simple: Mountain View's Building Division (Building/Fire Protection, within Community Development) offers a same-day permit to replace exterior siding in the same location — a like-for-like re-side. If your project changes the exterior appearance beyond that, the city encourages reviewing the plans with the Planning Division before you submit to Building. We manage the permit and confirm which path your project takes.

How the job goes

The sequence on a straightforward re-side is short: assessment and material selection; permit; tear-off and inspection of the sheathing, WRB, and flashing; any substrate repair found along the way; new weather-resistive barrier and flashing; installation to the manufacturer's specs; then trim, finish, and a walkthrough with you. Timeline depends mostly on the home's size and whatever the tear-off uncovers.

What drives the cost

Every home prices differently. The real drivers are the wall area and number of stories; how much concealed repair turns up once the old cladding is off; the material and finish you choose; the amount of trim and detailing (older bungalows carry more); and whether you're replacing windows at the same time so flashing can be sequenced together. We give you a realistic number after we measure and look at the walls.

FAQ

Do I need a permit to replace siding in Mountain View? Yes, but the common case is easy — the city offers a same-day permit to replace siding in the same location. A project that changes the exterior appearance may warrant a Planning review first. We handle the permitting.

Should I re-side over the old material or tear it off? For older Mountain View homes we recommend tear-off. It's the only way to inspect the sheathing, WRB, and flashing and correct hidden problems; covering over hides them and can trap moisture.

Which material is best for a Mountain View home? It depends on the home and budget. Fiber cement is popular here for its low maintenance and how well it holds a finish through the Valley's climate, but LP SmartSide, vinyl, and wood all have a place. We compare them on site.

How long does a re-side take? It varies with the home's size, the material, any substrate repairs found at tear-off, and the permit. We give you a realistic timeline once we've measured.

Get your Mountain View re-side moving

We're based in Larkspur and serve the South Bay. Browse completed work in the project gallery. Rounding out the exterior? We also do James Hardie siding and window replacement in Mountain View.

Call (415) 619-5167 or request an estimate. We'll look at your walls, talk materials, and lay out the process.