Novato CertainTeed Siding

Most siding decisions are really material decisions — vinyl versus fiber cement versus wood. CertainTeed is a little different, because it's a single manufacturer whose catalog spans several of those materials at once. That's the reason to consider it in Novato: rather than committing to one product family, you can pick the CertainTeed line that fits the specific home — a straightforward insulated vinyl on a ranch, a polymer shake accent on a gable, or their fiber cement where the parcel calls for something noncombustible — and keep it all under one warranty structure. Bay Area Siding Company installs CertainTeed across northern Marin. We install the brand; we don't claim any dealer certification.

Ready to talk options? Call (415) 619-5167 or request a bid.

What CertainTeed actually offers

The lineup is the story here, so it's worth laying out:

• Vinyl siding — the Monogram and Mainstreet lines cover the bread-and-butter clapboard profiles, with a broad palette and a range of panel projections.
• Cedar Impressions — molded polymer shakes and shingles that give you the hand-split cedar look without the maintenance or the combustibility of real wood, useful for accents or whole elevations.
• Insulated vinyl (CedarBoards) — foam-backed panels that add rigidity, resist the wavy look cheaper vinyl can develop, and offer a bit of thermal and sound benefit. If you remember the Craneboard insulated line, that positioning now lives here.
• Fiber cement (WeatherBoards) — CertainTeed's entry in the noncombustible category, for when the home or the parcel needs it.

CertainTeed backs its lines with strong warranties, which we'll walk through for whichever product you land on rather than quote a figure that may vary by line and finish.

Matching a CertainTeed line to a Novato home

Novato isn't one condition, and the right line depends on where in town the house sits. The flatland core — the mid-century tract neighborhoods like San Marin and Pleasant Valley, the older cottages near downtown — is where the vinyl and insulated-vinyl lines shine: low upkeep, sensible cost, a look that suits the architecture. Inland Novato's climate reinforces that fit; summers here are dry and UV-bright from about June through September, then most of the rain lands December through February, and that bake-then-soak swing is exactly what CertainTeed's through-color vinyl and polymer products are built to ride out without the paint failures a wood-based wall shows.

The wooded and open-space edges are a different calculation. Around Indian Valley, Black Point and Green Point, and Bahia, parcels can fall under the Wildland-Urban Interface provisions of California Building Code Chapter 7A, which generally favor noncombustible or ignition-resistant exterior walls. On those parcels the vinyl and polymer lines aren't the answer — CertainTeed's fiber cement, or a dedicated fiber-cement product, is the direction to look. Whether 7A applies comes down to the parcel's designation and the scope of work, so if your home meets wildland fuels, we confirm the classification with the Novato Fire Protection District and the City before we spec anything.

How it stacks up against the alternatives

CertainTeed's advantage is breadth under one brand; its trade-off is that any given line competes with a specialist. If you want the deepest fiber-cement discussion, compare fiber cement generally and James Hardie. If pure budget vinyl is the target, the broader vinyl overview is worth a read. For a real wood-grain look at a middle price, see LP SmartSide. And the siding replacement hub frames the whole decision. We're happy to put CertainTeed head-to-head with any of them at the house.

Install and permitting

Whatever line you choose, the wall underneath governs how long it lasts, so we tear off rather than side over. Once the old cladding is off, we inspect the sheathing and the water-resistive barrier, correct dry rot where the tear-off reveals it — commonly around windows or at the mudsill — and re-establish flashing and the drainage plane before new material goes up. CertainTeed products are then installed to the manufacturer's instructions, including fastening and clearance details that keep the warranty valid. In Novato, a like-for-like siding replacement can go through the City's Residential Express Permit; changing materials or wall configuration can move it into standard review, and we confirm the current submittal path with the Building Division.

Cost drivers

No honest price posts online. What moves a CertainTeed job's cost: which line and material you choose (insulated vinyl and polymer shakes sit above basic vinyl; fiber cement above that), the home's size and stories, how much substrate repair the tear-off uncovers, whether trim and windows are done together, access on hillside or large lots, and any fire-zone detailing the parcel requires. We price after measuring.

FAQ

Are you a certified CertainTeed dealer? We install CertainTeed products; we don't advertise any manufacturer certification we can't verify. What we can tell you is that we install their lines to spec so the product warranty stays intact.

Which CertainTeed line is right if my Novato home borders open space? On a parcel in the Wildland-Urban Interface or a higher fire-hazard zone, the noncombustible direction — CertainTeed's fiber cement rather than the vinyl or polymer lines — is the honest fit under Chapter 7A. We confirm your parcel's designation with the Fire District and City first.

Can I mix CertainTeed products on one house? Yes, and it's a common reason to choose the brand — for example, lap vinyl on the main walls with Cedar Impressions polymer shakes in the gables, coordinated within one system.

Does the insulated vinyl really help with energy? It adds a modest continuous layer of insulation and stiffens the panel, so you get some thermal and sound benefit plus a flatter, more premium look than standard vinyl. It's an upgrade, not a wholesale change to the wall's performance.

Get started

Let's match a CertainTeed line to your Novato home. Request a bid or call Bay Area Siding Company at (415) 619-5167. Browse finished work in our project gallery or see the wider Marin service area.