San Rafael Andersen Windows

Andersen is one of the most recognized names in American windows. For many San Rafael homeowners, it is the brand they already have in mind before they call anyone. Bay Area Siding Company installs Andersen replacement windows throughout San Rafael, from Terra Linda and Sun Valley to Gerstle Park and the hillside streets above downtown.

We're based in Larkspur, a short drive down the 101. We can measure, specify, and install without routing a crew in from across the bay. This page covers what sets Andersen apart, how its product tiers differ, and where it fits (or doesn't) in San Rafael's varied housing stock.

Planning Andersen windows for your San Rafael home? Call (415) 619-5167 or request a bid.

What you're actually buying with Andersen

Andersen sits in the premium tier of the window market. Its biggest differentiator is Fibrex, a composite material the company developed from reclaimed wood fiber and thermoplastic polymer. Fibrex is designed to offer:

• Stiffness closer to wood than vinyl provides.
• Resistance to rot and moisture that bare wood can't match.
• Allowance for narrower frame profiles than many vinyl windows.

Andersen also offers wood and clad-wood windows for homeowners who want real wood on the interior.

In practice, that gives San Rafael homeowners three realistic entry points into the brand:

100 Series. Built from Fibrex throughout, this is Andersen's most accessible line. It is a sensible choice if you want the Andersen name and a composite frame at a lower cost than the wood-interior tiers. It's a common fit for ranch homes, tract homes, and rentals where durability and clean lines matter more than a stained-wood interior.

400 Series. This is Andersen's long-running wood-window line. It has a wood interior and a low-maintenance exterior cladding, so you don't have to repaint the outside. It offers a broad range of styles and operating types, including double-hung, casement, awning, and gliding. For older San Rafael homes where the original windows were wood, it keeps the warmth of wood inside the room.

A-Series. This is the architectural tier. It pairs wood interiors with a composite exterior and offers more design flexibility and more finish options than the 400 Series. It suits custom and higher-end remodels where the windows are a design element rather than a line item.

We walk through current options, colors, hardware, and glass packages for each series at the consultation. Andersen's lineup and configurations change over time, so we confirm availability for your specific openings rather than promising a combination in advance.

Matching Andersen to San Rafael's houses

San Rafael doesn't have one housing type, so there isn't one right Andersen answer here.

Gerstle Park and older downtown-area homes. Many older homes here were built with wood windows, and owners often want to keep that character. The 400 Series and A-Series let you replace drafty, painted-shut, or rotting sashes with a wood interior that still looks at home in the room. The exterior cladding means you won't be scraping and repainting sills every few years.

Terra Linda and other mid-century homes. Terra Linda's Eichler and mid-century homes have expansive glass and clean horizontal lines. On operable windows and sliders, Andersen's slimmer composite profiles can help preserve sightlines while replacing single-pane glass with dual-pane Low-E units.

Some Eichler glass walls, however, are fixed panes set directly into the post-and-beam structure. A catalog window isn't automatically the right solution for those openings. We look at each opening and tell you honestly where Andersen fits and where another approach makes more sense.

Sun Valley, hillside streets, and newer builds. For straightforward replacement across a whole house, the 100 Series often lands at a price point that makes a full-home project workable while still delivering a composite frame.

Fire zones, energy code, and the permit

Replacement windows in San Rafael typically require a building permit. We coordinate that process with the City's Building Division as part of the job.

Fire hazard zones. Parts of San Rafael, especially hillside parcels, fall within the Wildland-Urban Interface. Cal Fire's 2025 Fire Hazard Severity Zone maps for the area largely track those existing WUI boundaries.

Where a home is in a WUI area, California's Chapter 7A provisions can apply to exterior windows. One common compliance path is a dual-pane unit with at least one tempered pane, and other paths exist. Whether and how this applies depends on your parcel and project scope. We confirm the requirement with the City, then verify that the specific Andersen series and glass package we're specifying meets it.

Energy code. California's Title 24 energy code applies to replacement windows, and Andersen's dual-pane Low-E glass packages are built for that environment. Required performance values vary by climate zone and code cycle, so we confirm current numbers at permit time rather than quoting fixed figures.

San Rafael's mix of foggy mornings and warmer inland afternoons is a good reason to consider glass choice exposure by exposure. A west-facing wall and a shaded north wall don't always need the same glass.

Retrofit or full-frame?

How the window goes in matters as much as whose name is on it.

Retrofit (insert) installation. The new Andersen unit fits inside the existing frame. This is faster, less disruptive to interior trim and exterior finishes, and appropriate when the old frame is sound and square.

Full-frame (new-construction) installation. The old window is removed back to the rough opening. This lets us address rotted frames, deteriorated sills, or failed flashing, and it is the route to take if you're changing a window's size.

In both cases we flash and air-seal the unit so the opening sheds water and stops drafts. We decide window by window based on what we find, not on a house-wide default.

If you're also re-siding, a full-frame install timed with the siding work lets the window flashing integrate properly with the new water-resistive barrier. We coordinate both scopes. See San Rafael siding replacement.

How Andersen compares

Andersen is a strong fit when you want brand recognition, a composite or wood-interior frame, and a premium finish. It isn't the only good answer:

• Milgard: a West Coast manufacturer with broad vinyl and fiberglass options.
• Anlin: California-made vinyl windows focused on energy efficiency and warranty.
• Marvin: often considered for large custom openings and architectural wood or fiberglass designs.
• Pella: covers a similar range, from vinyl to premium wood.

We install all of these brands, so our recommendation isn't tied to steering you toward one. For a brand-by-brand overview, visit our Bay Area Andersen windows hub or the broader San Rafael window replacement page.

What drives the cost of an Andersen project

We quote each project individually. The main variables are:

• Series: 100, 400, or A-Series.
• Window count, size, and operating type: fixed, casement, double-hung, sliding, and so on.
• Installation method: retrofit or full-frame, which depends partly on frame condition once we open things up.
• Glass package: including tempered glazing where fire-zone rules or safety glazing requirements call for it.
• Interior and exterior finishes, hardware, and trim restoration.
• Access: hillside lots and second-story openings take more time.

Frequently asked questions

Do I need a permit for Andersen replacement windows in San Rafael? In most cases, yes. Window replacement typically requires a building permit from the City of San Rafael, and we help coordinate it.

My home is in the hills above downtown. Can Andersen windows work in a fire hazard zone? Often, yes, but it depends on the specific series and glass configuration. If your parcel falls in the WUI, we confirm the applicable Chapter 7A requirements with the City and specify a compliant Andersen configuration before ordering.

Is this the same as Renewal by Andersen? No. Renewal by Andersen is a separate replacement division that sells and installs its own product line directly. We install Andersen's own window series, such as the 100 Series, 400 Series, and A-Series, as an independent contractor.

Which Andersen series makes sense for a Terra Linda Eichler? For operable windows and sliders, the slim profiles of the composite lines are often a good match. Fixed glass walls set into the post-and-beam structure may call for a different approach, and we'll assess each opening on site.

Get Andersen windows installed by a crew based next door

We're in Larkspur, minutes from every San Rafael neighborhood. That means quicker site visits and a team familiar with the City's permit process. Browse finished work in our project gallery, see our full coverage on the Marin County service area page, or pair your window project with San Rafael James Hardie siding.

Call Bay Area Siding Company at (415) 619-5167 or request a bid for your San Rafael Andersen windows.