San Rafael Multifamily Exterior Siding & Windows Renovation

Apartment owners, property managers, and HOA boards in San Rafael face a different set of problems than single-family homeowners. You have occupied units, a budget that has to survive a board vote or an owner's pro forma, and a building that has to look consistent once the work is done. Bay Area Siding Company re-sides and replaces windows on multifamily and light-commercial buildings from our base in Larkspur, a few minutes down the 101. That distance matters when a board wants a walkthrough on short notice or a manager needs someone on site the same week.

To walk a building or get a bid started, call (415) 619-5167, or request a bid.

Who this page is for

This page is for decision-makers responsible for more than one unit:

• Apartment owners and asset managers planning capital improvements on rental buildings
• Property management firms coordinating exterior work for owners or associations
• HOA and condominium boards weighing a full re-side, a window program, or both, often against a reserve study
• Owners of mixed-use and small commercial buildings that need a durable, presentable exterior

San Rafael is Marin's largest city. It has a wider range of multifamily buildings than most of the county, from older walk-up apartments near downtown and in the Canal neighborhood to condominium and townhome complexes in the north end and along the hillsides. The scope, sequencing, and materials change with the building. We start every project with the building itself, not with a standard package.

Working around residents

The hardest part of multifamily exterior work is keeping the building livable while the envelope is open. We plan the job around that from the first meeting.

Phasing by elevation or building. On a complex with several structures, we typically work one building or one elevation at a time. Only a portion of residents deal with scaffolding, noise, and debris at any given point, and each section is closed up and weather-tight before the crew moves on.

Entry coordination for windows. Replacing windows usually means entering units. California law requires advance written notice before a landlord enters a tenant's unit, and HOAs have their own owner-notification practices. We give you a unit-by-unit schedule early so your office can serve notices and field questions before the crew arrives, not after.

Daily housekeeping. Walkways, parking areas, and building entries stay passable. Debris is contained and hauled regularly. Work hours follow the permit and any limits you set for the property.

One point of contact. Managers and boards get a single person who can answer schedule, scope, and change-order questions. Residents' concerns don't end up bouncing between trades.

What a multifamily re-side actually involves

On a standard re-side, the old cladding is removed down to the sheathing. That exposes the water-resistive barrier (WRB) and flashing so we can inspect them and replace what has failed. Framing is only exposed if the sheathing itself is damaged and has to come off, which is a larger scope we document and price separately if we find it.

On multifamily buildings, the areas that most often need attention sit where the cladding meets something else:

• Windows and sliding doors, where flashing is tied into the new WRB
• Balconies, decks, and walkways, where the siding meets waterproofing and guardrail attachments
• Roof-to-wall intersections, utility penetrations, and light fixtures repeated across dozens of units

California requires periodic inspections of exterior elevated elements on many buildings: SB 721 for certain apartment buildings and SB 326 for condominium associations. We don't perform those inspections. When an inspector's report identifies moisture or flashing problems at the wall, we can scope the siding and window side of the repair in coordination with your inspector and any other trades involved.

Pairing a window program with a re-side is often the most efficient path, because the flashing can be integrated correctly while the wall is open. When frames are sound, retrofit (insert) windows can be installed without disturbing the exterior. When frames are rotted or openings are changing, new-construction (full-frame) installs go back to the rough opening. We recommend per elevation based on what we find. For window-specific detail, see San Rafael window replacement.

Materials that hold up across many units

On a multifamily building, the right material is the one that balances first cost, maintenance cycles, and appearance over the ownership horizon. We install:

• Fiber cement, including James Hardie. It is noncombustible, dimensionally stable, and holds paint well. Factory-finish options such as ColorPlus can lengthen the time between repaints, which matters when repainting means scaffolding an entire complex.
• LP SmartSide engineered wood. It offers a wood look at a lighter weight and still needs periodic painting.
• Vinyl and CertainTeed lines for cost-conscious rental projects where no-paint maintenance is the priority.
• Replacement windows from Anlin, Milgard, Andersen, Marvin, Pella, and aluminum lines. Our Bay Area window replacement hub covers these in detail.

For HOAs, architectural consistency usually drives the decision as much as price. We help boards select profiles, reveals, trim details, and colors that can be carried across every building. We also document the specification so later repairs and phases match.

Permits and fire-zone review in San Rafael

Siding and window replacement in San Rafael generally requires a building permit through the City of San Rafael Building Division. On multifamily work, we plan permit timing into the phasing schedule so inspections don't stall a building mid-sequence.

Parts of San Rafael's hillsides and wooded areas carry a wildfire designation. Under SB 63, the state's 2025 Fire Hazard Severity Zone update maps Moderate, High, and Very High zones in Local Responsibility Areas. The City has noted that these maps largely mirror its existing Wildland-Urban Interface boundaries. For a property in a mapped area, California's Chapter 7A requirements can apply to specific assemblies, such as exterior wall coverings and glazing, depending on the parcel and the scope of work. They do not automatically apply to everything on the building. We confirm with the City what applies to your address before finalizing materials. Noncombustible cladding like fiber cement is often a practical choice for buildings in those areas. The City also enforces vegetation management standards, which boards may want to address alongside exterior work.

What drives the cost of a multifamily project

We don't publish prices because the variables are large, but boards and owners can anticipate the main drivers:

• Building count, height, and access. Scaffolding and lifts, tight setbacks, and parking constraints all affect cost.
• Hidden conditions behind the cladding, such as damaged sheathing or failed flashing at balconies
• Material and finish selection, including factory finish versus field paint
• Window count and install method (retrofit versus full-frame)
• Phasing requirements. More phases can mean more mobilization.
• Fire-zone requirements where they apply to the parcel

Our bids break these out so a board can compare line items, align the work with a reserve study, or phase the program over more than one budget cycle.

How a project with us typically goes

The process has five stages:

1. Site walk. We walk the property with the manager or a board representative.
2. Scoping. We probe suspected problem areas and review any inspection or reserve reports you have.
3. Written bid. The bid includes material options and a proposed phasing plan.
4. Board review. Presentation to the board is available if helpful.
5. Permits, resident scheduling, and phased installation. Each section is closed up and inspected before the crew moves on.

Completed work is on our project gallery.

Frequently asked questions

Can residents stay in their units during a re-side? In most cases, yes. We phase by building or elevation, keep entries and walkways usable, and close each section up before moving on. Window replacement requires unit entry, so we provide a schedule early enough for proper notice.

Our San Rafael complex is near the hills. Do fire-zone rules affect the whole building? Not automatically. Chapter 7A requirements attach to specific assemblies and depend on the parcel's designation and the scope of work. We confirm with the City of San Rafael what applies to your property before specifying materials.

Can you help our HOA board compare options before a vote? Yes. We provide itemized bids with material alternatives and a phasing plan, and we can walk the board through the trade-offs in cost, maintenance, and appearance.

Do you coordinate with our balcony or elevated-element inspector? We don't perform SB 721 or SB 326 inspections. We can scope and complete the siding, WRB, flashing, and window work that an inspector's findings call for.

Plan your San Rafael multifamily project

Whether it's one aging apartment building or a multi-building HOA, we'll scope it, phase it around your residents, and give you a bid your board or ownership can act on. Call Bay Area Siding Company at (415) 619-5167 or request a bid.

Related: San Rafael siding replacement · San Rafael James Hardie siding · San Rafael window replacement · Marin County service area · Projects