Tiburon Siding & Windows Replacement

Bay Area Siding Company re-sides homes across the Tiburon peninsula — the hillside houses off Paradise Drive and the ridgeline lanes, the older cottages around downtown and Ark Row, and the view homes stepped down toward the water. We are a Marin-based contractor in Larkspur, and a full re-side with us means the whole assembly: strip-off, a look at what the old cladding was hiding, a fresh weather barrier, corrected flashing, and new siding set to the manufacturer's spec.

Thinking about it seriously? Request an estimate or call (415) 619-5167 and we'll walk the walls with you.

When re-siding beats one more repair

A lot of Tiburon homes sit on a peninsula that catches wind-driven bay moisture and salt air from nearly every side, and that exposure is hard on cladding and the wood behind it. Once you're seeing a cluster of the following, patching tends to buy less and less time:

• Boards that cup, split, or feel spongy — and trim that gives when you lean on it
• A paint job that blistered or peeled within a season or two of going on
• Rust bleed, corroded fasteners, or streaking that keeps coming back after washing
• Caulk lines that have opened up at corners, windows, and transitions
• Musty odors, staining, or bubbling paint on interior walls that back up to the exterior

None of those is a crisis on its own. Two or three together, on a home that's weathered a couple of decades of marine air, usually points to replacement rather than another repair cycle.

Why we strip off instead of siding over the top

It's tempting to fur out and lay new material over the old — it looks cheaper on day one. The problem is it seals in whatever is happening underneath, and on a salt-exposed peninsula home that's often the exact place trouble starts: a tired water-resistive barrier, flashing that was never detailed right, early rot at a sill or band joist. Tearing off is the only honest way to see the sheathing, dry the wall out if it needs it, and rebuild the drainage plane before the new siding goes on. It costs more today and leaves you with a wall that's sound from the sheathing out.

Picking the right cladding

We install several systems and would rather show you the trade-offs against your actual home than push one product. A place to start:

• James Hardie fiber cement — noncombustible fiber cement that stands up well to coastal weather (the Tiburon James Hardie page goes deeper on that product)
• Fiber cement generally — the wider category across manufacturers
• LP SmartSide — engineered wood with a warmer, real-wood look
• Vinyl siding — a lower-upkeep choice where the home and the design guidelines allow it

We also work in wood, CertainTeed, and aluminum. On Tiburon's hillside parcels, material isn't only an aesthetic call — fire-zone rules can steer it, which we get into below.

What to expect

1. Consultation — we walk the exterior, look at how the current siding is failing, and talk through goals and budget.
2. Measure and spec — precise measurements and a written scope, including any color and profile decisions.
3. Permit and design review — Tiburon requires a building permit for siding, and a re-side that changes materials or color generally also needs Town Design Review; we plan for both.
4. Tear-off and inspection — the old cladding comes off and we assess the sheathing, framing, and any hidden moisture damage before rebuilding.
5. Weather barrier and flashing — a fresh water-resistive barrier plus flashing detailed for a wall that faces real marine exposure.
6. Install to spec — siding hung per the manufacturer's instructions, with fasteners and details suited to the coastal setting.
7. Finish and walkthrough — trim, caulk, paint or finish as specced, cleanup, and a final review together.

Tiburon-specific things to know

Design Review is the piece people underestimate. In Tiburon, a building permit for siding is only half the story. The Town's own guidance notes that separate Design Review approval is also required for many exterior items — and a re-side that changes your cladding material or exterior color is exactly the kind of visible exterior change that tends to fall under it. Because so much of Tiburon is built on hillsides where one home's exterior reads against the whole slope, the Town takes exterior appearance seriously. We factor the review path into the schedule from the start rather than treating it as an afterthought; you should confirm the exact submittal and any board-versus-staff track for your parcel and scope with the Town's Community Development Department.

Fire-hazard zones on the hill. Tiburon includes areas mapped in Fire Hazard Severity Zones — up through Very High in places — and Wildland-Urban Interface areas along the vegetated slopes and open space. Properties in those areas are subject to requirements for construction materials, defensible space, and vegetation management, and the California Building Code's Chapter 7A can shape what exterior wall coverings are acceptable, generally leaning toward noncombustible or ignition-resistant assemblies. Whether Chapter 7A applies, and how, depends on your parcel's mapped designation, the product, and the scope of work — so it's something we confirm with the Town and the Tiburon Fire Protection District rather than assume. If your home backs up to open space, tell us early; it changes the material conversation.

Salt air and the housing it wears on. The peninsula's homes range from hillside custom houses with long exposed elevations to older cottages near downtown, and the common thread is a lot of weather off the water. That marine exposure is why we pay close attention to fasteners, flashing, and the drainage plane on a Tiburon re-side, and why tear-off so often turns up rot that a surface-level look would miss.

Doing windows in the same project? See Tiburon window replacement. You can also browse our project gallery and read more about the wider Marin service area.

What affects the cost

We don't post prices, because no two peninsula homes are alike. The real drivers are the size and shape of the home (long hillside elevations add area fast), the cladding you choose, how much substrate repair the tear-off uncovers, whether fire-zone material rules apply, access on steep or tight hillside lots, and the design-review path your project takes. We give you a grounded number after we measure and see the walls.

Frequently asked questions

Do I need a permit to replace siding in Tiburon? Yes. The Town of Tiburon requires a building permit for siding work. On top of that, a re-side that changes your material or exterior color will usually also need Town Design Review — we plan the project around both.

Why does a siding job in Tiburon trigger Design Review? Because new cladding or a color change is a visible change to the home's exterior, and Tiburon reviews exterior appearance closely, especially on its hillsides. The exact track and submittal depend on your parcel and scope, which we confirm with the Town's Community Development Department before we start.

My home is up in the hills near open space — does that limit my siding options? It can. Parcels in Tiburon's higher fire-hazard and WUI areas fall under material and construction requirements, and Chapter 7A can favor noncombustible or ignition-resistant wall coverings. We verify your parcel's designation with the Town and fire district before speccing.

Should I re-side over the old material to save money? For most older, salt-exposed Tiburon homes we recommend a full tear-off. Siding over the top hides the barrier, flashing, and any rot that marine exposure tends to cause — the things that decide how long the new wall actually lasts.

Get your Tiburon re-side moving

Call (415) 619-5167 or request an estimate. We'll look at the walls, talk materials and the design-review path, and lay out a realistic plan.