Windows are the whole point of a lot of Tiburon homes — the wall of glass that frames the bay, the city skyline, or Mount Tam. Bay Area Siding Company replaces and installs those windows across the peninsula, from view-oriented hillside houses to waterfront places that live with salt air every day. We're a Larkspur-based siding and window contractor, and we carry a job start to finish: field measuring, glass and frame selection, permitting, removal, flashing and air-sealing, and a walkthrough at the end.

Ready to talk it through? Request an estimate or call (415) 619-5167.

Telltale signs your windows are done

On a peninsula this exposed, aging windows tend to fail in ways you can feel and see:

• A hazy film or trapped moisture between the panes — the insulating seal has failed, and it can't be repaired, only replaced.
• Sashes that bind, drop, or won't latch — swollen frames, corroded hardware, or spent balances, often accelerated by salt-laden air.
• A noticeable draft or cold edge at the glass even with everything shut tight.
• Corrosion, pitting, or chalky white residue on metal frames and fittings near the water.
• Rot or soft spots at the sill, jamb, or the surround where wind-driven moisture has been working in.

One of these might be a repair. Several across the house usually means the window package has reached the end of its useful life.

The choices that actually matter

Three decisions drive the outcome:

• Glass and energy performance. Dual-pane insulated glass with a Low-E coating is the baseline. California's Title 24 energy code caps things like U-factor and solar heat gain for replacement windows, and the numbers shift by climate zone and code cycle — so rather than quote a figure, we confirm the current requirement at permit time and spec to it. On Tiburon's big view windows, glass choice also shapes glare and heat off all that southern and western exposure.
• Frame material. Vinyl, fiberglass, aluminum-clad wood, and aluminum each balance cost, thermal performance, corrosion resistance, and looks differently. Near the water, salt exposure is a real factor in how a frame and its hardware hold up, and it's worth weighing against appearance on a home where the windows are the architecture.
• Retrofit vs. new-construction install. A retrofit (insert) keeps the existing frame and is less disruptive; a new-construction install takes the opening down to framing so the flashing can be fully renewed — usually the right move where there's rot or past water intrusion. We do both and recommend based on what we find.

Comparing brands? Start at our window hub, then read the specifics for Anlin, Milgard, Andersen, Marvin, and Pella. We install aluminum windows as well.

What to expect: our process

1. Consultation — we look at the existing windows, the openings, and how you use each room and its view.
2. Measure — exact field measurements for every opening.
3. Product and energy selection — glass package, frame, and finish chosen to meet the Title 24 requirement in effect.
4. Permit and design review — Tiburon requires a permit for added or replaced windows, and changes to exterior appearance can also trigger Town Design Review; we account for both.
5. Removal and prep — old units out, openings checked for rot and moisture damage.
6. Install, flashing, and air-seal — set level and plumb, then flashed and sealed against wind-driven water and air.
7. Finish and walkthrough — trim, caulk, an operation check on every unit, and cleanup with you.

Tiburon-specific things to know

Permits and Design Review. The Town of Tiburon requires a building permit for windows that are added or replaced. Just as important, the Town notes that separate Design Review approval is also required for many exterior items — and if your project changes the look of the windows from the street or slope (size, grid pattern, material, or color), that's the kind of visible exterior change that can fall under review. Tiburon looks closely at how homes read against its hillsides, so window changes aren't always as routine here as swapping like-for-like elsewhere. We build the permit and any review track into the timeline, and you should confirm the exact path for your parcel and scope with the Town's Community Development Department.

Fire-zone glazing on the hillsides. Tiburon has areas mapped in Fire Hazard Severity Zones — including Very High in places — and Wildland-Urban Interface areas along the wooded slopes and open space. In WUI areas, exterior glazing falls under the California Building Code's Chapter 7A, which generally calls for multi-paned windows with tempered glass, among other requirements. Whether that applies to your home, and how, depends on your parcel's mapped designation and whether the work is treated as a repair or an alteration — so it's worth pinning down early. We handle that confirmation with the Town and the Tiburon Fire Protection District as part of scoping.

Salt air and view glass. Many Tiburon homes were designed around their outlook, with large expanses of glazing facing the bay. Those windows take direct marine exposure, which is hard on seals, hardware, and metal frames over time — one reason failed insulating units and corroded fittings show up here. Modern dual-pane, Low-E glass also makes a real comfort difference on the big, sun-exposed elevations where single-pane or early dual-pane glass used to bake the room.

Also looking at the walls? We do siding replacement and James Hardie siding in Tiburon, and we serve the wider Marin area. See finished work in our project gallery.

What affects the cost

Every Tiburon job is different, so we don't quote online. The drivers are the number and size of openings (view walls with oversized units add up), frame material and brand, retrofit vs. new-construction, whether fire-zone tempered or multi-pane glazing is required, the condition of the framing behind the old windows, the design-review path, and access — hillside and upper-story openings take more setup. We give you a real figure after measuring.

Frequently asked questions

Do I need a permit to replace windows in Tiburon? Yes. The Town of Tiburon requires a permit for windows that are added or replaced. Depending on how much the exterior appearance changes, Town Design Review can also apply — we handle both.

Will replacing my windows trigger Design Review? It can, if the change is visible from outside — a different size, grid, material, or color on a home the Town sees against its hillsides. A close like-for-like swap is less likely to. The exact track depends on your parcel and scope, which we confirm with the Town's Community Development Department.

I'm on a hillside near open space — do my windows need tempered glass? Possibly. In Tiburon's WUI areas, Chapter 7A generally requires multi-paned windows with tempered glazing, and the requirement can hinge on whether the work counts as a repair or an alteration. We verify your parcel's designation with the Town and fire district before ordering.

Retrofit or new-construction — which is right for a Tiburon home? Retrofit is faster and less invasive and keeps the existing frame; new-construction is the better call where salt air or leaks have caused rot and you want the flashing fully renewed. We assess each opening and recommend.

Get started

Get replacement windows measured, specced, and installed right the first time. Request an estimate or call Bay Area Siding Company at (415) 619-5167.