South county only, and why the quake still matters
The 2014 South Napa earthquake is part of this area's roof history. It was a magnitude 6.0 on the West Napa Fault, and the City of Napa tagged 613 structures in its first inspection round (Wikipedia, 2014 South Napa earthquake). Shaking tends to open the joints around chimneys, skylights and valleys even when shingles look fine from the ground.
On older Napa homes we look first at chimney flashing, then valleys, then the roof edge. Chimney masonry belongs to a mason, so we handle the flashing and the roof around it and tell you when brickwork needs someone else. If you ever filed a quake claim, keep your records; we document roof conditions with photos for any current claim.
Zone 2 and the permit question
Napa and American Canyon sit in Climate Zone 2 on the Energy Commission's ZIP list, so the cool-roof rule for single-family reroofs does not apply the way it does in Zone 4 or 12. A lighter shingle is still an option. Which office permits your roof depends on whether you are inside a city or on unincorporated county land.
American Canyon and the Napa River edge
American Canyon is the county's southernmost and newest city. The Napa River bounds it on the west, the Sulfur Springs Mountains foothills on the east, Vallejo and Solano County on the south, and vineyards and Napa County Airport on the north (Wikipedia, American Canyon). Its population grew from 7,706 in 1990 to 21,837 in 2020, so much of its housing is far newer than the older streets of Napa, and the usual calls are wind lifts, dried sealant and first reroofs.
The city of Napa carries the older housing and the flood memory. The Napa River Flood Project covers six miles of the river and a mile of Napa Creek, and the 2005 flood destroyed about 1,000 homes across the county (Wikipedia, Napa). Flood damage and roof damage are different claims. Homeowners policies usually treat them separately, so read your policy and call your insurer before assuming either is covered.
What we do in south county
- Roof Repair
Roofs that took the 2014 shaking can carry loosened flashing and cracked sealant at chimneys and valleys, so the repair starts with finding those joints, not with patching the stain you can see.
- Roof Flashing Repair
Chimney counterflashing and valley metal are where quake-era movement shows first on older south-county homes. Resetting and resealing them is often cheaper than replacing shingles that still look sound from the street.
- Roof Replacement
Zone 2 means no cool-roof requirement for a single-family reroof, so color and material are your call, subject to what your city or the county building office requires for your address.
- Cool Roofs
A lighter shingle is an option in Zone 2, not a rule. It can make sense on a south-facing slope, and we price it beside a standard color so you can compare.
- Storm Damage Roofing
Wind through the Carquinez Strait side of the county lifts shingles and strips ridge caps. We document the damage with photos, and you decide with your insurer how the claim proceeds.
- Roof Inspection
An inspection of a roof that has not been looked at since 2014 covers chimney flashing, valleys, ridge caps and sealant, and ends with photos and a written estimate.
- Emergency Roof Repair
A tarp-first approach for active leaks, with phone advice on protecting the room while a visit is arranged. Arrival depends on crew availability and the roughly 69-minute drive to Napa.
American Canyon wind and scheduling a visit
American Canyon homes are mostly newer subdivisions in the wind path off the Carquinez Strait, so we check ridge caps and shingle edges first. Visits are scheduled by phone with the Alameda office. Because of the distance, we group visits in the same area when possible. Urgent leaks are triaged by phone, and arrival depends on who is free that day; we cannot promise a time.
Where to read more
See the pages for Napa and American Canyon. Every review on this site is from an Alameda customer.