Two kinds of roof, a few blocks apart
Professorville is a National Register district whose houses were built largely by Stanford professors. Steep gables, shingles, brick chimneys and complicated valleys define the roofline, and every one of those details is a place for water to get in.
A few blocks away, Eichler tracts such as Green Gables, Greenmeadow and Fairmeadow follow a different idea: low-pitched roofs, wide overhangs and glass walls. Greenmeadow alone has 244 properties from 1952 to 1954, and Eichler roofs are typically low-slope. The right system for one is the wrong system for the other, so the estimate starts with a pitch measurement.
Reroofing a Professorville shingle house
Expect aerial photos on a steep, multi-section roof, followed by a written estimate. We check flashing around chimneys and dormers first, because that is where old shingle roofs usually fail. Gutters and fascia on houses this age often rot at the same time, and we note them at the same visit.
Historic review is the unusual step. Work that changes the exterior of a historic home may need design review as well as a permit, so ask the City of Palo Alto first. Matching the existing look is simpler than changing it.
Roofing services for Palo Alto
- Roof Repair
Professorville shingle roofs leak at valleys and chimneys, and Eichler low-slope roofs leak at seams and penetrations. Different leaks need different fixes, and we identify the roof type before quoting.
- Roof Replacement
A steep shingle roof and a low-slope roof need different systems, so the estimate starts with the roof type. Pitch is measured on site, and the written estimate names the system for that slope.
- Flat Roofing
Many Eichler roofs are low-slope, which calls for flat-roof materials and drainage, not shingles. Ponding at a low spot or a failed seam at a skylight curb is where water usually gets in.
- Emergency Roof Repair
Sealing or tarping comes first on an active leak, with timing subject to crew availability and the bridge. Tell us which neighborhood you are in so we can judge the drive.
- Historic Home Roofing
Professorville is a National Register district. Steep gables, brick chimneys and complicated valleys need careful tear-off, and the City of Palo Alto may review exterior changes, so match the existing look where you can.
- Gutters
Gutters and fascia on houses of Professorville's age often rot together. We check the boards behind the gutter at the roof visit and price repair or replacement as separate lines.
Eichler roofs, drainage and heat
Low-slope roofs live or die on drainage. Ponding at a low point, a failed seam at a skylight curb or a cracked cap at the edge sends water into a house with few places for it to hide. Fix the drainage and the membrane lasts. Our flat roofing page covers the materials.
Cool-roof rules for reroofs depend on your climate zone. Check your address on the California Energy Commission's lookup, and ask the city about exceptions. Alameda is not in a zone that triggers them, but you may be.
Green Gables, Greenmeadow and the Professorville edge
Green Gables, where Eichler's company built its first 63 homes in 1950, was added to the National Register on July 28, 2005, and Greenmeadow, with 244 properties, was added the same day. Professorville has its own boundary, set out in the National Park Service description.
Those lines matter when you plan a roof. A Register listing is a recognition, and what review applies to your permit is the City of Palo Alto's call, so ask the city before you sign. Inside either area, a like-for-like roof is the straightforward request. A change of system or look needs a longer conversation, and the estimate should say which one it prices.
Scheduling from the other side of the bay
Palo Alto is about 31 miles away, and we say so up front. Stanford, Mountain View and Los Altos are the neighbors, and East Palo Alto sits just across the creek. Alameda customers have reported estimates by the next day, but from here we ask for flexibility.
