Gutters and Roofing in Santa Clara County
From Palo Alto and Milpitas in the north, through San Jose, to Gilroy in the south.
Santa Clara County, in short
Do I need a permit to replace my roof in Santa Clara County?
Yes. Inside most cities, the city’s building department issues it. In the unincorporated communities of Alum Rock, Burbank, Cambrian Park, East Foothills, Fruitdale, Lexington Hills, Loyola, San Martin and Stanford, the County’s Department of Planning and Development does. If you wish, we can also pull the permit for you.
The story of Santa Clara County
From an agricultural oasis to a hub of innovation and technology.
Santa Clara County is one of the 27 counties the California Legislature created in a bill it passed on February 18, 1850.
The National Park Service says the Ohlone people were the first documented inhabitants of the Santa Clara Valley region. In 1777 Mission Santa Clara de Asís was founded, and the Park Service says Father Serra gave the valley its lasting name that year. The State calls it the first California mission to honor a woman.
San Jose was California’s first state capital, and the first Legislature met there in December 1849.
With the railroad came the farms and orchards: the Park Service says the county was soon producing carrots, almonds, tomatoes, prunes, apricots, plums, walnuts, cherries and pears for the world market, and stayed largely rural and agricultural until after World War II.
The County’s seal page describes its history as running from the Valley of Heart’s Delight, an agricultural oasis, to a hub of innovation and technology. In Palo Alto, the State’s landmark text calls a garage the birthplace of the world’s first high-technology region, Silicon Valley.
Fire safety
Roofs and gutters kept clear
The Santa Clara County FireSafe Council, a non-profit and not a City or County agency, tells owners to “Remove leaves and needles from your roof, skylight, and rain gutters” in the first five feet from buildings, decks and other structures.
Checked Oct 15, 2026
A letter every spring in the wildland-urban interface
The Santa Clara County Fire Department says: “Every spring community members living in the WUI receive a letter from us detailing the requirements for removing excess vegetation around homes and buildings.” It also says hillside residents who want a free inspection of their property can contact its Fire Prevention Division.
Checked Oct 15, 2026
See 1 more
Noncombustible gutter guards, in the Council’s words
The FireSafe Council’s home-hardening page says: “Rain Gutters should be cleared of leaves and needles that embers can easily ignite.” and “Install a noncombustible gutter guard to reduce accumulated debris.”
Checked Oct 15, 2026
Need a hand with this? Gutter guards
Culture and history
The Winchester House, San Jose
The State lists the Winchester House as a registered Historical Landmark (1974) and says: “The continual building and remodeling created a 160-room house covering an area of six acres.” It is also on the National Register of Historic Places.
Checked Oct 14, 2026
The Peralta Adobe, San Jose
History San José says the adobe was built in 1797 and that in November 1999, with the National Park Service, it dedicated the adobe as the first official site of the Juan Bautista de Anza National Historic Trail.
Checked Oct 14, 2026
See 1 more
Santa Clara University
The University says it is California’s oldest operating institution of higher learning, and the National Park Service says the Jesuits had set up the first college in the new State there by 1851.
Checked Oct 14, 2026
Community
County parks
The County Parks Department says its regional park system includes 28 parks and more than 55,000 acres of land.
Checked Oct 15, 2026
Midpen open space
The Midpeninsula Regional Open Space District says it was created in 1972 when Santa Clara County voters passed Measure R, and that it preserves a connected greenbelt of more than 70,000 acres of public open space.
Checked Oct 15, 2026
See 1 more
The FireSafe Council
The Santa Clara County FireSafe Council calls itself a grassroots non-profit organization that provides education and project assistance for homeowners and landowners in communities that are vulnerable to wildfire.
Checked Oct 15, 2026
County rules
Re-roof permits can be applied for online
In the unincorporated county, a residential re-roof is one of the “Minor Permit Application” types on the County’s Public Permit Portal, which the County lists as open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. The County says only the listed project types are eligible for online permits.
From the County's notice of July 31, 2026
The County’s re-roof permit fee
In the unincorporated county, the County’s building fee schedule lists a re-roof of up to 5,000 square feet at $513.00, the same for composition and for wood, tile or metal, with its 3% information technology fee marked as applying; over 5,000 square feet it is priced by valuation.
County fee schedule, FY 2026-2027, effective July 18, 2026
Need a hand with this? Roof installation
Storms, flood and drainage
Is your home in a flood zone?
Valley Water, the county’s water district, says: “You don’t have to live next to a creek to be impacted by flooding.” It points owners to their FEMA flood zone and to their local floodplain manager, and offers map-reading help through its Community Projects Review.
The reservoirs are not flood protection
Valley Water operates 10 reservoirs in the county; it says they were built in the 1930s and 1950s for water conservation, not flood protection.
Need a hand with this? Gutter cleaning
Programs, loans and insurance
Free sandbags
Valley Water says it offers free, filled sandbags for residents of Santa Clara County, and also loose sand and empty bags to fill. Its page says sandbag sites and sandbags are only available from November 1 through April 15 of each year, subject to change depending on the weather, and that cities manage additional sites.
Checked Oct 26, 2026
Free brush chipping
The Santa Clara County FireSafe Council’s Community Chipping Program is free to residents in the wildland-urban interface. Its page says piles must be no more than 100 cubic yards per registered resident.
Checked Oct 15, 2026
See 1 more
A Home Ignition Zone assessment
The FireSafe Council says a trained representative will come to your home and walk your property with you for 60 minutes, reviewing defensible space and home hardening principles and making recommendations. The page says the program is open from April to September or until funds run out.
Checked Oct 15, 2026
Where we work
Towns in Santa Clara County
Cities
Where we work
Santa Clara County and the 15 towns we serve
Why homeowners call us
- Family-owned since 2002.
- Licensed, bonded and insured: CSLB #1053780.
- Gutters and roofs, from cleaning and repairs to new installations.
- We cover all nine Bay Area counties.
Our services: gutter services (cleaning · installation · gutter guards) · roofing (roof installation)
What our customers say
Get a free estimate
We reply the same business day. Quotes in Spanish on request. Other counties: Service Areas.