Gutters and Roofing for Ashland
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Ashland, in short
Can my roof downspout drain into the sewer in Ashland?
No, not in the Oro Loma Sanitary District, whose service area includes Ashland. Its sewer ordinance says “No roof downspouts, exterior foundation drains, areaway drains, or other sources of surface runoff, or groundwater, can be connected to any building drain, building sewer, or collector sewer that is connected directly, or indirectly, to a public sewer.”
The story of Ashland
Ashland, an unincorporated community of Alameda County, “centered around Edendale Park, Ashland Avenue, and East 14th Street” in the County’s words.
Ashland is not a city, so the County handles its building permits and its fire code. The County’s plan says the name comes from the Oregon tree. When the streetcar lines came in the 1890s, it says, farmlands and orchards were subdivided into town lots, and after the Second World War the community became a suburb. Since March 2025 the Post Office has used Ashland as the place name on its mailing addresses.
The County’s 1998 survey of the Ashland and Cherryland area says the study area “is located within the territory of the Chochenyo tribelet of the Costanoan Indians (also known as the Ohlone).”
The County’s Eden Area General Plan says Ashland “is named for the Oregon tree”; the Castro Valley/Eden Area Chamber of Commerce’s page says, “Ashland gets its name from the Oregon ash trees that once proliferated in the area.”
During the 1890s, the County’s plan says, the Eden Area “became part of the East Bay’s rail transit network”, and side-feeder lines ran along Ashland Avenue. The transit lines, the plan says, “stimulated new development in the Ashland community with farmlands and orchards being subdivided into town lots of approximately one acre each.”
At the end of the 19th century and the start of the 20th, the plan says, “numerous immigrant groups from Portugal, Germany, Denmark, Italy and Japan joined early settlers in the area and contributed their heritage and skills to shape the economic growth of the region.” That is the whole Eden Area, Ashland included.
The County’s 2008 historic survey report lists Holy Ghost Hall on Kent Avenue in Ashland as a “Portuguese social hall and chapel”.
After the Second World War, the County says, the unincorporated communities, Ashland among them, “were transformed into suburban bedroom communities.” The 1998 survey says “large scale housing subdivisions replaced most of the remaining tracts of farm land”. “Only the most intensive agricultural use of the land, nurseries and greenhouses, survived”, it says, and “A few greenhouses remain in Ashland where there were many through the 1960s.”
Until 1976 Ashland had its own fire department. The Fire Department’s stations page says its Ashland-area station “was the original fire station for the Ashland Fire Department” before “the 1976 consolidation of the San Lorenzo Village, Ashland and Cherryland Fire Departments into the Eden Consolidated Fire Protection District”.
The REACH Ashland Youth Center, REACH’s history page says, opened in May 2013 “after a decade-long effort by local youth and the public sector”.
Since March 2025, the County’s notice says, “Ashland, Cherryland, Fairview, Castro Valley, San Lorenzo, and Hayward Acres are now the official mailing address Place Names for their respective urban unincorporated Alameda County communities.”
Fire safety
Your fire agency
The Alameda County Fire Department’s Fire Code Administration “is responsible for the unincorporated areas within Alameda County, not including Fairview. These areas include Ashland, Cherryland, Castro Valley, Sunol, unincorporated Livermore, and unincorporated Pleasanton.” Its Fire Prevention Branch says its responsibilities are “the enforcement of all applicable State and local fire codes and standards, and fire investigations.”
Pages read Nov 2 2026
Look up an address in the Fire Department’s viewer
The Fire Department’s page for the local-area fire zones has a map viewer and says, “You can search for an address using the magnifying glass icon in the top right of the viewer.” Which class, if any, applies at one address is for that viewer.
Page undated; read Nov 2 2026
See 1 more
Keeping the roof clear of leaves and needles
In the unincorporated areas, which include Ashland, the County’s Code Enforcement Division enforces its nuisance chapter, 6.65, listed on its page as “Unincorporated County Real Property Nuisances”. The chapter’s item on exterior fire hazards has this wording for the roof: “Maintain roof of building or structure free of leaves, needles, twigs, or other combustible litter”.
Code Enforcement page read Nov 2 2026; code section read Oct 7 2026 (the County sheet’s read)
Need a hand with this? Gutter guards
Ashland this month
Storm season: the County’s Public Works Agency says residents of unincorporated Alameda County can get free sandbags at the County’s pickup sites, five per household, once the first major storm of the season is forecast.
The Ashland blog starts when there is enough local news to keep it current.
Culture and history
The History Gallery in Hayward
The Hayward Area Historical Society’s History Gallery, on the second floor of its building in Hayward, is “a space that highlights the history of the Hayward Area, meaning the City of Hayward and the surrounding unincorporated communities of Castro Valley, San Lorenzo, Ashland, Cherryland, and Fairview.”
Page undated; read Nov 2 2026
Ashland Park
The park district’s page says, “This 1.24 acre park has a playground, picnic tables, parking and open lawn area. It is adjacent to our Ashland Community Center.”
Page undated; read Nov 2 2026
See 4 more
A name from a tree
The County’s plan says Ashland takes its name from the Oregon tree. More in The story of Ashland, below.
The streetcar line
A streetcar line came through Ashland’s farmland in the 1890s, the County’s plan says. More in The story of Ashland, below.
Holy Ghost Hall
A Portuguese social hall and chapel on Kent Avenue. More in The story of Ashland, below.
Orchards, nurseries and greenhouses
Farms and orchards came before the houses, then nurseries and greenhouses. More in The story of Ashland, below.
Community
REACH Ashland Youth Center
REACH’s page says the center “brings no-cost Recreation, Education, Arts, Career, and Health programs to empower youth ages 11 to 24 and no-cost child-care and food distribution services to support the Ashland community.” It adds, “Community pantry for families in need is open to the public.”
REACH pages read Nov 2 2026; the pantry’s hours are not given here
The shopping district on East 14th Street
The Castro Valley/Eden Area Chamber of Commerce’s Ashland page says, “Ashland is a vibrant community centered around the retail district on E. 14th Street.”
Page undated; read Nov 2 2026
City rules and regulations
Building permits come from the County
The County’s permit portal has a page headed “Building Permits – Serving Alameda County’s Unincorporated Areas”, and it names Ashland: “(Community incl. Ashland, Castlewood, Castro Valley, Cherryland, Fairview, Happy Valley, Hillcrest Knolls, San Lorenzo, and Sunol)”.
Page undated; read Nov 2 2026
Keep rain water out of the sewer
The Oro Loma Sanitary District’s sewer-use ordinance lists among the things that may not go into the sewer “Any storm water, ground water, rain water, street drainage, subsurface drainage, yard drainage, swimming pool or spa diatomaceous earth filter backwash, unless a special discharge permit is issued by the District.”
Ordinance read in full from a saved copy, Nov 2 2026
See 4 more
Pruning a tree in the street right-of-way needs a permit
The County’s Public Works page says, “Street trees and other trees in unincorporated Alameda County’s public right-of-way are protected by the Tree Ordinance (number O-2016-66) and overseen by the Public Works Agency’s Tree Program.” It adds, “Property owners are responsible for maintaining trees within county road right of way.” And: “Permits must be obtained before pruning trees in any right-of-way areas.”
Page undated; read Nov 2 2026
When you buy or sell A sewer lateral certificate before a sale
Inside the Oro Loma Sanitary District, a home needs a valid sewer lateral compliance certificate before the title transfers. The District’s page says, “The ordinance applies to property sales that enter into escrow on or after August 1, 2026.” The page links a map for checking whether an address is inside the District.
District page, no read date on it; read Nov 2 2026
When you buy or sell How the certificate works
The District’s page says to “apply for a Certificate of Compliance from the Oro Loma Sanitary District and hire a qualified professional to perform a CCTV inspection and an air or water test on the sewer lateral”. It says “Certificates are valid for up to 10 years or 20 years (full replacement).” A time-extension certificate “gives you an additional 30 days to submit an inspection report after the transfer”, and the request “must be submitted prior to the escrow closing”.
District page, no read date on it; read Nov 2 2026
When you buy or sell The pipe between your house and the street
The District’s FAQ says, “Homeowners are responsible for the maintenance and repair of their own building sewer and lateral pipes, up to and including the connection to Oro Loma’s main sewer line located in the street.”
FAQ page undated; read Nov 2 2026
Need a hand with this? Roofing
Storms, flood and drainage
Free sandbags from the County
The Public Works Agency’s page says, “Sandbags are available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week outside of the corporation yard gates at the locations below, and are made available upon forecast of the first major storm of the season.” It adds, “Please bring your own shovel and a way to transport bags.” and “Sandbags are limited to five (5) per household.” The page’s list of pickup sites has none in Ashland; it names sites in Hayward, Dublin, Castro Valley and Sunol, so look at the list before you go.
Page undated; read Nov 2 2026
Report a clogged storm drain
The County says, “If you have concerns about clogged drains, blocked grates, or other storm drain-related issues in unincorporated areas of Alameda County, please submit a Service Request Form.” Those are the street’s storm drains, not your roof’s gutters.
Page read Nov 2 2026
See 2 more
The San Lorenzo Creek watershed names Ashland
The Flood Control District’s watershed page says the San Lorenzo Creek watershed “begins in the East Bay hills at the Dublin Grade, incorporates the unincorporated communities of San Lorenzo, Ashland, Cherryland, Fairview, and Castro Valley, and includes portions of San Leandro and Hayward.”
Page read Nov 2 2026
Check your flood risk before the rains
The County’s storm page, in its list for getting a home ready, advises you to “Assess whether your property is in a high flood risk area”.
Page undated; read Nov 2 2026
Need a hand with this? Gutter cleaning
Programs, loans and insurance
County-wide Check back Renew Alameda County home improvement loans: check back
The County’s page for unincorporated residents lists “Renew AC – Major Home Repairs”. The program’s repairs page names “Re-roofing and gutter replacement” and “Property Drainage Improvements” among the eligible repairs, for low-income homeowners. Its page says, “Renew Alameda County’s application is currently closed, but you can still join the interest list.”
Program pages read Nov 2 2026
County-wide Check back Minor Home Repair Program (Healthy Homes): check back
The Alameda County Healthy Homes Department’s Homeowner Minor Home Repair Program, its page says, serves “the unincorporated areas of Ashland, Cherryland, Castro Valley, Hayward Acres, Hillcrest Knolls, Fairview, San Lorenzo, and Sunol”, among other places. You need “a household income at or below the HUD income limits”. The page calls it a grant and says it can be used “to make minor plumbing, carpentry, electrical repairs and can be used for railings, grab bars, toilets, water heaters, doors, locks and more”; it names no roof or gutter item and does not say whether funding is open.
Program page read Nov 2 2026
See 2 more
County-wide Low-income weatherization (Spectrum Community Services)
Spectrum Community Services runs a federally funded weatherization program; its page says applicants must “Live in Alameda County” and “Own the residence or get approval from the owner”. It offers “Heater, water heater, and weatherization services every five years”, and its list of what it can provide includes “Attic and Floor Insulation” and “Window and Exterior Door Repair or Replacement”, with no roof or gutter item. Its 2026 application and income table are on the page.
Program page read Nov 2 2026
Check back Earthquake Brace + Bolt: check back
Earthquake Brace + Bolt is a program of the California Residential Mitigation Program, a joint body, not a State program. Every ZIP code that covers part of Ashland is on the program’s Northern California ZIP list, our own comparison. The program’s page says, “An EBB seismic retrofit is only done on wood-framed, pre-1980 homes with a raised foundation.” and “When EBB registration is open, you can complete the registration form online.” It describes “an EBB retrofit grant of up to $3,000”. Registration was closed when last checked on Oct 20 2026.
Program pages read Nov 2 2026; registration read as closed Oct 20 2026
Who serves your home in Ashland
- Fire: The Alameda County Fire Department, which says it provides “all-risk emergency services to the unincorporated areas of Alameda County (excluding Fairview)”.
- Sewer: The Oro Loma Sanitary District; its home page says “Our service area includes San Lorenzo, Ashland, Cherryland, Fairview, and portions of the City of San Leandro, the City of Hayward, and Castro Valley.”
- Garbage: The Oro Loma Sanitary District also oversees garbage and recycling, and its Solid Waste page says, “Oro Loma has contracted WM to provide these services.” Its pages name the company for the District as a whole, not for Ashland alone.
- Electricity: Ava Community Energy says it is “the default electricity provider for residents, businesses, and municipal accounts in most of Alameda County and San Joaquin County”; its table of service levels by jurisdiction has a row for “Unincorporated Alameda County” and does not name Ashland.
- Flood control: The Alameda County Flood Control and Water Conservation District; its watershed page puts Ashland in the San Lorenzo Creek watershed.
- Storm drains: The County’s Public Works Agency.
- Permits: Alameda County issues the building permits for Ashland through its permit portal, because Ashland is not a city.
- Schools: The San Lorenzo Unified School District. The Census Bureau’s school map layer puts 98.9 percent of Ashland’s area in the district, our own calculation; the district’s pages do not name Ashland.
- Parks: The Hayward Area Recreation and Park District runs Ashland Park and the Ashland Community Center beside it.
Useful links: San Lorenzo Unified School District · Alameda County Fire Department (Fire Code Administration and Fire Prevention) · Alameda County Fire Department: the local-area fire zone viewer · Alameda County Permit Portal (building permits for the unincorporated areas) · Alameda County Public Works Agency: Prepare for Winter Storms (sandbags) · Alameda County Public Works Agency: Storm Drains (service requests) · Alameda County Public Works Agency: Tree Program · Alameda County Planning Department: Trees on Private Property · Alameda County Flood Control and Water Conservation District: San Lorenzo Creek Watershed · Oro Loma Sanitary District (sewer lateral program for a home sale) · Hayward Area Recreation and Park District: Ashland Park · REACH Ashland Youth Center · Castro Valley/Eden Area Chamber of Commerce: Ashland · Hayward Area Historical Society (History Gallery) · Renew Alameda County (RenewAC) · Alameda County Healthy Homes Department: Minor Home Repair · Spectrum Community Services: Weatherization · Earthquake Brace + Bolt · Ava Community Energy
The homes of Ashland
Ashland’s median home was built in 1963, and about 46.3 percent of its homes were built before 1960. About 47.2 percent are single-family houses, detached or attached, and about 41.8 percent are in buildings of five or more units, our own calculations from the Census Bureau’s 2020-2024 tables. The County’s land-use chapter says multi-family homes are “most common in Ashland, Cherryland and Hayward Acres”. The County’s 2015 health and wellness element says, for the unincorporated County as a whole, “Housing units over 50 years of age are more likely to require major rehabilitation such as roofing, plumbing, and electrical system repairs.”
Before 1900
Clusters of older houses
The County’s 1998 survey says there are “significant clusters of pre 1900 houses in the Four Corners, Ashland, and Haywards Park Homestead neighborhoods”.
After the Second World War
Dense tract homes on small lots
The 1998 survey, which covers Ashland and Cherryland together, says “post World War II residential development can be characterized as large areas densely developed with nearly identical houses on small lots”. The Census Bureau’s 2020-2024 table counts 1,932 homes built in the 1950s, more than in any other decade, our own comparison.
The 1960s and 1970s
Multi-family buildings on deep, narrow lots
The County’s land-use chapter says, “Many of the multi-family buildings were constructed in the 1960s and 1970s on deep, narrow lots that formerly housed agricultural operations.”
Older roofs and gutters need a different hand: Gutter Repair · Roof Repair · Gutter Installation
The story of Ashland
History and character
The County’s 1998 survey of the Ashland and Cherryland area says the study area “is located within the territory of the Chochenyo tribelet of the Costanoan Indians (also known as the Ohlone).”
The County’s Eden Area General Plan says Ashland “is named for the Oregon tree”; the Castro Valley/Eden Area Chamber of Commerce’s page says, “Ashland gets its name from the Oregon ash trees that once proliferated in the area.”
During the 1890s, the County’s plan says, the Eden Area “became part of the East Bay’s rail transit network”, and side-feeder lines ran along Ashland Avenue. The transit lines, the plan says, “stimulated new development in the Ashland community with farmlands and orchards being subdivided into town lots of approximately one acre each.”
At the end of the 19th century and the start of the 20th, the plan says, “numerous immigrant groups from Portugal, Germany, Denmark, Italy and Japan joined early settlers in the area and contributed their heritage and skills to shape the economic growth of the region.” That is the whole Eden Area, Ashland included.
The County’s 2008 historic survey report lists Holy Ghost Hall on Kent Avenue in Ashland as a “Portuguese social hall and chapel”.
After the Second World War, the County says, the unincorporated communities, Ashland among them, “were transformed into suburban bedroom communities.” The 1998 survey says “large scale housing subdivisions replaced most of the remaining tracts of farm land”. “Only the most intensive agricultural use of the land, nurseries and greenhouses, survived”, it says, and “A few greenhouses remain in Ashland where there were many through the 1960s.”
Until 1976 Ashland had its own fire department. The Fire Department’s stations page says its Ashland-area station “was the original fire station for the Ashland Fire Department” before “the 1976 consolidation of the San Lorenzo Village, Ashland and Cherryland Fire Departments into the Eden Consolidated Fire Protection District”.
The REACH Ashland Youth Center, REACH’s history page says, opened in May 2013 “after a decade-long effort by local youth and the public sector”.
Since March 2025, the County’s notice says, “Ashland, Cherryland, Fairview, Castro Valley, San Lorenzo, and Hayward Acres are now the official mailing address Place Names for their respective urban unincorporated Alameda County communities.”
Ashland, roof and gutters
The County’s Eden Area General Plan, adopted in March 2010, says Ashland “is bounded on the east by Interstate 580, on the south by San Lorenzo Creek, and on the north and west by the City of San Leandro along Hesperian Boulevard, the Bayfair Shopping Center and the Bayfair BART Station.” The same plan says of the Eden Area, which takes in Ashland, “Much of the terrain is flat or gently sloped.”
Yearly rain averages about 17.34 inches at the two nearest federal weather stations, Hayward Air Terminal (16.00 inches, 2.76 miles away) and Oakland Metro (18.68 inches, 6.03 miles away), by NOAA’s 1991-2020 normals and our own calculation, measured from the Census Bureau’s center point for Ashland. At both, November through April brings about 90 percent of the year’s rain, our own calculation too.
The County’s Urban Forestry Program page says it is “planting and maintaining street and parkway trees in the unincorporated communities of Ashland, Castro Valley, Cherryland, Fairview, San Lorenzo, and Sunol”. The County’s tree-canopy table, which cites a vegetation map dated 4/1/2023, puts Ashland’s tree canopy cover at 11 percent.
The easy time to get leaves and other debris off the roof and out of the gutters is before the rains start. If yours hasn’t had a look in a while, we’d be glad to come by.
Landmarks and parks
Holy Ghost Hall
On the County’s 2008 list of properties selected for the intensive survey.
REACH Ashland Youth Center
REACH calls it “a dynamic, 31,500-square-foot facility of green architecture that includes a community health clinic, library, day care facility, multi-media room, dance studio, weight room, arts room, and a café.”
Ashland Park
The park district lists barbecues, meeting rooms, an open lawn area, parking, picnic tables and a playground.
How we can help in Ashland
Why Sunshine Gutters and Roofing
- Family-owned since 2002, trusted by thousands of returning Bay Area homeowners
- Licensed (CSLB #1053780), bonded, with $2 million in general liability coverage
- Our own crew, never subcontractors
- We keep track of local regulations, fire safety rules and insurance programs
- We show you what we found, with photos, so you decide what happens next
The year in Ashland
| February | Still 3.11 and 3.51 inches, the next-highest normals after December at both stations |
|---|---|
| April | Down to 1.20 and 1.35 inches, the last month of the wet season |
| July | No measurable rain in the normals, 0.00 inches at both stations |
| October | The first real rain of the season: 0.81 inches at Hayward Air Terminal and 0.88 at Oakland Metro, against 0.08 and 0.10 in September (NOAA’s 1991-2020 monthly normals) |
| November | The monthly normal climbs to 1.51 inches at Hayward Air Terminal and 2.02 at Oakland Metro |
| December | The wettest month at both stations: 3.20 inches at Hayward Air Terminal and 3.84 at Oakland Metro |
Ashland questions
What Ashland homeowners ask us
Where do I get a building permit for a new roof in Ashland?
From Alameda County. Ashland is not a city, so there is no city building department. The County’s Public Works Agency says to “Apply for building permits, submit plans, schedule inspections and check permit status through the Alameda County Permit Portal.” The portal’s building permits page names Ashland among the communities it serves. If you wish, we can also pull the permit for you, as most of our customers ask us to.
I am selling a home in Ashland: do I need a sewer lateral certificate?
Yes, if the home is inside the Oro Loma Sanitary District, whose pages name Ashland in its service area. The District’s page says “all properties sold within the Oro Loma Sanitary District must have a valid Sewer Lateral Compliance Certificate prior to transfer of title”, for sales that enter escrow on or after August 1, 2026.
Do I need a County permit to prune or remove a tree on my own property in Ashland?
Generally no, the County’s planning page says: “There are currently no countywide ordinances regulating trees on private property in unincorporated Alameda County. Generally, property owners in unincorporated Alameda County can plant, prune, and remove trees on their own property without a permit from the County.” Trees in the public right-of-way are different: they fall under the County’s Tree Ordinance and its Public Works Tree Program.
What should I do to my roof and gutters before the winter storms in Ashland?
The County’s Public Works Agency lists these under “Prepare your home”: “Clean your rain gutters, storm drains and downspouts from leaves and debris”, “Direct downspouts away from your foundation”, “Inspect your roof, drainage systems & sump pump, and make necessary repairs” and “Trim trees and landscaping away from your building and power lines”. That is the County’s guidance, not a rule.
What our customers say
Get a free estimate
We usually respond promptly within the day. Phone first for emergencies: (510) 525-0880.
Where we work
Ashland neighbourhoods we serve
East 14th Street
The County’s plan calls it “the main commercial corridor” of Ashland and the community’s “spine”.
Ashland Avenue
The County’s plan says, “Ashland is centered around Edendale Park, Ashland Avenue, and East 14th Street.”
Ashland District
The County’s Ashland and Cherryland Business District Specific Plan uses the name for the stretch of East 14th Street “between 159th Avenue to the north and 164th Avenue to the south”.
Elgin Street Neighborhood
The County’s plan lists “the Elgin Street Neighborhood of Ashland” among the districts to study as possible historic districts.
Edendale Park
The County’s plan names it first among the places Ashland is centered around, and its park table lists a play area and an open lawn area.
Hesperian Park
The park district’s map lists it, and the County’s park table places it in Ashland, with a play area and an open lawn area.
Also serving nearby: Cherryland · San Leandro · Castro Valley · San Lorenzo · Hayward