Gutters and Roofing for Alamo
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Alamo, in short
Is Alamo a city?
No. Alamo is an unincorporated community of Contra Costa County, so the County, not a city, is its local government. The County’s Alamo page says “code enforcement activities in Alamo are managed exclusively by the County Department of Conservation and Development”.
The story of Alamo
Alamo, an unincorporated community of Contra Costa County; the San Ramon Valley Historical Society says the area was named Alamo, “which means poplar or cottonwood tree in Spanish”.
In the Historical Society’s account of Alamo, the Hemme, Bollinger, Jones and Stone ranches “began by grazing cattle and raising wheat, hay and other grains”. Orchards and vineyards followed, the Society says, and almonds, walnuts, fruits and grapes thrived in the mild climate.
A pioneer family’s diary of 1847 gives, the Society says, “the earliest English description of the area”: the valley and surrounding hills “covered with thick, velvety clover, and with wild oats standing waist high, waving and rippling in the summer breeze, like the bosom of a lake.”
Alamo’s post office was established on May 18, 1852, the Society says. In its 2015 account it calls it the “first permanent post office between Mission San Jose and Martinez” after the Gold Rush and “the oldest continuously run office in the valley”.
The Union Academy, which the Society calls “the first high school in the Valley”, stood on the Alamo-Danville border from 1859 to 1868, and the Society says it burned down in the summer of 1868.
In 1868, the Society’s essay says, a great earthquake, “Estimated at 6.8”, “damaged brick buildings in Alamo and Danville”.
In 1873, the Society says, Alamo pioneer Myron Hall “grafted Persian cuttings to native walnut trees and helped start the prosperous walnut industry in Contra Costa County”; his “mother tree” was tended for over 100 years.
In 1891, the Society says, the local train station was placed on the Hemme Ranch near today’s Hemme Avenue, and “later it was re-named the Alamo station”.
The Danville Branch of the Oakland, Antioch and Eastern Railway opened in 1914 and served Alamo, Danville and Diablo residents for a decade, the Society says. People called it the “Toonerville Trolley”, after a popular cartoon, and it was “used by everyone to get to work, visit friends and go to school”.
After the Second World War, the Society says, “hundreds, then thousands, of new people arrived”. The County’s community profile says the area “remained rural until after World War II when new freeways made it more accessible”.
In 1950, the Alamo Women’s Club says, members began designing and building a new clubhouse, and it was dedicated on June 14, 1952.
“The freeway was completed from Walnut Creek through Alamo in 1964”, the Society says.
Fire safety
Which fire district is yours
The Town of Danville’s page says the San Ramon Valley Fire Protection District’s service area covers “the communities of Alamo, Blackhawk, the Town of Danville, Diablo, the City of San Ramon, the southern boundary of Morgan Territory and the Tassajara Valley”. The Contra Costa County Fire Protection District’s pages also name “Alamo (some parts of Alamo)” and “North Alamo”, so check your address with your fire district.
Town and District pages read Nov 6 2026 (undated)
What the County plans for
The County’s community profile lists “reducing wildfire risks” among Alamo’s local planning priorities. That is the plan’s list of priorities, not a rule for your lot.
Profile file read Nov 6 2026
See 3 more
Weeds, brush and your address
The San Ramon Valley Fire Protection District’s Exterior Hazard Abatement page says “All parcels within the San Ramon Valley Fire Protection District are subject to exterior hazard abatement requirements”, with all required abatement completed by June 1 each year. It names overgrown grasses, weeds, brush and shrubs as conditions that can contribute to the spread of wildfire. The page does not name Alamo, so check with your fire district that your address is inside the District.
District page read in Chrome Nov 6 2026
The State’s Zone 0 rule: where it stands
The State’s rule for the first five feet around a home, called Zone 0: adopted by the Board; in final review with the Office of Administrative Law; no effective date known.
Standing check re-run Nov 7 2026
Part of Alamo is on the State’s map of State Responsibility Area land
The State’s fire hazard layer for State Responsibility Area land (named “FHSZ in SRA”) covers about 40 percent of the sample points inside Alamo’s outline: 38.37 percent High and 1.21 percent Moderate. This is our own calculation from the State’s layer, not a reading of the State’s viewer, which shows the exact line for an address.
Script pull Nov 1 2026; own calculation
Need a hand with this? Gutter guards
Alamo this month
Storm season: the County’s Public Works page says residents of unincorporated Contra Costa County can get free sandbags at the County’s sandbag stations; bring a shovel.
The Alamo blog starts when there is enough local news to keep it current.
Culture and history
Iron Horse Regional Trail
The East Bay Regional Park District says the trail “passes through a rural/residential area to connect with downtown Alamo and the Alamo Square shopping center” and “follows the Southern Pacific Railroad right-of-way established in 1891 and abandoned in 1978”.
Park district page read Nov 6 2026
Diablo Foothills Regional Park
The park district’s page for the park gives its southern staging area as the “Livorna Staging area located just west of Stonegate Drive in Alamo”.
Park district page read Nov 6 2026
See 4 more
Alamo Cemetery
The Alamo-Lafayette Cemetery District says the Alamo Cemetery’s first burial was in 1856, and its page offers self-guided tours, each with “a map to help you find your way and historical information on some of our most prominent local figures”. Group tours must be scheduled in advance.
District’s pages read Nov 6 2026
Autos of Alamo
The Alamo Improvement Association’s Autos of Alamo committee organizes the annual car show, which the association calls “one of the few truly local events in Alamo”.
Association’s page read Nov 6 2026; the association’s own account
A post office since 1852
The Historical Society says Alamo’s post office was established in 1852. More in The story of Alamo, below.
A trolley to Alamo
An electric railway served Alamo from 1914 for a decade, the Society says. More in The story of Alamo, below.
Community
Alamo Municipal Advisory Council
The County’s Alamo page says the council “was formed in 2009 and advises the Board of Supervisors on services that are or may be provided to the Alamo community by Contra Costa County or other local government agencies”.
County page read in Chrome Nov 6 2026
Alamo Improvement Association
The association says it “is dedicated to preserving and enhancing the distinctive character of Alamo”, and its mission is to “preserve the semi-rural character of Alamo”. It is a community association, not a public body.
Association’s pages read Nov 6 2026; its own account
See 3 more
Alamo Women’s Club
The club calls itself “the oldest service club in Alamo”, with doors “open to all women in the greater Bay Area who are interested in joining”.
Club’s page read Nov 6 2026; the club’s own claim
Rotary Club of Alamo
The club calls itself the “Can Do Club”, says one of its most popular events is the Easter Egg Hunt, “held each spring in a local park”, and says it organizes the annual Tree Lighting Ceremony.
Club’s pages, undated, read Nov 6 2026; the club’s own account
San Ramon Valley Historical Society
The Society says it was formed in 1970 “for the purpose of locating and identifying historical sites and points of interest in the San Ramon Valley”; its list of sites and plaques includes the Alamo School Bell, the Alamo Cemetery and the Alamo Grammar School Site.
Society’s pages read Nov 6 2026
City rules and regulations
Building and code matters are the County’s
Alamo has no city building department. The Alamo Improvement Association’s FAQ says “Contra Costa zoning and building codes govern building construction in Alamo”, and the County’s Alamo page says “code enforcement activities in Alamo are managed exclusively by the County Department of Conservation and Development”.
Association’s FAQ and County page read Nov 6 2026
The County’s building codes
The Board of Supervisors’ record lists Ordinance No. 2025-19, “adopting the 2025 California Building Standards Codes, with changes, additions, and deletions”, with the status “Passed” and the passed date November 4, 2025.
Board record read Nov 6 2026
Need a hand with this? Roofing
Storms, flood and drainage
Free sandbags from the County
The County’s Public Works page asks “Do you live in unincorporated Contra Costa County?” and says you can visit one of the sandbag stations located throughout the county: “you’ll need to bring a shovel, but bags and sand are available for free.” Its list has six stations around the county, none in Alamo, so look at the list before you go.
Page undated; read in Chrome Nov 6 2026
Where roof rain goes
The Contra Costa Clean Water Program’s page on stormwater defines it as rain “that flows over land or impervious surfaces, such as paved streets, parking lots, and building rooftops”, and says storm drains “carry them directly to our local water bodies without being treated”. Its illegal-dumping page adds: “Only rainwater is allowed to flow freely into a storm drain.”
Program’s pages, undated, read Nov 6 2026
See 1 more
Gutters and standing water
The Clean Water Program’s home and garden page, written to keep a neighborhood mosquito-free, lists “clogged rain gutters” among the things in a yard that can hold water.
Program’s page, undated, read Nov 6 2026
Need a hand with this? Gutter cleaning
Programs, loans and insurance
County-wide Con Fire’s Low-Income Exterior Hazard Control Program: check your fire district
Con Fire’s Measure X page says the program “assists eligible low-income property owners with exterior hazard removal, including overgrown or dead vegetation, weeds, combustible debris, and tree litter” and “Provides up to $1,500 in hazard control or weed abatement work”. The page gives no open or closed word and names no town; the District’s weed-abatement page lists “Alamo (some parts of Alamo)”.
District pages read Nov 6 2026
County-wide Check back Diablo Firesafe Council’s cost-share: check back
The Council’s page says it has “temporarily closed the applications for the Partners in Wildfire Prevention fuel reduction grant match” and “No new applications can be submitted at this time.” It says it will reopen the form “when new funding is available”. Its page names a cost-share of up to $3,500 per project, for when it reopens, and names Alameda and Contra Costa counties but no town; it names no roof or gutter work.
Council’s page, notice dated May 2025, read Nov 6 2026
See 3 more
County-wide Check back Bay Area Air District chipping program: check back
The Air District says it “is not currently accepting applications for chipping services through the Agricultural Waste and Wildfire Prevention Chipping Programs” and that “Program services will resume when additional funding becomes available.”
Air District’s page, last updated 9/26/2024, read Nov 6 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. Its Northern California ZIP list has ZIP 94507 on the same line as the city Alamo, by our own matching of the list’s text positions, and says “Eligibility based on ZIP Code only, city provided as reference.” The program’s page says “Earthquake Brace + Bolt offers up to $3,000 for homeowners to seismically retrofit their houses.”, “An EBB seismic retrofit is only done on wood-framed, pre-1980 homes with a raised foundation.” and “EBB program registration is open for a limited time each year.” The page does not say whether registration is open now.
Program pages read Nov 6 2026
State-wide Check back California Safe Homes: check back
California Safe Homes, the State’s grant program run through the Department of Insurance, is not open: no dated State page says it is, and the Department’s 2026 press-release index, read Oct 20 2026, lists no Safe Homes item.
Press-release index read Oct 20 2026 (California sheet)
Who serves your home in Alamo
- Fire: The San Ramon Valley Fire Protection District, whose Stations & Facilities page lists Fire Station 32 at an Alamo address.
- Water: East Bay Municipal Utility District; a page on its Walnut Creek Water Treatment Plant project names Alamo in the District’s East-of-Hills service area.
- Sewer: Central San, whose home page lists wastewater collection, wastewater treatment, a household hazardous waste collection facility and a recycled water fill station under a heading for Alamo.
- Garbage and recycling: RecycleSmart; its service-area page lists “The unincorporated areas of Central Contra Costa County (Alamo, Blackhawk, Diablo and the unincorporated areas of the cities and towns listed above)”.
- Electricity and gas: PG&E’s service-area page lists Alamo under Contra Costa in both an electric list and a gas list.
- Flood control: The Contra Costa County Flood Control and Water Conservation District; the Board of Supervisors’ record of June 23, 2026 adopts the annual Drainage Area Benefit Assessment in “Drainage Area 76A” for fiscal year 2026-2027, “Alamo area”. The record’s title does not say what Drainage Area 76A covers.
- Schools: The San Ramon Valley Unified School District, whose home page lists “Alamo Elementary” among its schools.
Useful links: Contra Costa County: Alamo (Alamo Municipal Advisory Council) · Alamo Elementary School (San Ramon Valley Unified School District) · San Ramon Valley Fire Protection District: Stations & Facilities · Contra Costa County Fire Protection District: Weed Abatement · Contra Costa County Public Works: Sandbags · Contra Costa County: Building Permit Applications · Contra Costa Clean Water Program · East Bay Municipal Utility District · Central San · RecycleSmart: Service Area · East Bay Regional Park District: Iron Horse Regional Trail · East Bay Regional Park District: Diablo Foothills Regional Park · Alamo-Lafayette Cemetery District: Points of Interest · San Ramon Valley Historical Society · Alamo Improvement Association · Alamo Women’s Club · Rotary Club of Alamo · Diablo Firesafe Council: Cost-Share Program · Bay Area Air District: Wildfire Prevention Chipping Program · PG&E: Energy Savings Assistance Program · BayREN: EASE Home · Earthquake Brace + Bolt · Streamside Management Program for Landowners · EBMUD: Rebates
The homes of Alamo
The Census Bureau’s 2020-2024 survey estimates 5,315 homes in Alamo, 93.2 percent of them one-unit detached houses, with a median year built of 1978; the percentage is our own calculation. The County’s community profile, the one named above, says Alamo and Castle Hill are “mostly comprised of single-family ranch-style homes on relatively large lots”.
The 1950s to the 1980s
Most of the homes
The survey counts 3,464 of the 5,315 homes, about 65 percent, as built from 1950 to 1989, by our calculation.
The 1970s
The largest decade
The survey counts about 1,350 homes from the 1970s, roughly 25 percent, the largest single decade, by our calculation.
2000 and later
Newer homes
The survey counts about 760 homes from 2000 or later, roughly 14 percent, by our calculation.
Older roofs and gutters need a different hand: Gutter Repair · Roof Repair · Gutter Installation
The story of Alamo
History and character
A pioneer family’s diary of 1847 gives, the Society says, “the earliest English description of the area”: the valley and surrounding hills “covered with thick, velvety clover, and with wild oats standing waist high, waving and rippling in the summer breeze, like the bosom of a lake.”
Alamo’s post office was established on May 18, 1852, the Society says. In its 2015 account it calls it the “first permanent post office between Mission San Jose and Martinez” after the Gold Rush and “the oldest continuously run office in the valley”.
The Union Academy, which the Society calls “the first high school in the Valley”, stood on the Alamo-Danville border from 1859 to 1868, and the Society says it burned down in the summer of 1868.
In 1868, the Society’s essay says, a great earthquake, “Estimated at 6.8”, “damaged brick buildings in Alamo and Danville”.
In 1873, the Society says, Alamo pioneer Myron Hall “grafted Persian cuttings to native walnut trees and helped start the prosperous walnut industry in Contra Costa County”; his “mother tree” was tended for over 100 years.
In 1891, the Society says, the local train station was placed on the Hemme Ranch near today’s Hemme Avenue, and “later it was re-named the Alamo station”.
The Danville Branch of the Oakland, Antioch and Eastern Railway opened in 1914 and served Alamo, Danville and Diablo residents for a decade, the Society says. People called it the “Toonerville Trolley”, after a popular cartoon, and it was “used by everyone to get to work, visit friends and go to school”.
After the Second World War, the Society says, “hundreds, then thousands, of new people arrived”. The County’s community profile says the area “remained rural until after World War II when new freeways made it more accessible”.
In 1950, the Alamo Women’s Club says, members began designing and building a new clubhouse, and it was dedicated on June 14, 1952.
“The freeway was completed from Walnut Creek through Alamo in 1964”, the Society says.
Alamo, roof and gutters
The Walnut Creek Watershed Council’s 2013 inventory says San Ramon Creek “flows northerly through the San Ramon Valley into the City of Walnut Creek”, and the Census Bureau’s stream map has San Ramon Creek segments inside Alamo’s outline, our own comparison. The inventory also says it is likely that creek channels were modified, “such as the eastward relocation of San Ramon Creek through Alamo”, to reduce flooding or otherwise improve conditions for agriculture and commerce.
Yearly rain runs from 17.74 inches at the Concord WWTP station (15.10 km, about 9.4 miles, from the Census Bureau’s center point for Alamo) to 26.05 inches at Mt Diablo Junction (7.80 km, about 4.8 miles), by NOAA’s 1991-2020 normals; the distances are our own calculation. November through March brings about 82 percent of the year’s rain at Mt Diablo Junction and about 85 percent at Concord WWTP, and June through September together bring 0.43 and 0.20 inches, our own calculation too.
The County’s 2024 community profile for Alamo and Castle Hill, part of its 2045 General Plan documents and kept in a file named “Draft_10-14-2024”, says the two communities are known for “wooded hillsides” and lists “preserving mature trees” among their local planning priorities. Its policy 3 says to prioritize preserving “mature stands of oak trees and riparian corridors”, and the General Plan’s conservation element says: “Oak trees, an iconic part of the landscape in the county and throughout the state, are recognized by State law with special protections for oak woodlands.” Those are the plan’s aims, not a rule for a tree on your own lot.
Whatever the trees drop on an Alamo roof, and into its gutters, comes off most easily before the rains. If yours hasn’t had a look in a while, we’d be glad to come by.
Landmarks and parks
Alamo School Bell
The Society’s second plaque, dedicated in 1974, marks the old school bell, which stands in the courtyard of Alamo Elementary School.
Alamo Cemetery
A Society plaque dedicated in 1980 says the cemetery “began on a gentle hill east of San Ramon Creek during the 1850s”.
How we can help in Alamo
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 Alamo
| February | The wettest month at Concord WWTP, 3.57 inches, and 4.90 at Mt Diablo Junction |
|---|---|
| April | Down to 1.92 and 1.23 inches, the last month above an inch at both stations |
| July | Almost no rain in the normals, 0.01 inches at Mt Diablo Junction and 0.00 at Concord WWTP |
| October | The first real rain of the season: 1.19 inches at Mt Diablo Junction and 0.68 at Concord WWTP, against 0.12 and 0.06 in September (NOAA’s 1991-2020 monthly normals) |
| November | The monthly normal climbs to 2.65 inches at Mt Diablo Junction and 1.87 at Concord WWTP |
| December | The wettest month at Mt Diablo Junction, 5.08 inches, and 3.55 at Concord WWTP |
Alamo questions
What Alamo homeowners ask us
Where do I get a building permit for a new roof in Alamo?
Alamo is not a city, so there is no city building department. The Alamo Improvement Association’s FAQ says “Contra Costa zoning and building codes govern building construction in Alamo”, and the County’s Alamo page says “code enforcement activities in Alamo are managed exclusively by the County Department of Conservation and Development”. If you wish, we can also pull the permit for you, as most of our customers ask us to.
Which fire district serves my home in Alamo?
The San Ramon Valley Fire Protection District lists a station in Alamo, and the Town of Danville’s page names Alamo in the District’s service area. The Contra Costa County Fire Protection District’s pages also name “Alamo (some parts of Alamo)”, so check your address with your fire district.
Where can I get free sandbags in Alamo?
The County runs free sandbag stations for unincorporated Contra Costa County, and the Public Works page says to bring a shovel. Its list has six stations around the county, none in Alamo, so look at the list before you go.
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
Alamo neighbourhoods we serve
Round Hill
A part of Alamo that a county-sponsored police advisory committee is named for; the County’s community profile names the Round Hill Country Club among the area’s developments.
Alamo Plaza
The shopping center in the middle of Alamo, which the Alamo Improvement Association calls Alamo Plaza; the park district calls it Alamo Square.
Danville Boulevard
The County’s community profile says it runs “north-south along the west side of Interstate 680”.
Stone Valley Road
The County’s community profile says it “runs east from Danville Boulevard toward Diablo”.
Alamo’s commercial core
The County’s community profile says “Alamo’s major commercial center is located around the intersection of these two streets”, Danville Boulevard and Stone Valley Road.
Also serving nearby: Danville · Walnut Creek · Castle Hill · Diablo