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Moraga, in short
Do I need a permit to remove a tree in Moraga?
Yes, for a native tree, an orchard tree or a tree of historical significance, the Town’s FAQ says. Its application counts a tree as a live woody plant with a single trunk of 5 inches or more, 3 feet above the natural grade. For the native ones, the FAQ points to the East Bay California Native Plant Society’s tree list.
The story of Moraga
Moraga, named for the rancher Joaquin Moraga, a town whose residents sought, the Town says, to preserve its “semi-agricultural, low density identity”.
The Town’s History page tells of mastodon fossils, the Saklans, a Mexican land grant of 1841, a town center planned in 1913 that lacked water, Saint Mary’s College since 1928 and a bid for the United Nations that lost to New York, and says Moraga remained primarily a ranching and farming community until the early 1950s. Moraga incorporated as a town in 1974.
The Town’s History page says fossils of extinct animals such as mastodons, three toed horses and camels have been found in the Moraga Valley, in particular in the area of the lakebed that is now Campolindo High School and the cliffs along Bollinger Canyon Road.
The Town says the Saklans, a tribelet of the Bay Miwok group, were the original settlers in the Moraga Valley.
The Town says Joaquin Moraga and his cousin Juan Bernal formally requested a land grant from the independent Mexican State of Alta California on 20 August 1835, and that Governor Juan Bautista Alvarado awarded the grant, Rancho Laguna de los Palos Colorados, on 10 August 1841.
The Historical Society says the name means “Ranch of the Lake of the Redwoods” in Spanish.
In 1841, the Town says, Moraga built a two-room adobe home on a hill overlooking what is now the site of Miramonte High School, and grazed approximately 1,000 head of cattle and 4,000 horses on the Rancho.
The cattle were raised mainly for the hides, the Town says, which were treated, stored and later sold at Oakland markets and shipped overseas.
The Society places the Joaquin Moraga Adobe in Orinda, on the edge of the Town of Moraga.
After the gold rush of the mid-1800s, the Town says, ranching took a downturn while the population grew and residential land was needed for the new settlers; cattle ranching over large land areas was replaced by small dairies and farms, and by smaller ranches.
The Town’s page says the train stopped in the valley at Sequoia, Canyon, Pinehurst, Valle Vista, Moraga, Saint Mary’s College, Burton, West Lafayette, Reliez and Saranap.
In 1913, the Town says, plans for the original town site in Moraga were drawn up, with the designated center near the train station and the inn known as The Barn; the center was not developed in the planned location “due to lack of needed water access”.
The Society tells of the same plan, by the Moraga Company: “The project failed and of the 200 lots, only one lot was sold, and five cottages built.”
The Society says most of the pears in the Moraga Valley are Bartlett pears, from trees planted around 1913 by James Irvine of the Moraga Company, and that the Moraga Valley became the largest pear producer in the world.
The Moraga Company donated land for an educational institution, the Town says, attracting Saint Mary’s College, which was founded in 1863 in San Francisco, moved to Oakland in 1889 and settled in the Moraga Valley in 1928.
One stop on the Society’s college walking tour is the Pre-Flight Base where, the Society says, the US Navy trained pilots during World War II.
In 1945, the Town says, San Francisco’s mayor advocated Moraga as a desirable location for the United Nations “with its mild weather and beautiful pastoral scenery”, and the United Nations chose “the big city of New York instead of bucolic Moraga”.
The Town says Moraga remained primarily a ranching and farming community until the early 1950s.
The Society says Donald Rheem built 10 miles of roads in Rheem and Moraga, and built homes at Rheem Highlands, Rheem Glen and Rheem View Acres between 1949 and 1952.
The Society says residential development accelerated after Utah Mining & Construction bought the Moraga Company in 1953.
The Rheem Theater opened on June 12, 1957 with 1,000 loge seats, the Society says.
Moraga was incorporated as a town in 1974, the Historical Society says, and celebrated its 50th anniversary in 2024.
Fire safety
Where Moraga stands on the State’s 2025 fire hazard map
Read from the State’s 2025 map for local areas, which the State released in four phases between February 10 and March 24, 2025, with the Town’s Census outline, our own estimate from sample points: about 38 percent of Moraga falls in the Very High class, about 37 percent in High, about 14 percent in Moderate and about 11 percent is non-wildland land. Which class applies at one address is for the map itself.
State map data pull of Nov 1 2026 with the Town’s Census outline, our own estimate
The District’s rule for your roof and gutters
The Moraga-Orinda Fire District’s Ordinance 23-03, adopted February 15, 2023 and effective March 17, 2023, says the roof and roof gutters of any structure, and the surface of any attached deck, are to be kept free of leaves, needles, hazardous vegetation and combustible materials.
Adopted February 15, 2023; effective March 17, 2023; not marked repealed on the District’s ordinance index read Nov 6 2026
See 5 more
The first five feet, in the District’s rule
The ordinance’s “Zone 0” is the first five feet from a structure, an attached deck or an outbuilding, where it asks for the most stringent wildfire fuel reduction. That is the District’s rule, separate from the State’s Zone 0. Within 2 feet of a structure or attached deck it allows no combustible ground cover such as mulch and bark; gravel, pavers and concrete are permitted, and irrigated, high-moisture ground cover such as green grass, ivy or succulents is an exception where the Fire Code Official finds it does not readily transmit fire. Its list for those five feet does not permit stored firewood, lumber or other combustible material.
Adopted February 15, 2023; effective March 17, 2023
Trees near the house
The ordinance asks for 6 feet of vertical clearance between tree branches and a roof or other part of a structure, no branches within 10 feet of a chimney or stovepipe outlet, and no Monterey pines or eucalyptus.
Adopted February 15, 2023; effective March 17, 2023
Grass by June 1
The ordinance says annual grasses, which are not permitted within 2 feet of a structure or attached deck, must be removed or cut to less than 3 inches no later than June 1 of each year.
Each year; ordinance adopted February 15, 2023
The District’s map pages
A page of the District’s links PDF maps of the State’s 2025 fire hazard severity zones for Moraga, Orinda and the District.
District page undated; 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. It is separate from the District’s rule above.
Standing check of Nov 7 2026
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Moraga this month
For the wet weather season, the Town’s page, updated 10-21-2026, says sand and bags are available now at the Town’s self-serve sandbag fill station in the Rancho Laguna Park parking lot, 2101 Camino Pablo, for Moraga residents only.
The Moraga blog starts when there is enough local news to keep it current.
Culture and history
Moraga Commons
The Town describes Moraga Commons as “a 40.2 acre multi-use park at the center of Moraga”, with a bandshell, a disc golf course, a skatepark, playgrounds, picnic areas, bocce ball, sand volleyball and a splash feature.
Page read Nov 6 2026
Hacienda de las Flores
The Town calls the Hacienda de las Flores “historic town-owned property”, a mansion, pavilion, lawn and parkland, and says its open-air areas can be reached by the pedestrian gate at the corner of Moraga Road and Devin Drive seven days a week from 8am to 8pm.
Hours as read Nov 6 2026; they can change
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Lafayette-Moraga Regional Trail
The East Bay Regional Park District describes the Lafayette-Moraga Regional Trail as “a 7.65-mile linear park” that “parallels St. Mary’s Road through Lafayette and Moraga”, and says it ends at EBMUD’s Valle Vista staging area at the outskirts of Moraga, bordering San Leandro Reservoir and Reinhardt Redwood Regional Park.
Pages read Nov 6 2026
Mulholland Ridge Open Space Preserve
The Town lists it as “a 260 acre park atop Donald Drive on the Moraga/Orinda border”, with ridge trails that connect to the Hacienda de las Flores park and the Orinda trail network.
Page read Nov 6 2026
The Moraga History Center
The Historical Society’s page gives the Moraga History Center’s hours as Thursday from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. or by appointment; the Town’s page says it opened July 4, 1999 in the Moraga Library building and holds files, photographs, artifacts, books, documents, oral tapes, dioramas, slides and films.
Hours as read Nov 6 2026 (the Society’s page is stamped 2026-09-23); they can change
The Town’s annual events
The Town’s page lists these annual special events: the Pear and Wine Festival, Movie Under the Stars, the (not so) Haunted Hacienda, Veterans Day on November 11, the tree lighting, Breakfast with Santa, the July 4 Celebration, the Family Camp Out, the Summer Concert Series and Hacienda Nights.
Page read Nov 6 2026
The first people of the valley
The Town’s History page names the Saklans, a tribelet of the Bay Miwok group, as the original settlers in the Moraga Valley. More in The story of Moraga, below.
Town page undated; read Nov 6 2026
Mastodons in the valley
The Town’s History page says fossils of extinct animals such as mastodons, three toed horses and camels have been found in the Moraga Valley. More in The story of Moraga, below.
Town page undated; read Nov 6 2026
A town center without water
The Town says the center planned for Moraga in 1913 was not developed where planned “due to lack of needed water access”. More in The story of Moraga, below.
Town page undated; read Nov 6 2026
A bid for the United Nations
The Town’s History page says San Francisco’s mayor put Moraga forward as a desirable location for the United Nations headquarters. More in The story of Moraga, below.
Town page undated; read Nov 6 2026
Community
Moraga Historical Society
The Society says it was founded on October 12, 1965, and that in 2026 it is focused on documenting Moraga’s history of volunteerism.
Pages read Nov 6 2026
Moraga-Orinda Firewise Network
The Network describes itself as “a network of Firewise USA group leaders who participate on a voluntary basis”, offering information sessions from time to time for people who want to start a Firewise group in their neighborhood.
Page read Nov 6 2026
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Moraga Park Foundation
The Town’s page calls the Summer Concert Series “a beloved community tradition put on by the Moraga Park Foundation”, with concerts on Thursday nights at Moraga Commons Park throughout the summer.
Page read Nov 6 2026
Moraga Garden Club
Rancho Laguna Park has a 2,600 square foot Monarch and Pollinator Habitat and Demonstration Garden “made possible by the Moraga Garden Club”, the Town’s page says.
Page read Nov 6 2026
Art in Public Spaces
The Town’s Art in Public Spaces Committee says its mission is “to bring the arts to Moraga”, with projects that include sculptures, a mural, a poetry reading and utility box artwork.
Page read Nov 6 2026
City rules and regulations
Re-roofs need a building permit from the County
A re-roof needs a building permit from the County, which acts as Moraga’s building department. The Town’s Building Permits page opens onto the County’s Common Building Permits page, where permits go through the County’s ePermit Center.
Pages read in Chrome Nov 6 2026
A recycling deposit for a big re-roof
The Town’s FAQ says a re-roofing project for a roof larger than 1,000 square feet (10 squares) needs a recycling deposit with the Town before the building permit application.
Page read Nov 6 2026
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A drainpipe through the curb
The Town’s FAQ says an encroachment permit is generally required for any construction within the public right-of-way, including installing a drainpipe through the curb. Landscaping between the curb and the property line generally needs none, but fences, retaining walls and drainage pipes there are not landscaping and need an encroachment agreement from the Town.
Pages read Nov 6 2026
Protected trees
A permit is required for the removal of a native tree, an orchard tree or a tree of historical significance, the Town’s FAQ says. The Town’s application says anyone who wants to cut down, destroy or remove one, on public or private property, files it with the Planning Director, who may set reasonable conditions.
Pages read Nov 6 2026
A tree with several trunks
For a tree with several trunks, the Town’s application counts a total perimeter of forty inches or more, measured three feet above the natural grade.
Form read Nov 6 2026
The three kinds of protected tree
The application defines a native tree as one native to California and indigenous to the Moraga area, an orchard tree as a fruit or nut tree planted for commercial agricultural purposes, and a tree of historic significance as one with historic value related to the heritage of the town, designated by the Town Council.
Form read Nov 6 2026
Which trees are native
The Town’s FAQ points to the East Bay California Native Plant Society’s Native Tree list, and the application carries its own Native Tree List, with entries such as Big Leaf Maple, Buckeye, Madrone, Coast Redwood, Coast Live Oak, Valley Oak and Blue Oak.
Pages read Nov 6 2026
Your neighbor’s tree
Of a neighbor’s leaning or dead tree, the Town says it “cannot get involved if the issue cannot be solved since it is a civil matter between neighbors”.
Page read Nov 6 2026
When you buy or sell Fire district paperwork at a sale
The Moraga-Orinda Fire District’s Ordinance 23-03 has a section on the sale of a property: before the close of escrow the seller gives the buyer documentation from the Fire Code Official that the property is currently in compliance with the District’s fuel mitigation and fuel break requirements. The District’s page on the inspection says more.
Ordinance adopted February 15, 2023; District index read Nov 6 2026
When you buy or sell No sewer inspection at a sale
Central San says: “Central San does not have a point of sale sewer lateral inspection ordinance. While it is encouraged to have the sewer line inspected prior to selling/buying a house, it is not required.”
Page undated; read in the fact-sheet run
Need a hand with this? Roofing
Storms, flood and drainage
Sandbags at Rancho Laguna Park
The Town’s page says sand, shovel and bags are provided at the site for Moraga residents only, at a self-serve station in the parking lot near the restrooms that runs on the honor system. Residents are asked to take enough sandbags to protect their property, and are reminded that other Moraga residents may also need them.
Page update dated 10-21-2026; read Nov 6 2026
“V” ditches, culverts and your drainage
The Town says it is the residents’ responsibility to maintain the drainage structures on their private property, which usually are concrete lined swales that empty into a catch basin draining to the Town maintained storm drain system at the street. Property owners are responsible for the concrete drainage swales on their property, known as “V” ditches, and for the drainage culverts underneath their driveways; proper “V” ditch care includes “removal of debris and foreign objects, removal of vegetation that may obstruct flow, ensuring the ditch is structurally intact, and repair of ditch deficiencies”.
Pages read Nov 6 2026
See 4 more
Creeks that run by your property
“Creek maintenance is the responsibility of the owner whose property abuts a creek, usually to the centerline”, the Town’s page says, and its FAQ says most creek maintenance is the private property owner’s.
Pages read Nov 6 2026
Where storm drain water goes
The Town says that water flowing down a storm drain does not reach a water treatment facility: “whatever flows down a storm drain flows directly to a creek, canal, lake, or other body of water.”
Page undated; read Nov 6 2026
Creeks and flood areas
The Town’s hazard plan annex says FEMA flood maps show that in 100-year storm conditions the Town’s creeks would likely flood, “although the impact is limited by the use of creek setback buffering in line with required flood readiness programs”. The annex says the Town is a member of the National Flood Insurance Program, and FEMA’s community status book lists it with a current effective flood map dated June 16, 2009.
FEMA list read Nov 6 2026 (the saved copy has no report date)
A rain barrel, the Town’s tip
The Town’s Sustainable Moraga page suggests: “Install a rain barrel to collect rainwater from gutters for watering gardens”.
Page read Nov 6 2026
Need a hand with this? Gutter cleaning
Programs, loans and insurance
Fire District Home Hardening Grant Program: free gutter coverings and vent mesh
The Moraga-Orinda Fire District’s page for its Home Hardening Grant Program, the District’s own name for it, says the program is open to all residents within the District’s jurisdiction until June 30, 2027. Registration is open for the free stainless steel gutter coverings, which “will be shipped directly to your home at no cost”, with delivery expected within approximately 30 days “pending material availability”, and the page links to a contractor site for arranging the installation. The District describes the guards as “designed to minimize the accumulation of leaves and debris that will become combustible material in the dry months”. The same page offers free vent mesh and reimbursement for vents, limited to a maximum of $1,000 per parcel.
Page read in Chrome Nov 6 2026; open until June 30, 2027
Check back Free home wildfire-safety assessment: check back
The Firewise Network’s page, which hosts the request button, says the District’s Community Wildfire Safety Ambassador program sends resident volunteers to perform exterior home assessments in Moraga, Orinda, Bollinger and Canyon, and that “The assessment is free and usually takes about 45 minutes to complete depending on questions you may have.” The page calls the assessments non-enforcement related and gives no open or closed word.
Page read in the fact-sheet run; undated
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Check back District Community Chipping Program: check back
The Firewise Network’s page says “Moraga-Orinda Fire District (MOFD) and the City of Orinda offer a free-of-charge Community Chipping Programs to assist in reducing vegetation and enhancing fire safety in our community”, and that “All Canyon, Moraga, and Orinda residents are encouraged to take advantage of this free MOFD chipping service.”
Page read in the fact-sheet run; undated
Check back Fire Safe Moraga-Orinda cost-shared grants: check back
Fire Safe Moraga-Orinda’s grants page says this is not a reimbursement program: the project cost is split between the organization and the participants (up to $10,000) and each party pays the contractor directly. Properties must be located within the boundaries of the Moraga Orinda Fire Protection District, and the page gives no open or closed word for homeowners; its banner invites hazardous vegetation removal contractors to apply to provide services for ongoing projects.
Pages read in the fact-sheet run; undated
County-wide Check back Diablo Firesafe Council 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”, with an update of May 2025, and that it will reopen the form “when new funding is available”. When open it offered up to $3,500 of cost-share funds per project. The page names Alameda and Contra Costa Counties and does not say whether any part of Moraga is among its priority areas.
Update May 2025 on the page; still on it Nov 6 2026
County-wide Diablo Firesafe Council Five Easy Actions
To assist residents in Alameda and Contra Costa County, the Council offers a free program called Five Easy Actions, “an informative, 90-minute hands-on talk to discuss home hardening for your FIREWISE group”.
Page read Nov 2026
County-wide Check back County Neighborhood Preservation Program: check back
The Town’s Housing Resources page repeats the County’s program, which it says provides financial assistance to low-income homeowners for home rehabilitation projects, and says the program is not currently accepting applications and to check back for future updates.
Town page read Nov 6 2026
County-wide County weatherization for income-qualified households
The Town’s Sustainable Moraga page lists a Weatherization Program under “Income Restricted Programs”, linking to the County’s weatherization page.
Town page read Nov 6 2026
County-wide BayREN EASE Home: weatherization for income-qualified homes
The Town’s energy page says BayREN’s EASE Home Program offers income-eligible residents of single-family homes customized and low-cost energy upgrades, and that “BayREN covers 80% of project costs. Participating households are responsible for the remaining 20%.”
Town page read Nov 6 2026
County-wide Check back MCE Home Energy Savings: check back
The Town’s energy page says the MCE Home Energy Savings Program offers energy efficiency upgrades to income-qualifying single-family residents at no cost.
Town page read Nov 6 2026
County-wide Habitat for Humanity: home repair in select cities
Habitat for Humanity East Bay/Silicon Valley’s Home Repair page says services are available in select cities in Alameda, Contra Costa and Santa Clara counties, and its Contra Costa list of cities holds the Town of Moraga. Under the heading “Critical Repairs” it lists “roof repairs, upgrading electrical systems, replumbing, flooring replacement, replacing windows”.
Page read in the fact-sheet run
Check back Earthquake Brace + Bolt: check back
The California Residential Mitigation Program’s page says a retrofit “is only done on wood-framed, pre-1980 homes with a raised foundation” and that registration is open for a limited time each year; no sentence says it is open now. By our own reading of the 2025 ZIP-code list for Northern California, Moraga is listed with ZIP code 94556.
Program pages and ZIP list read in the fact-sheet run
EBMUD water rebates
The Town’s Sustainable Moraga page lists EBMUD’s Conservation and Rebate Program under “Rebates and Credits Open to Everyone”. EBMUD says its rebates “are available to both residential and non-residential customers with potable water service”, among them a Lawn Conversion Rebate (up to $2.00 per sq. ft.); its rebate pages mention no rain barrel, gutter, downspout or roof.
Rebates page read in the fact-sheet run
State-wide Check back California Safe Homes: check back
California Safe Homes, a State roof and Zone 0 grant program, is not open; check back.
State-wide LIHEAP and the Weatherization Assistance Program
LIHEAP and the federal Weatherization Assistance Program run through local providers, and for Moraga the Town lists the County’s weatherization program.
Who serves your home in Moraga
- Fire: The Moraga-Orinda Fire District, which the Town’s page says provides fire protection and emergency medical services to the residents of the Town. The General Plan 2040 says two of the District’s five stations, 41 and 42, are in Moraga.
- Water: East Bay Municipal Utility District; its page on water treatment lists Moraga among the places its Orinda Water Treatment Plant serves, and the Town’s page names EBMUD’s Carter Pressure Zone in Moraga.
- Sewer: Central San, the Central Contra Costa Sanitary District; its page lists Moraga among the places its service area includes.
- Garbage: RecycleSmart, the central-county waste authority, which lists the Town of Moraga as a member municipality; it has contracted with Republic Services for the collection of residential and commercial garbage, recycling and organics.
- Electricity: PG&E’s service-area page lists Moraga in its electric service territory. The Town’s page says it enrolled in MCE, the community choice program, in July 2017, so that residents and businesses can select the source of their electricity supply.
- Gas: PG&E’s service-area page lists Moraga in its gas service territory.
- Schools: The Moraga School District names four schools on its site: Camino Pablo Elementary, Joaquin Moraga Intermediate, Los Perales Elementary and Donald Rheem School. For high school, the Acalanes Union High School District says “Your neighborhood high school is based on your street address”, and lists Campolindo High School at an address in Moraga.
- Permits: Moraga contracts with Contra Costa County for building permit services: the Town’s page lists the County’s Department of Conservation and Development for building permits, plan check and inspections.
Useful links: Moraga School District · Acalanes Union High School District · Moraga-Orinda Fire District (ordinances, the fire hazard maps and the sale inspection) · Town of Moraga: Building Permits · Town of Moraga: Storm Drain and Creek Maintenance · Town of Moraga: Sand Bag Fill Station at Rancho Laguna Park · Town of Moraga: Parks and Trails · Town of Moraga: History · Contra Costa County Department of Conservation and Development · Moraga Historical Society · Lafayette-Moraga Regional Trail (East Bay Regional Park District) · East Bay Municipal Utility District · Central Contra Costa Sanitary District (Central San) · RecycleSmart (Central Contra Costa Solid Waste Authority) · Pacific Gas and Electric (PG&E) · MCE
The homes of Moraga
Moraga’s median home was built in 1972, and about 78 percent of its homes were built in 1979 or earlier. About 67 percent of the homes are one-unit detached homes and about 83 percent of occupied homes are owner-occupied, our own calculations from the Census Bureau’s 2020-2024 tables.
1950 to 1990
One- and two-story homes on large landscaped lots
The General Plan 2040 says the Town’s neighborhoods are “largely characterized by one- and two-story homes built between 1950 and 1990 on relatively large, landscaped lots”, with “no single prevailing architectural style” and a mix that is “often eclectic”.
The 1960s and 1970s
Rapid growth
The Housing Element says “the largest proportion of the housing stock by far was built between 1960 and 1979”, which it calls “a time of rapid growth across much of Central Contra Costa County”.
Townhome communities
Medium-density townhomes
The General Plan 2040 names medium-density townhome communities such as the Moraga Country Club, Miramonte Gardens, Carroll Ranch, Rancho Moraga and Villa Moraga.
Lot sizes
About a third of an acre
The General Plan 2040 gives the median single-family lot as 14,860 square feet (about 1/3 of an acre), with smaller lots in the Larch area and the Moraga Country Club and larger ones in Sanders Ranch and The Bluffs.
Older roofs and gutters need a different hand: Gutter Repair · Roof Repair · Gutter Installation
The story of Moraga
History and character
The Town’s History page says fossils of extinct animals such as mastodons, three toed horses and camels have been found in the Moraga Valley, in particular in the area of the lakebed that is now Campolindo High School and the cliffs along Bollinger Canyon Road.
The Town says the Saklans, a tribelet of the Bay Miwok group, were the original settlers in the Moraga Valley.
The Town says Joaquin Moraga and his cousin Juan Bernal formally requested a land grant from the independent Mexican State of Alta California on 20 August 1835, and that Governor Juan Bautista Alvarado awarded the grant, Rancho Laguna de los Palos Colorados, on 10 August 1841.
The Historical Society says the name means “Ranch of the Lake of the Redwoods” in Spanish.
In 1841, the Town says, Moraga built a two-room adobe home on a hill overlooking what is now the site of Miramonte High School, and grazed approximately 1,000 head of cattle and 4,000 horses on the Rancho.
The cattle were raised mainly for the hides, the Town says, which were treated, stored and later sold at Oakland markets and shipped overseas.
The Society places the Joaquin Moraga Adobe in Orinda, on the edge of the Town of Moraga.
After the gold rush of the mid-1800s, the Town says, ranching took a downturn while the population grew and residential land was needed for the new settlers; cattle ranching over large land areas was replaced by small dairies and farms, and by smaller ranches.
The Town’s page says the train stopped in the valley at Sequoia, Canyon, Pinehurst, Valle Vista, Moraga, Saint Mary’s College, Burton, West Lafayette, Reliez and Saranap.
In 1913, the Town says, plans for the original town site in Moraga were drawn up, with the designated center near the train station and the inn known as The Barn; the center was not developed in the planned location “due to lack of needed water access”.
The Society tells of the same plan, by the Moraga Company: “The project failed and of the 200 lots, only one lot was sold, and five cottages built.”
The Society says most of the pears in the Moraga Valley are Bartlett pears, from trees planted around 1913 by James Irvine of the Moraga Company, and that the Moraga Valley became the largest pear producer in the world.
The Moraga Company donated land for an educational institution, the Town says, attracting Saint Mary’s College, which was founded in 1863 in San Francisco, moved to Oakland in 1889 and settled in the Moraga Valley in 1928.
One stop on the Society’s college walking tour is the Pre-Flight Base where, the Society says, the US Navy trained pilots during World War II.
In 1945, the Town says, San Francisco’s mayor advocated Moraga as a desirable location for the United Nations “with its mild weather and beautiful pastoral scenery”, and the United Nations chose “the big city of New York instead of bucolic Moraga”.
The Town says Moraga remained primarily a ranching and farming community until the early 1950s.
The Society says Donald Rheem built 10 miles of roads in Rheem and Moraga, and built homes at Rheem Highlands, Rheem Glen and Rheem View Acres between 1949 and 1952.
The Society says residential development accelerated after Utah Mining & Construction bought the Moraga Company in 1953.
The Rheem Theater opened on June 12, 1957 with 1,000 loge seats, the Society says.
Moraga was incorporated as a town in 1974, the Historical Society says, and celebrated its 50th anniversary in 2024.
Moraga, roof and gutters
The Town’s hazard plan annex describes Moraga as a small town just east of the Oakland Hills, mostly single-family homes in valleys surrounded by hillside areas. It says the Town is built along the watersheds of a multitude of creeks, the largest running along Moraga Road and Moraga Way.
Yearly rain averages 25.69 inches at the two nearest federal weather stations, Upper San Leandro Filters (25.25 inches) and Berkeley (26.12 inches), by NOAA’s 1991-2020 normals and our own calculation, measured from Town Hall. At both, November through March brings 82 to 84 percent of the year’s rain, and June through September together bring under half an inch.
The General Plan 2040 calls the Town’s trees an “urban forest”. The hazard plan annex says several heritage groves from earlier tree farming are still in town, and that residents see them as an important part of the community.
We have been working on Bay Area roofs and gutters since 2002. If yours hasn’t had a look in a while, we’d be glad to come by.
Landmarks and parks
Hacienda de las Flores
The Town calls it historic town-owned property; the Historical Society says it was called the “San Simeon of the East Bay”.
Moraga Barn
Built in 1914 as a hotel by the Moraga Company, the Historical Society’s plaque says, and fondly nicknamed “The Barn”.
Saint Mary’s College
The college describes its campus as “distinguished by beautiful red and white Spanish Renaissance-California Mission-style architecture”; the General Plan 2040 treats it and Hacienda de las Flores as “Spanish Heritage Districts” for planning and design purposes.
Moraga Commons
A 40.2 acre park at the center of Moraga, with a bandshell, a disc golf course and a skatepark.
Rancho Laguna Park
Set among rolling hills at the outskirts of town; the Town’s sandbag fill station is in its parking lot.
Mulholland Ridge Open Space Preserve
A 260 acre park atop Donald Drive on the Moraga/Orinda border.
Lafayette-Moraga Regional Trail
A 7.65-mile linear park along St. Mary’s Road; the park district says the corridor was once used by mule trains and later by steam trains, including the Sacramento Northern.
How we can help in Moraga
Why Sunshine Gutters and Roofing
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- 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
Moraga questions
What Moraga homeowners ask us
Do I need a permit to replace my roof in Moraga?
To replace it, yes: a re-roof needs a building permit from the County, which acts as Moraga’s building department. The Town has no building department of its own, and its Building Permits page opens onto the County’s Common Building Permits page. For a roof larger than 1,000 square feet (10 squares), the Town’s FAQ adds, a recycling deposit goes to the Town before the application. If you wish, we can also pull the permit for you, as most of our customers ask us to.
What does the fire district want me to clear around my house in Moraga?
The Moraga-Orinda Fire District’s ordinance says to keep the roof and roof gutters free of leaves, needles, hazardous vegetation and combustible materials. For the first five feet around a structure, it also does not permit stored firewood, lumber or other combustible material, and it allows no combustible ground cover such as mulch and bark within 2 feet. For branches over the roof it asks for 6 feet of vertical clearance.
I am selling my home in Moraga: do I need paperwork from the fire district?
The District’s Ordinance 23-03 has a section on the sale of a property: before the close of escrow the seller gives the buyer documentation from the Fire Code Official on compliance with the District’s fuel mitigation and fuel break requirements. Its page on the inspection says more.
Do I need a sewer inspection when I sell my house in Moraga?
Central San says it “does not have a point of sale sewer lateral inspection ordinance”, and that while it is encouraged to have the sewer line inspected prior to selling or buying a house, it is not required.
What our customers say
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We usually respond promptly within the day. Phone first for emergencies: (510) 525-0880.
Where we work
Moraga neighbourhoods we serve
Moraga Center
The Town’s page on the Moraga Center Specific Plan says its implementation plan “continues the 20-year plus planning process for the Moraga Center area”.
Rheem Valley
The Town’s page on the Rheem Valley Shopping Center carries the name, and Lamorinda Weekly writes of “Moraga’s Rheem Valley Shopping Center”.
Sanders Ranch
The General Plan 2040 names Sanders Ranch, with The Bluffs, as an area where the prevailing lot sizes are larger.
Moraga Country Club
The General Plan 2040 lists the Moraga Country Club among the Town’s medium-density townhome communities.
Moraga Valley
The Town’s History page speaks of “The heritage of the Moraga Valley”, and a Town community page lists Moraga Valley Kiwanis.
Also serving nearby: Lafayette · Orinda · Walnut Creek