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Palo Alto, in short
Can I put copper gutters or a copper roof on my house in Palo Alto?
Palo Alto’s code says copper roofing, copper granule containing asphalt shingles and copper gutters “shall not be permitted for use on any residential, commercial, or industrial building for which a building permit is required.” Replacement roofing and gutters on historic structures are exempt, provided the roofing material is pre-patinated at the factory.
The story of Palo Alto
Palo Alto, named for the redwood the City’s parks page calls “The Tall Tree”.
The City’s history page says the first community on this ground was Mayfield, established in 1853 around a roadhouse at present-day California Avenue and El Camino Real. The National Park Service says Palo Alto “was created subsequent to the founding of Stanford University, essentially to serve as a university town.” The town’s residents incorporated it in 1894, and Mayfield was annexed in 1925.
The City’s history page says the 1769 expedition of Don Gaspar de Portola, exploring the area, camped alongside El Palo Alto (the tall stick), “the tree that today symbolizes both Palo Alto and Stanford University”.
The City’s history page says the first community, Mayfield, was established in 1853 with a roadhouse on the road between San Francisco and San Jose, at present-day California Avenue and El Camino Real; it grew into “a typical small farm town” whose hills to the west were alive with “hundreds of men operating small sawmills”.
The railroad from San Francisco to San Jose reached Mayfield in 1863, the City says.
Leland Stanford created his Palo Alto Stock Farm on the southern bank of San Francisquito Creek, where, the City says, he raised and trained racehorses that “set world records in trotting races across the country”.
In 1878 and 1879, the State’s landmark text says, Eadweard Muybridge carried out motion picture research at the Palo Alto Stock Farm, “now the site of Stanford University”.
The City’s history page says Leland Stanford Junior University opened to 465 students in 1891, and that “ambitious but poor students including future United States President Herbert Hoover came to study at Stanford” with the promise of free tuition.
The City says the new town of University Park “was soon renamed Palo Alto”, and that in 1894 its residents “were confident enough in the future of the town to incorporate.”
At the original site of the Federal Telegraph Company’s laboratory and factory, the State’s landmark text says, Dr. Lee de Forest “devised the first vacuum tube amplifier and oscillator in 1911-13”.
Designed by Julia Morgan for the YWCA, the Hostess House served Camp Fremont as a meeting place for servicemen and visitors and was dedicated in 1919 to those who died in World War I; moved to Palo Alto, the State says, it became “the first municipally sponsored community center in the nation”.
Palo Alto purchased 40 acres of marshland in 1921, the City says; in the 1960s a citizens’ committee recommended that the Baylands become park land, which “became a reality in 1968”.
In 1925, the City says, the town of Mayfield was annexed to the larger Palo Alto.
The City says Palo Alto “survived the Depression years in the 1930s in better shape than most of the country”, with the university as its major business; Lucie Stern funded the Community Theatre, the Children’s Theatre and Children’s Library, and the Sea Scout Building in the years before World War II.
In the midst of the Great Depression, the Junior Museum & Zoo says, Palo Alto resident Josephine O’Hara proposed a small museum to occupy the area’s young children, and in July 1934 the Children’s Museum, as it was known then, officially opened.
The City’s Preservation Highlights page says William Hewlett and David Packard “lived and worked at the residence from 1938 to 1940, the short period when they created their first successful products.”
The City says Palo Alto “grew tremendously in the 15 years following the end of World War II”: the Stanford Industrial Park opened in the mid-1950s, and the Stanford Medical Center relocated from San Francisco in 1959.
The land for Foothills Nature Preserve was sold to the City in 1958, on the condition that it be preserved as open space, and the park was formally dedicated in 1965.
At a site in Palo Alto in 1959, the State’s landmark text says, Dr. Robert Noyce of Fairchild Semiconductor Corporation “invented the first integrated circuit that could be produced commercially”.
A measure passed in 1965, the City says, prohibits Palo Alto from selling any park land without voters’ approval.
The Palo Alto Art Center was created in 1971 “by the community, for the community”, the Art Center says; its Foundation was founded in 1973.
The City’s Historic Inventory, “the official list of sites, structures and districts designated by the City Council as possessing significant historical and/or architectural value”, was originally adopted in 1979.
The Magical Bridge Playground in Mitchell Park opened to the public in April 2015; the City’s page says it “is heralded as the nation’s most innovative and inclusive playground”.
Fire safety
Your fire department
The Palo Alto Fire Department staffs six full-time stations, and the City says “an additional fire station in the foothills is operated during high fire danger days.”
Fire Operations page, read Oct 25 2026
Where Palo Alto stands on the State’s 2025 fire hazard map
Read from the State’s 2025 map for local areas, the Very High class covers about 20 percent of Palo Alto’s area, the High class about 15 percent and the Moderate class about 7 percent; non-wildland land makes up most of the rest. The City’s own copy of the map shows the colored classes in the foothills along the south-west edge, and the City’s wildfire page links it under the words “Fire Hazard Severity Zones in Local Responsibility Area – City of Palo Alto”. For the class at one address, the State Fire Marshal’s page says “Contact your local jurisdiction for information on a specific area that is located in the Local Responsibility Area.”
State map data read Oct 25 2026 with the City’s Census outline, our own estimate from a sample of points; the City’s map PDF looked at by eye; State page read Oct 20 2026
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The City’s fire hazard map ordinance
Ordinance 5662, passed September 8, 2025, says: “The City hereby designates the Fire Hazard Severity Zones as recommended by the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection pursuant to Government Code Section 51178.”
Ordinance 5662, passed September 8, 2025
The City’s fire code
The City’s fire code is the California Fire Code, 2025 Edition, with local amendments, in Chapter 15.04, enacted by Ordinance 5682 (passed December 1, 2025); the City’s Building Division page says “These codes and amendments are effective on January 1, 2026.”
Ordinance 5682, passed December 1, 2025
Every property owner
The City’s wildfire page says “Every property owner must take the steps to prepare for wildfires.” and “Whether you live in the Foothills of Palo Alto or the flatlands closer to the Bay, preparing for wildfires makes a lot of sense.”
Page undated; read Oct 25 2026
Roof and gutters, from the County FireSafe Council
The Santa Clara County FireSafe Council’s home hardening page says “YOUR TOP 3 PRIORITIES SHOULD BE YOUR ROOF, VENTS, AND NEAR-HOME VEGETATION.” and “Rain Gutters should be cleared of leaves and needles that embers can easily ignite.”
Page read Oct 25 2026
Know where you would evacuate from
The City’s wildfire page says the Santa Clara County Fire Department has adopted Genasys Protect “to provide specific, timely and accurate information regarding evacuations”, and asks everyone living or working in the Palo Alto Wildland Urban Interface to know their evacuation area.
Page undated; read Oct 25 2026
The State’s separate Zone 0 rule: where it stands
The State’s rule for the first five feet around a home, also called Zone 0: adopted by the Board; in final review with the Office of Administrative Law; no effective date known.
Standing check of Oct 22 2026, read from the file Oct 25 2026
Need a hand with this? Gutter guards
Palo Alto this month
Storm season: Valley Water offers free-filled sandbags to residents of Santa Clara County, with a Palo Alto site at the Palo Alto Air Terminal on Embarcadero Road.
The Palo Alto blog starts when there is enough local news to keep it current.
Culture and history
The tree that named the town
El Palo Alto, the redwood the City’s park page calls “The Tall Tree”, gave the town its name. More in The story of Palo Alto, below.
Palo Alto Junior Museum & Zoo
The zoo’s own page says “There are over 60 species and 400 specimens housed at the JMZ.” More in The story of Palo Alto, below.
Page read Oct 25 2026
See 10 more
Palo Alto Art Center
The City’s Art Center says it engages “approximately 150,000 people every year through a diverse range of programs”.
Page read Oct 25 2026
Clay & Glass Festival
The Art Center says its annual Clay & Glass Festival on the Art Center’s grounds “showcases original art by over 120 regional makers”.
Annual, the page says; it gives no date for this year’s festival; read Oct 25 2026
Gamble Garden
Gamble Garden is a nonprofit public garden in Old Palo Alto, on 2.5 acres, “Free and open to the public during daylight hours”.
Page read Oct 25 2026
Stanford Theatre
The Stanford Theatre Foundation says the theatre is “presenting classic Hollywood films”.
Page read Oct 25 2026
A university town
The National Park Service says Palo Alto “was created subsequent to the founding of Stanford University, essentially to serve as a university town.” More in The story of Palo Alto, below.
The Hewlett-Packard garage
The City says the Hewlett-Packard House and Garage “is now a California Landmark.” More in The story of Palo Alto, below.
4th of July Chili Cook Off
The City calls the 4th of July Chili Cook Off and Summer Festival at Mitchell Park “annual”.
July; the City’s page read Oct 25 2026
Festival of Lights: A Diwali Celebration
A Library event at the Mitchell Park Community Center, listed for Sunday, November 22, 2026, 2 to 4 p.m.
The Library’s event listing, read Oct 25 2026
Holiday Tree Lighting
The Tree Lighting at Lytton Plaza, at the corner of University Ave and Emerson St, is listed for Friday, December 4, 2026, 5:30 to 7:00 p.m.
The City’s event listing, read Oct 25 2026
Art Center Studio Holiday Sale
Listed for Saturday, December 5, 2026, 10 a.m. – 4 p.m.: “unique artwork created by local artists working in the Palo Alto Art Center studios”.
The Art Center’s page, read Oct 25 2026
Community
Palo Alto Stanford Heritage
A nonprofit “supporting the preservation of the historic architecture, neighborhoods, and character of the greater Palo Alto-Stanford area”, formed in 1987. Its Saturday morning docent-led walks in spring and fall are free: “The tours are free and open to anyone, no reservations are required”.
Page read Oct 25 2026
Palo Alto Neighborhoods
Founded in 1998, it describes itself as “a networking organization connecting neighbors and neighborhoods”; its members formed a core group of the city’s first emergency volunteers.
See 3 more
Canopy
Canopy is a non-profit that the City partners with; the City’s tree FAQ says it “has a list of local arborists and tree care companies”, and the City’s Right Tree, Right Place page says to contact it first about a tree that might be eligible.
Pages read Oct 25 2026
Palo Alto Players
Founded in 1931, the company calls itself “The Peninsula’s First Theatre Company” and plays at the Lucie Stern Community Center.
Palo Alto Children’s Theatre
The City’s Children’s Theatre says it serves “more than 57,000+ community members each year” with theatrical productions and programs for youth ages 3 through high school.
City rules and regulations
Re-roofs need a building permit
The City’s permit page lists “re-roofs” among the projects that “require a building permit”. A like-for-like re-roof of a detached single-family home or duplex that is not a historic property can have an instant building permit, open to licensed contractors with an active Accela Citizen Access account, one structure per permit. The City’s fiscal year 2027 fee schedule lists re-roof permits for single-family or duplex homes, a residential overlay, and multifamily or commercial buildings; the amounts are on the schedule.
Permit page undated; fee schedule headed fiscal year 2027; read Oct 25 2026
Copper downspouts and flashing
On top of the copper rule in the code, the City’s stormwater regulations, adopted by Council Resolution No. 10250 on October 30, 2025, say “No Building materials containing copper (e.g., roofing, gutters, downspouts, and copper granule-containing asphalt shingles) shall be used on any structure or equipment that is used, stored, or maintained outdoors in a manner to be exposed, or potentially exposed, to Stormwater.” The code exempts copper flashing used under tiles or slates, and small copper ornaments.
Stormwater regulations adopted October 30, 2025
See 9 more
Flashing at gutters
Palo Alto’s own amendment of the building code says “Flashing shall be installed at wall and roof intersections, gutters, wherever there is a change in roof slope or direction, and around roof openings.” Metal flashing must be corrosion resistant, not less than 0.019 inches thick, and primed and painted.
Code read Oct 25 2026
A spark arrester on the chimney
Palo Alto’s addition to the residential code says “When any repair, replacement or alteration to the roof of an existing structure is performed, a spark arrester shall be installed on the existing chimney”.
Code read Oct 25 2026
Cool roofs
The City’s cool roofs guide says “As of January 1, 2026, when more than 50% of the exterior surface of the roof or more than 1,000 square feet of roof is replaced (whichever is less)”, the roofing product must meet cool roof requirements; steep-slope roofs need “a minimum 3-year aged solar reflectance of 0.20 and a minimum thermal emittance of 0.75, or an SRI of 16”. The guide calls itself “general and intended as a guide only”.
Guide read Oct 25 2026
Historic properties
The City says properties on its Historic Inventory, the California Register or the National Register, and those in local and national historic districts “are all considered historic resources and require review for many exterior projects”. The City’s September 2024 bulletin on historic resources adds that “Normal maintenance or repair, interior work, and landscaping for historic resources typically do not require historic review”, and that minor exterior improvements, for example “repair or replacement of features in kind”, are exempt from consideration; the status of one property is on its Parcel Report.
Page read Oct 25 2026; bulletin read Nov 5 2026
Which private trees are protected
On a house lot the City’s private tree chapter protects six locally native species (bigleaf maple, California incense cedar, coast live oak, blue oak, California black oak and valley oak) at 11.5 inches in diameter or more; a coast redwood at 18 inches or more; and any other tree at 15 inches or more, except the invasive species the weed chapter lists and species the State’s water-use list classes as high water users. All are measured 4.5 feet above natural grade.
Code read Oct 25 2026
Removing a protected tree
Removing a protected tree from a house lot with no development needs a Tree Removal Permit from the Urban Forestry Section. The allowed reasons are that the tree is dead, hazardous or a public nuisance; that it is a detriment to or crowding an adjacent protected tree; that it is at risk of decline or not “right tree in the right place”; or that it is impacting the foundation or eaves of a residence. The permit rests on an arborist’s report.
Code and page read Oct 25 2026
Pruning a protected tree
The City’s FAQ says “A permit is not required to maintain your private protected tree.” The owner must notify the City online and post a notice on the property seven days before pruning, except for removing a dead, diseased or broken branch. The City treats excessive pruning as removal: more than 25% of the functioning leaf, stem or root area in any 24 months.
Code and FAQ read Oct 25 2026
Street trees
The City’s FAQ says “Privately-hired tree service companies or homeowners are not allowed to prune public trees without a permit.” and “In neighborhoods without parking strips the right-of-way usually extends several feet into the front yard.”
FAQ read Oct 25 2026
A tree that falls in a storm
The City’s FAQ says “Inspection, care, maintenance, or removal of fallen private trees falls to the owner of the tree, regardless of the tree’s protected status.” and that the City “will not enter into any dispute between neighbors on this matter.”
FAQ read Oct 25 2026
Need a hand with this? Roofing
Storms, flood and drainage
Sandbag sites and seasons
Valley Water’s page says “Sandbag sites and sandbags are only available from November 1 through April 15 of each year.” and “some sites require proof of residency”, and adds that “During storm events, all of the sites may only be stocked with sand and empty bags.” The City’s flood page says “Between November and March sandbags are available at: Palo Alto Airport, Mitchell Park, & Rinconada Park.”
Both pages undated, read Oct 25 2026; they differ on the end of the season
Creek flooding
The City’s flood page says “Flooding is a potential risk, primarily from the San Francisquito Creek which runs along the City’s Northern border, but also from the San Francisco Bay as well as Matadero, Adobe, and Barron Creeks between November and March each year.”
Page undated; read Oct 25 2026
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The Downstream Project
The San Francisquito Creek Joint Powers Authority completed the Downstream Project, from the creek mouth to Highway 101, in 2019. A page about it says the project “installed floodwalls, or engineered levees and widened the downstream section of the creek” and “provides protection from three feet of sea level rise to 1,700 properties”.
Pages read Oct 25 2026
Flood maps
The City says every part of Palo Alto is in some FEMA flood area, and that most of it is in an “X” area, which FEMA describes as lying outside the 100-year flood limit and inside the 500-year flood limit, or inside the 100-year limit but shallow enough not to represent a special hazard. FEMA’s own list for the City of Palo Alto shows its flood map panels all effective 05/18/2009. The panels are listed at FEMA’s Flood Map Service Center, under the City’s community number, 060348.
City page read Oct 25 2026; FEMA’s list read in Chrome Oct 25 2026
The creek monitor
The City’s creek monitor page tracks “San Francisquito Creek at Waverly St.”, “San Francisquito Creek at Chaucer St.”, “Matadero Creek at W. Bayshore Rd.” and “Adobe Creek at E. Meadow Dr.” It adds: “Because of complex factors, including tides and soil saturation, the creek depth readings may reach high levels with little or no danger to the public.”
Page read Oct 25 2026
Storm drains
The City’s page says “Drains in your street flow directly to local creeks.” and that “the low-lying areas of Palo Alto are known to collect runoff from storms”, including the Bayshore Corridor.
Pages read Oct 25 2026
Need a hand with this? Gutter cleaning
Programs, loans and insurance
Stormwater rebates: rain barrels, cisterns and rain gardens
The City of Palo Alto partners with Valley Water on rebates for rain barrels, cisterns and rain gardens. For City water customers the rates are $70 for each rain barrel of 40 to 199 gallons, $1.00 per gallon for a cistern of 200 gallons or larger, and $2 per square foot of roof diverted, up to $600, for a rain garden of at least 100 square feet diverted. The owner, or a renter with the owner’s written consent, applies through Valley Water’s portal before buying anything; contractors can apply for their clients, and the rebate is for an existing gutter or downspout system not yet capturing rainwater. Barrels can be self-installed; cisterns and rain gardens must be installed by a licensed contractor, and some installations, such as stacked rain barrels, need a building permit or a consultation with the City’s Development Center. One lifetime cap of $6,000 applies to a single-family site’s landscape and stormwater rebates together. Valley Water’s page says “Current program funding lasts until June 30, 2027, or until depleted.”
City page undated; Valley Water page read Oct 25 2026; funding until June 30, 2027
Residential Energy Assistance Program (REAP)
The City’s free program for a City utility customer enrolled in its Rate Assistance Program, which offers up to 35% utility rate reductions “for Palo Alto residents with a demonstrated financial or medical need”. Its free work includes “Adding insulation and weatherization in attics, roofs, walls, doors and windows”, and owners may also be eligible for free electric appliances through Electrify My Home. The residence must be less than 2,500 square feet and a principal residence, not a short-term rental. From July 1, 2026 the Rate Assistance Program’s income limit is 80% of area median income: $113,700 for a household of 1 and $162,400 for a household of 4; the page lists the other household sizes. The pages give no open or closed word.
Pages read Oct 25 2026; income limits from July 1, 2026
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Right Tree, Right Place
For a private tree that conflicts with major power lines, the City says “the City of Palo Alto will remove the tree at no cost, leaving the stump”; if you have the stump ground away the City will reimburse up to $300, and it will rebate up to $50 toward a replacement tree. You contact Canopy first, and a protected tree adds a free review by the Urban Forester. The page gives no open or closed word.
Page read Oct 25 2026
Rebuilding Together Peninsula
Home repairs for homes in San Mateo County and in the cities of Palo Alto, Mountain View and Los Altos: the page says “Let us help you address your home repair needs at no cost to you.”, and that “certain larger repairs such as foundation work, roof replacement, and major plumbing or electrical system repairs are typically not covered by our funding.” The home must be your primary residence, and you will remain there for at least two years; the page names San Mateo County’s “low” income limit (80% AMI) and links Santa Clara County’s. It says “we typically cannot do emergency repairs”, that work “may take up to six months or longer”, and it gives no open or closed word.
Page read Oct 25 2026
Habitat for Humanity home repairs
Habitat for Humanity East Bay/Silicon Valley’s Home Repair Program lists “roof repairs, upgrading electrical systems, replumbing, flooring replacement, replacing windows” among its critical repairs, all done by licensed contractors. You submit a Request for Service form online or by mail, and the page lists Home Repair Orientation sessions on Tuesday, November 10 and Tuesday, December 8 (“Learn how to apply for the Habitat for Humanity Home Repair Program.”). The page does not give the cost to the homeowner or an income threshold. The page’s menu of Santa Clara County cities includes Palo Alto.
Page read Oct 25 2026, city menu read again Nov 3 2026; the sessions’ event addresses end in 11-10-26 and 12-8-26
Check back Santa Clara County FireSafe Council programs: check back
The Council’s City Programs page says “The following programs are available FREE to WUI residents residing in Santa Clara County.”, among them the Community Chipping Program, the home ignition (HIZ) assessment, the Neighbor-to-Neighbor Cost Share Program and the Special Needs Assistance Program (SNAP); the City’s wildfire page speaks to “Those living or working in the Palo Alto Wildland Urban Interface (WUI)”. The Council’s page says “HIZ program is open from April to September or until funds run out.” and that “Fall 2026 Chipping Program registration is now open for our Saratoga and County Fire District residents.”
Pages read Oct 25 2026; the April to September window has passed
Check back Earthquake Brace + Bolt: check back
The City’s notice of August 26, 2025 said the California Residential Mitigation Program “offers retrofit grants of up to $3,000 to qualified homeowners with eligible houses”, for a house “within one of EBB’s designated program ZIP Codes”. Registration ran August 20 through October 1, 2025 and was extended through Friday, October 17, 2025; that window has closed.
The City’s notice of August 26, 2025, read Oct 25 2026
State-wide Check back California Safe Homes: check back
California Safe Homes, the State’s grant program for roof replacement and the first five feet around the home, is not open.
Standing check of Oct 8 2026
State-wide LIHEAP and the Weatherization Assistance Program
The State’s Department of Community Services and Development says LIHEAP (the federal help with energy bills) and its weatherization help for low-income homeowners and renters go through a local provider. Its “Find Services in Your Area” lookup finds the provider for your address, and its toll-free help line is (866) 675-6623. The State’s pages, as read in October, do not say whether LIHEAP is open now.
State pages read Oct 20 2026
Insurance Flood insurance, in the City’s words
The City says “Normal homeowners insurance coverage does not cover flooding.” and, for property in a special flood hazard area, that “federal regulations require that loans for property in an SFHA be protected by flood insurance, and lenders will require it”; an owner without a loan does not have to buy it.
Pages read Oct 25 2026
Insurance The City’s flood rating
The City says “Palo Alto is part of the Community Rating System, a voluntary program with the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and has been rated a Class 6 community since 2017.”
Page read Oct 25 2026
Who serves your home in Palo Alto
- Fire: The Palo Alto Fire Department, the City’s own; the Fire Chief’s message on its page says the community it serves spans “Palo Alto’s diverse neighborhoods, Stanford University, leading businesses and institutions, and treasured open spaces”.
- Water: City of Palo Alto Utilities; the City says its history began “when the water supply system was first installed” in 1896.
- Sewer: The City’s Regional Water Quality Control Plant, which the City says “is owned and operated by the City of Palo Alto” and which also treats wastewater for five other customers, among them Los Altos, Mountain View and Stanford University.
- Garbage: GreenWaste of Palo Alto, the City’s contracted hauler and processor, with the City’s Zero Waste program setting the rules.
- Electricity: City of Palo Alto Utilities, the City’s own; the City says “In 1900, the municipal electric power system began operation”.
- Gas: The same City utility; the City says a “natural gas distribution system” followed in 1917.
- Valley Water: Valley Water partners with the City on the stormwater rebates, and its rebate portal is where owners apply.
- Storm drains: The City’s Public Works Department, which the City’s page lists for “refuse, stormwater”.
- Permits: The City of Palo Alto issues building permits; its permit page lists “re-roofs” among the projects that “require a building permit”.
Useful links: Palo Alto Unified School District · City of Palo Alto: Apply for a Building Permit · City of Palo Alto: Urban Forestry and the Tree Ordinance · City of Palo Alto: Prepare for Wildfire (READY, SET, GO) · City of Palo Alto: Storm Alert & Resources · City of Palo Alto: Creek Monitor Camera · City of Palo Alto Utilities · Valley Water: sandbags and rebates · San Francisquito Creek Joint Powers Authority · Santa Clara County FireSafe Council · City of Palo Alto: Historic Districts · Palo Alto Stanford Heritage · Palo Alto Neighborhoods · Canopy (Palo Alto’s urban forest non-profit) · Palo Alto Art Center · Palo Alto Junior Museum & Zoo · Gamble Garden
The homes of Palo Alto
Palo Alto’s median home was built in 1963, and about 47 percent of its homes were built before 1960, a quarter of them in the 1950s. About 58 percent are one-unit detached houses and about 55 percent are owner-occupied, our own calculations from the Census Bureau’s 2020-2024 tables.
The 1890s to the early 1900s
Professorville: Colonial Revival and Craftsman
The City says many of the homes in Professorville “were built from the 1890s through the early 1900s and became the homes of Stanford’s first professors”, and that “two of the most common styles found in Professorville include Colonial Revival and Craftsman”.
Early Palo Alto
Spanish Colonial Revival
The City’s list of the major styles of early Palo Alto, from its 1979 survey, describes the Spanish style as “characterized by red-tiled roofs of low pitch, tiled parapets, occasional arched forms and stucco walls.”
The 1940s to the 1960s
Postwar subdivisions
The City says “Thousands of new homes were built to house the growing number of people working in Palo Alto.” Palo Alto Stanford Heritage names the builders Coastwise, Mackay, Joseph Eichler, and Stern and Price, and says they built “primarily south of Colorado Avenue, the city limit in 1946”.
1949 to 1974
Eichler tracts, post and beam
The City’s Eichler design guidelines (adopted 2018) list 31 numbered tracts built from 1949 to 1974. Eichler homes are “primarily one story in height”, built by post and beam construction on a concrete slab, with “a variety of roofs: often gables and flat roofs”; slopes are “typically quite shallow, often at a ratio of 3:12”, and roofs are “typically covered with visually flat materials such as tar and gravel or rolled roofing”.
2018
The City’s Eichler design guidelines
For a re-roof, the guidelines say “employ new roofing that has a relatively plain appearance, particularly when visible from the street” and that “The addition of standing-seam metal roofing is not encouraged on Eichler residences.” They are “advisory (voluntary), unless regulatory (zoning) changes are adopted by the Palo Alto City Council to impose them as a requirement.”
Older roofs and gutters need a different hand: Gutter Repair · Roof Repair · Gutter Installation
The story of Palo Alto
History and character
The City’s history page says the 1769 expedition of Don Gaspar de Portola, exploring the area, camped alongside El Palo Alto (the tall stick), “the tree that today symbolizes both Palo Alto and Stanford University”.
The City’s history page says the first community, Mayfield, was established in 1853 with a roadhouse on the road between San Francisco and San Jose, at present-day California Avenue and El Camino Real; it grew into “a typical small farm town” whose hills to the west were alive with “hundreds of men operating small sawmills”.
The railroad from San Francisco to San Jose reached Mayfield in 1863, the City says.
Leland Stanford created his Palo Alto Stock Farm on the southern bank of San Francisquito Creek, where, the City says, he raised and trained racehorses that “set world records in trotting races across the country”.
In 1878 and 1879, the State’s landmark text says, Eadweard Muybridge carried out motion picture research at the Palo Alto Stock Farm, “now the site of Stanford University”.
The City’s history page says Leland Stanford Junior University opened to 465 students in 1891, and that “ambitious but poor students including future United States President Herbert Hoover came to study at Stanford” with the promise of free tuition.
The City says the new town of University Park “was soon renamed Palo Alto”, and that in 1894 its residents “were confident enough in the future of the town to incorporate.”
At the original site of the Federal Telegraph Company’s laboratory and factory, the State’s landmark text says, Dr. Lee de Forest “devised the first vacuum tube amplifier and oscillator in 1911-13”.
Designed by Julia Morgan for the YWCA, the Hostess House served Camp Fremont as a meeting place for servicemen and visitors and was dedicated in 1919 to those who died in World War I; moved to Palo Alto, the State says, it became “the first municipally sponsored community center in the nation”.
Palo Alto purchased 40 acres of marshland in 1921, the City says; in the 1960s a citizens’ committee recommended that the Baylands become park land, which “became a reality in 1968”.
In 1925, the City says, the town of Mayfield was annexed to the larger Palo Alto.
The City says Palo Alto “survived the Depression years in the 1930s in better shape than most of the country”, with the university as its major business; Lucie Stern funded the Community Theatre, the Children’s Theatre and Children’s Library, and the Sea Scout Building in the years before World War II.
In the midst of the Great Depression, the Junior Museum & Zoo says, Palo Alto resident Josephine O’Hara proposed a small museum to occupy the area’s young children, and in July 1934 the Children’s Museum, as it was known then, officially opened.
The City’s Preservation Highlights page says William Hewlett and David Packard “lived and worked at the residence from 1938 to 1940, the short period when they created their first successful products.”
The City says Palo Alto “grew tremendously in the 15 years following the end of World War II”: the Stanford Industrial Park opened in the mid-1950s, and the Stanford Medical Center relocated from San Francisco in 1959.
The land for Foothills Nature Preserve was sold to the City in 1958, on the condition that it be preserved as open space, and the park was formally dedicated in 1965.
At a site in Palo Alto in 1959, the State’s landmark text says, Dr. Robert Noyce of Fairchild Semiconductor Corporation “invented the first integrated circuit that could be produced commercially”.
A measure passed in 1965, the City says, prohibits Palo Alto from selling any park land without voters’ approval.
The Palo Alto Art Center was created in 1971 “by the community, for the community”, the Art Center says; its Foundation was founded in 1973.
The City’s Historic Inventory, “the official list of sites, structures and districts designated by the City Council as possessing significant historical and/or architectural value”, was originally adopted in 1979.
The Magical Bridge Playground in Mitchell Park opened to the public in April 2015; the City’s page says it “is heralded as the nation’s most innovative and inclusive playground”.
Palo Alto, roof and gutters
The City’s boundaries “extend from San Francisco Bay on the east to the Skyline Ridge of the coastal mountains on the west” and enclose approximately 26 square miles, of which one-third is open space, the City says. Adobe, Barron, Matadero and San Francisquito Creeks and their tributaries drain the foothills to the Bay; in the flatter, urbanized parts of the city, some reaches “have been heavily engineered over the past decades and now primarily serve a very important role as flood control channels”.
Yearly rain averages about 17 inches at the two nearest federal weather stations, Palo Alto (15.12 inches) and Redwood City (19.02 inches), by NOAA’s 1991-2020 normals and our own calculation, measured from City Hall. At both, November through April brings about 92 percent of the year’s rain. The City’s own account of the climate, which cites a “rain shadow” from the Santa Cruz Mountains, gives an average of 15.32 inches a year.
The City’s Urban Forestry Section maintains nearly 66,000 trees of Palo Alto’s urban forest, which the City says includes private trees. A community count of the native oaks, compiled by the non-profit Canopy and called preliminary, “tallied close to 11,000 native oaks”, with coast live oak “by far the most common species”. In the City’s 2010 street-tree inventory the southern magnolia was the biggest species, and the SelecTree database lists its litter type as “Dry Fruit, Leaves and Flowers”.
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
El Palo Alto
The half-acre El Palo Alto Park holds the redwood that gave the town its name, with “a lighted pedestrian/bike pathway that connects Palo Alto and Menlo Park”.
Hewlett-Packard House and Garage
Built in 1905, “a two-story, Craftsman style residence with two simple outbuildings, one of which is a small rectangular garage”.
Lucie Stern Community Center
Designed by Birge Clark and built in 1934, “this attractive Spanish Mediterranean-style complex” is home to the City’s Recreation Department and the Community and Children’s Theatres.
Woman’s Club of Palo Alto
Built in 1916, it “combines elements of the Tudor Revival and Craftsman styles”, and was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2015.
Baylands Nature Preserve
Fifteen miles of multi-use trails give access to tidal and freshwater habitats; the City says the preserve is “a major migratory stopover on the Pacific Flyway”.
Foothills Nature Preserve
Fifteen miles of hiking trails; the City says “Wildlife abounds, and it is common to see deer and coyotes”.
Pearson-Arastradero Preserve
“A beautiful mixture of rolling grassland and evergreen forest” that rises from 275 feet in the northeast to 775 feet in the southwest.
Rinconada Park
Home of Palo Alto’s municipal swimming pool, and of the Rinconada Oak, Heritage Tree No. 2, a coast live oak the City says is “over two centuries old”.
How we can help in Palo Alto
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 Palo Alto
| April | Valley Water’s sandbag sites close after April 15, its page says; the City’s flood page names November to March |
|---|---|
| May | Palo Alto Stanford Heritage celebrates its preservation awards “every May”, during Preservation Month |
| June | The City’s Fire Operations page says Station 8, the foothills fire station, is staffed seasonally from June 15 |
| July | 4th of July Chili Cook Off and Summer Festival at Mitchell Park, which the City calls annual |
| November | Station 8, the foothills fire station, is staffed seasonally until November 15, the City’s Fire Operations page says Valley Water’s sandbag sites open on November 1, its page says The City’s flood page names the months of creek and Bay flood risk as November to March |
Palo Alto questions
What Palo Alto homeowners ask us
Do I need a permit to replace my roof in Palo Alto?
To replace it, yes. The City’s permit page lists “re-roofs” among the projects that “require a building permit”, and some like-for-like re-roofs qualify for an instant building permit. If you wish, we can also pull the permit for you, as most of our customers ask us to.
Do I need a permit to remove a tree from my property in Palo Alto?
For a protected tree, yes: “If a protected status tree must be removed from a residential property in the absence of development a Tree Removal Permit is required. Tree Removal Permits are issued by the Urban Forestry Section.” Protected means a native oak, bigleaf maple or California incense cedar of 11.5 inches across or more, a coast redwood of 18 inches or more, or any other tree of 15 inches or more, measured 4.5 feet above natural grade, with exceptions for invasive species and high water users.
Do I need a permit to prune my protected tree in Palo Alto?
No, the City says: “A permit is not required to maintain your private protected tree.” You post a notice on the property at least seven days before pruning, except for removing a dead, diseased or broken branch, and the City treats excessive pruning as removal.
Can my tree service prune the street tree in front of my house in Palo Alto?
“Privately-hired tree service companies or homeowners are not allowed to prune public trees without a permit.” To apply, the City says to “fill out and email a Tree Permit application along with an arborist report confirming the reason for the proposed maintenance work.”
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
Palo Alto neighbourhoods we serve
Professorville
The City calls it “Palo Alto’s oldest historic district and one of its oldest residential districts”; many of its homes have the shingle siding that “contributes to Professorville’s distinctive character.”
Ramona Street Architectural District
The City says it is “Palo Alto’s second oldest historic district after Professorville”, a commercial block whose eight contributing structures “were all planned and built from 1924 to 1938”.
Green Gables
The City calls it “one of Palo Alto’s several mid-century subdivisions designed by Joseph Eichler and the smaller of the two listed on the National Register of Historic Places”.
Greenmeadow
The City calls it “one of Palo Alto’s several mid-century subdivisions designed by Joseph Eichler and the larger of the two listed on the National Register of Historic Places”; its 220 contributing structures were built from 1954 to 1955.
Midtown
The Midtown Residents Association says it “was formed in 1994 out of a concern for maintaining the quality of life in our Midtown neighborhood.”
College Terrace
Its own site is headed “College Terrace, Palo Alto – A Friendly Community With Historic Roots”.
Barron Park
The Barron Park Association calls itself “A Palo Alto Neighborhood Association”, and the City’s Comprehensive Plan speaks of “formerly unincorporated Barron Park”.
North Ventura
The City’s plan for the North Ventura neighborhood covers a site “roughly bounded by Page Mill Road, El Camino Real, Lambert Avenue and the Caltrain tracks”.
Adobe Meadow
The neighborhood’s own site says “Adobe Meadow is in south Palo Alto, California.”
Old Palo Alto
The City’s history page uses the name for the old part of town.
Triple El
An Eichler tract name in the City’s design guidelines; Palo Alto Neighborhoods notes “Triple El is only these three streets: Elsinore Dr., Elsinore Ct., and El Cajon Way”.
Downtown
The City’s Comprehensive Plan lists “University Avenue/Downtown” among its Regional Centers.
California Avenue
The City’s Comprehensive Plan names California Avenue among its “Multi-Neighborhood Centers”, and the City’s page calls the Cal. Ave. Business District “home to a year-round farmer’s market”.
South of Forest Area (SOFA)
The City describes a “nine-block area (approximately 19 acres) bounded by Forest Avenue on the north, Addison Avenue on the south, Alma Street on the west and Ramona Street to the east”.
Also serving nearby: Mountain View · Los Altos Hills · Menlo Park · East Palo Alto · Los Altos · Portola Valley · Stanford