Free roof inspection with deck photos before we talk money - GAF and Owens Corning certified installation
Fast, Reliable Roofing Company Across Kensington
Roof repair in Kensington typically runs $450 – $1,800 for a standard leak fix, while full roof replacement on the hillside homes here lands between $14,000 and $32,000 depending on pitch, tear-off layers, and whether the decking needs repair. Most replacements take 3 to 7 working days once permits clear. We know Kensington’s roofs because we work them every week, from the 1920s brown-shingles off Berkeley Park Boulevard to the later split-levels above Colusa Avenue. When a leak shows up at the valley flashing on a downslope lot, you need a crew that understands what they’re looking at before they open it up. Call (361) 320-9467 and we’ll get someone out to look.
Why Brennan Roofing Is Kensington’s Preferred Roofing Company Company
Kensington homeowners deal with a specific set of roof failures: moss eating through shingles on shaded north slopes, valley flashings overwhelmed by runoff that changed when a neighbor added on, and old skip sheathing that was never designed for modern wind loads. Our Roofing Company team has worked these streets long enough to know what a 5:12 pitch on a 1920s frame means for tear-off weight, and how the fog off the bay keeps moss alive year-round in the shaded draws.
Every job starts with a written price. That’s not a sales line – it’s the Garrison Standard, and it’s the same on every roof we touch in Kensington. We put the number on paper before any work begins, and it does not move at the door. Our technicians are background-checked, uniformed, and they show up inside the window we give you. No voicemail, no callback queue – a live person answers when you call, day or night. And every repair and installation carries the 365-Day Done Right Promise: a written guarantee for one full year, with a free return visit at no charge if anything fails within that period. Travis Oakley runs this operation with exactly that discipline, and it’s why Kensington homeowners keep our number.
Roofing Contractor in Kensington
Roofing Contractor work in Kensington means more than nailing shingles. This hillside’s older homes, most built between 1910 and 1940, carry original skip sheathing, undersized framing members, and multiple roof planes that were added over decades without recorded permits. A proper contractor here has to assess drainage, decking condition, and wind-load capacity before quoting a square count. Standard repair work runs $450 – $1,800 depending on flashing, penetration, and decking repair scope.
Valley Flashing and Reverse-Slope Drainage
Kensington’s narrow, curving lanes – Berkeley Park Boulevard, Amherst Avenue, Windsor Avenue – put downhill roofs directly in the path of runoff from homes above. When an upslope neighbor’s addition redirects water across a low-slope valley, the flashing is the only thing keeping that water out of the walk-out basement below. We replace valley flashing with new metal, set ice and water shield through the valley to the drip edge, and re-seat the shingles so the assembly actually carries the water.
Repair Scope on Older Kensington Homes
We see roofs on these brown-shingle homes where the original underlayment is gone, the skip sheathing gaps are an inch wide, and the only thing between the attic and the winter rain is three layers of old shingles. A repair here often means opening the deck, replacing rotted sheathing boards, and re-laying underlayment before the new shingles go down. That’s why we write the price on paper before we start – you’ll know exactly what the scope includes.
Commercial Roofing in Kensington
Commercial Roofing in Kensington is a smaller world, because this village has banned new commercial buildings since 1915. The commercial roofs that do exist – the community center, the fire station, the market on Arlington Avenue – are typically asphalt shingle or modified bitumen on older structures, often with parapet walls and low-slope sections that hold water. Repair and replacement on these buildings runs $18,000 – $45,000 depending on square footage and decking condition. We quote the same written-price standard on commercial work: no open-ended change orders, no surprises at the end.
Parapet and Low-Slope Flashings
Kensington’s commercial buildings share the hillside’s water problem. Parapet walls collect runoff, and old counter-flashing eventually separates from the wall line. During a wet winter, water walks under the membrane and down into the interior. We remove the old flashing, install new counter-flashing with proper lap, and seal all penetrations before re-covering.
Permit and Inspection Handling
Commercial re-roofs in Contra Costa County need permits, and the inspections are thorough. We pull the permits, schedule the inspections, and keep the paperwork straight so the owner has a documented compliance trail. That matters when an insurance claim comes in later – documented permitted work stands up a lot better than a cash job with no record.
Trusted Brands We Service in Kensington
We install GAF, CertainTeed, and Owens Corning products on most Kensington roofs, and we stock common parts for these lines so repairs don’t wait on a supplier. CertainTeed’s Landmark architectural shingles hold up well on the 5:12 pitches we see here, and GAF’s Timberline line carries the wind ratings these hillside exposures demand when installed with the spec nailing pattern. For homeowners who want to compare, we’ll walk you through the differences in plain language – no catalog-speak – and quote whatever you choose at the same written-price standard.
Common Roofing Company Problems We See in Kensington Homes
- Valley failures on downslope lots: Runoff from an upslope neighbor’s unpermitted addition crosses the valley and overloads the original flashing. We replace the flashing and re-set the drainage path so the water clears the roof.
- Moss on north-facing shaded slopes: The fog here keeps moss alive year-round, and it lifts shingle edges until the deck gets wet. We strip the moss, repair the deck, and install zinc or copper strips where the shade is heaviest.
- Skip sheathing with no ice and water shield: Homes built in the 1920s and 1930s often have gapped sheathing boards. Under a heavy storm, water runs between the gaps and into the ceiling. A proper re-roof adds a continuous underlayment layer over the old decking.
- Wind-lifted shingles on exposed pitches: Diablo winds hit the higher elevations along Amherst Avenue and Berkeley Park Boulevard. Shingles installed with too few nails lift and tear. We re-nail to the manufacturer’s spec pattern so the assembly reaches its full wind rating.
Pricing for Roofing Company in Kensington, CA
A standard shingle roof repair in Kensington runs $450 – $1,800. A full tear-off and replacement on a typical 1920s brown-shingle with a 5:12 pitch runs $14,000 – $32,000, including dump fees, underlayment, ice and water shield at valleys and penetrations, new flashings, and architectural shingles from GAF or CertainTeed. Metal roofing runs $22,000 – $45,000 depending on style and roof complexity. Tile replacement runs $25,000 – $50,000. What moves the number: tear-off layers, decking repair, roof pitch, access difficulty on these hillside lots, and whether the valleys and penetrations need new flashings (they usually do). We’ll give you a written, line-item estimate before any work starts. Call (361) 320-9467 to schedule yours.
We Also Serve Cities Near Kensington
Brennan Roofing serves Kensington and the surrounding Bay Area communities. If you’re in Los Angeles, San Diego, San Jose, or San Francisco, our Kensington neighbors across the region call on the same Garrison Standard crew for roof repair and replacement. Scheduling is coordinated from our Bay Area office, and crews serve each city locally. Call (361) 320-9467.
Serving Kensington, CA - Our Local Coverage Area
We’re based in the Kensington area and know this community well. Use the map below to see our service coverage - if you’re nearby, we can almost certainly help.
FAQs About Roofing Company in Kensington
Most Kensington roofs need to meet the wind-load requirements in the California Residential Code, which for these hillside exposures typically means a shingle assembly rated for at least 110 mph when installed with the manufacturer’s spec nailing pattern. The city’s building inspector verifies the assembly during the permit inspection. We document the nailing pattern and underlayment so the inspection passes and the warranty stays valid.
Yes, a Class A fire-rated assembly – meaning Class A shingles over an ember-resistant underlayment – is what most insurers in the East Bay hills want to see after the 1923 Berkeley fire legacy. A documented, permitted re-roof with a Class A assembly gives you a compliance trail that can hold up on a claim or a premium review. We provide the manufacturer documentation and the permit record. Call (361) 320-9467 if you want to walk through your quote.
Because the homes above that curve sit higher on the slope, and when rain concentrates at a low-slope valley, the original flashing – often thin galvanized metal from the 1920s – can’t carry the volume. If an upslope neighbor added on unpermitted square footage, that runoff crosses your roof at a new path and overwhelms the valley. The fix is new metal valley flashing with ice and water shield carried through to the drip edge. Call (361) 320-9467 and we’ll inspect it.
Yes. A square count – the number of 100-square-foot roofing squares – is how roofers price materials and labor. A written quote from us includes the square count, the shingle brand and line, underlayment, flashing, decking repair, dump fees, and permit costs. A cheap quote that omits the square count is hiding something. We give you the full line-item price before any work begins.
Moss removal isn’t a cosmetic step. Moss holds water against the shingles, and on a north-facing 5:12 pitch in Kensington’s fog, it shortens the roof’s life by years. We strip the moss, repair any deck damage, and often add zinc or copper strips at the ridge to slow regrowth. That work is in the written estimate, not a surprise add-on later. Call (361) 320-9467 for a free estimate.
Written by Travis Oakley, Owner at Brennan Roofing, serving Kensington under the Garrison Standard.






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