Service areas across the Bay Area

Oakland, Berkeley and Alameda are full of homes from the early 1900s. Here is what that means for your project:

• Older houses often sit on short “cripple” walls with few bolts, so seismic retrofits are common.
• The Hayward Fault runs along the base of the hills.
• Parts of the Oakland and Berkeley hills are high fire-risk zones, with extra rules for roofs, vents and siding.
• Fremont, Hayward and the inland suburbs have more homes built after World War II.
• Every city, from Richmond to Fremont, has its own building department.

Contra Costa runs from Richmond on the bay to Antioch and Brentwood. Each part of the county asks for something different:

• Richmond and El Cerrito: many older homes that are worth checking before a remodel.
• Concord, Antioch and Brentwood: newer subdivisions built in recent decades.
• Lafayette, Orinda and Moraga: steep lots, winding roads and high wildfire-risk areas.
• The Concord Fault runs through Concord.
• Outside city limits, Contra Costa County issues the permit.

The Tri-Valley has many homes built from the 1970s through the 2000s, plus older streets near the downtowns of Pleasanton, Livermore and Danville. What to keep in mind:

• Lots near Mount Diablo and around Danville and Blackhawk can be steep, which affects grading, drainage and foundations.
• The Calaveras Fault runs along the west side of the valley.
• Many neighborhoods have a homeowners association with its own design review, on top of the city permit.
• Blackhawk and Diablo are not cities, so Contra Costa County issues their permits.

The North Bay covers four counties with very different towns. What to keep in mind:

• Marin has many hillside homes on narrow, winding streets, where parking, access and drainage shape the project.
• Sonoma and Napa mix older downtown homes, newer subdivisions and rural lots.
• Many hillside and rural areas are high fire-hazard zones, with rules for roofing, vents and siding.
• The Rodgers Creek Fault runs near Santa Rosa, and many older homes benefit from a foundation retrofit.
• Each city has its own permit process, and each county handles its unincorporated areas.

The South Bay grew fast after World War II. What to keep in mind:

• San Jose, Sunnyvale, Santa Clara and Mountain View have many single-story ranch homes from the 1950s and 1960s.
• Palo Alto and Mountain View also have mid-century modern homes with post-and-beam framing and walls of glass.
• Saratoga, Los Gatos and Los Altos Hills sit on wooded slopes where grading, drainage and fire safety matter.
• The San Andreas, Hayward and Calaveras faults all run through or near Santa Clara County.
• Each city has its own building department, and some also review the design of new homes and additions.