Free roof inspection with deck photos before we talk money - GAF and Owens Corning certified installation
Fast, Reliable Roofing Company Across Kensington
Roofing work in Kensington runs $450 – $1,100 for typical repairs and $18,000 – $45,000 for a full replacement, depending on material, slope, and what’s hiding under the old roof. Most jobs here take 2 – 5 days because the hillside lots, steep pitches, and county permit process add real time. Mercer Roofing serves Kensington homeowners directly, with a written price in your hand before any work starts. Call (743) 200-8347 and a live person answers, day or night.
We know these hills. The marine layer that rolls through the Golden Gate settles right onto Kensington’s north- and west-facing slopes, keeping roofs damp for months at a time. That’s not a generic observation, it changes how we diagnose problems here. Moss mats several inches thick, chronic granule loss on composition shingles, rotted decking under what looks like a surface issue. If you call a roofer who mostly works flatland cities like El Cerrito or Albany, they won’t expect what Kensington roofs actually look like when you pull the old material off.
Key Takeaways:
- Every Kensington re-roof must use Class A fire-rated materials, local Cal Fire rules make wood shake illegal to replace in kind
- Permits issue through Contra Costa County, not a city building office, which adds steps and time
- We write a line-item price before any work begins, and no change order ever starts without your written sign-off
- Every technician arrives with a photo ID badge, and you’ll get their name and photo before they knock
Why Mercer Roofing Is Kensington’s Preferred Roofing Company
Kensington homeowners call us because we don’t treat their roof like a stranger-at-the-door problem. You’ll know exactly who’s coming to your home before they arrive: name, photo, and badge. That’s the Threshold Verified standard, and every Mercer technician is held to it. Founded in 2000 as part of the Threshold Group family, we’re an independently owned and operated business serving the East Bay hills with the kind of certainty that’s hard to find in roofing.
Our crews know Arlington Avenue, the Colusa Circle neighborhoods, the streets climbing up from the Arlington itself, and the older homes along the Kensington-Albany border. Those 1920s and 1930s Craftsman bungalows and Tudor Revivals are beautiful, but their roof geometry is unforgiving. Multiple intersecting planes, shallow attic access, decks framed for materials that were lighter than what the county now requires. We factor that into every quote, because we’ve seen what happens when a roofer doesn’t.
Grant Whitlock runs our Kensington work, and he’s particular about one thing above everything else: written prices and written guarantees. Every repair comes with a 365-Day Done Right Promise. If the work isn’t right within a year, we make it right. Free second visit if a repair fails. That’s not marketing language, it’s the actual warranty on your invoice.
Commercial Roofing in Kensington
Commercial roofing in Kensington covers the flat and low-slope roof systems on the town’s small commercial buildings, including the shops near Colusa Circle and the medical and professional offices along Arlington Avenue. These are typically modified bitumen, TPO, or built-up roof systems that need a different skill set than the steep residential shingle work that dominates the hills. A commercial roof repair in Kensington typically runs $800 – $2,500, while full commercial roof replacement lands between $12,000 and $35,000 depending on square footage, insulation requirements, and roof access.
What Commercial Work Involves
On Kensington’s commercial buildings, we’re usually dealing with ponding water around old penetrations, failing seams, and dried-out flashing at parapet walls. The age of these structures means the existing membrane is often multiple layers deep, with prior patch jobs layered over the original system. We inspect the roof deck, test for moisture in the insulation, and give you a written scope with a clear price before any membrane is cut.
Why Local Knowledge Matters for Commercial
Kensington’s commercial roofs sit in the same marine layer and wind exposure as the homes, but they fail differently. Flat roofs don’t shed moss the way pitched roofs do; instead, they hold water in low spots and at drain entries that clog with wind-blown debris. We check every drain and scupper as part of the job, because in these hills, a clogged drain back up a whole roof in one season.
Metal Roof Installation in Kensington
Metal roof installation in Kensington is one of the best fire-hardening moves a homeowner can make, and it’s a growing share of our work here. Standing seam steel and aluminum systems are Class A fire-rated by default, which matters enormously in a town where the entire footprint sits inside a Cal Fire Very High Fire Hazard Severity Zone. A metal roof installation in Kensington typically runs $28,000 – $55,000 for an average hillside home, with the range driven mostly by metal type, panel profile, and whether the existing roof needs a full tear-off first.
Why Cal Fire Rules Push Toward Metal
When a Kensington homeowner with original wood shake has to re-roof, they can’t legally put shake back on. The county permit will require Class A materials, and metal is one of the strongest choices: it won’t ignite by ember, it sheds rain fast on steep slopes, and it outlasts composition by decades. We installed a standing seam system near Arlington Avenue after pulling moss off a 1931 Craftsman and discovering rotted sheathing underneath. The original shake couldn’t go back, so we rebuilt the deck, ran ice and water shield through the valleys, and put down a steel roof that’ll outlast the mortgage.
Structural Reality of Metal on Hillside Homes
Kensington’s 1920s – 1940s homes were framed for wood shake, which is much lighter than metal. Before we quote a metal conversion, we usually need a structural check on the rafter spacing and deck condition. On steep lots, we also have to plan material staging carefully, access is tight, and we won’t crane panels over your neighbor’s hillside without coordination. The structural check isn’t a formality, it’s the difference between a roof that holds and a deck that sags under weight it was never built to carry.
Trusted Brands We Service in Kensington
We install and repair GAF, CertainTeed, and Owens Corning systems in Kensington, and we stock common parts for these brands locally so your repair doesn’t stall while materials ship from somewhere else. Whether you have GAF Timberline architectural shingles on a Craftsman near Colusa Circle or CertainTeed Landmark on a Tudor Revival halfway up the hill, we know the products’ wind ratings and warranty requirements. We don’t push one brand over another; we match the system to your roof’s slope, exposure, and the fire-safety rules your property falls under. The written quote names the exact product and model, so you know what’s going on your roof before we order it.
Common Roofing Company Problems We See in Kensington Homes
- North-facing moss damage that goes deeper than it looks. On the shaded side of Kensington hillside homes, moss mats can be several inches thick and hold moisture against the deck year-round. By the time we pull the moss, the sheathing underneath is often rotted and needs replacement, which doubles the job scope. We quote with a plywood-replacement allowance built in so the price doesn’t move on you mid-project.
- Wood shake roofs that can’t legally be re-roofed in kind. Kensington sits entirely inside a Cal Fire Very High Fire Hazard Severity Zone, and the county won’t let you replace original shake with new shake. You must convert to Class A material, composition, concrete tile, or metal, and that change frequently requires a structural check on the aging framing.
- Flashing and fastener failures from ridgetop wind exposure. Kensington’s elevation means roofs here take more wind than flatland neighbors. We regularly replace lifted flashing, backed-out fasteners, and blown-off ridge caps on homes along the upper Arlington corridor that flatland roofers would misdiagnose as a simple leak.
- Multi-plane roof geometry with limited access. The Craftsman and Tudor homes here have multiple intersecting roof planes, valleys, and dormers. That complexity means more flashing points, more leak paths, and tighter access for equipment. We plan for that before we quote, not after we show up.
Pricing for Roofing Company in Kensington, CA
Roof leak repair in Kensington runs $450 – $1,100 for typical flashing or fastener work. A section repair with new underlayment and shingles lands $1,600 – $3,500 depending on slope and access. Full composition re-roof with tear-off runs $18,000 – $30,000; concrete tile or metal conversion runs $28,000 – $55,000. What moves the price here more than anywhere else is what’s under the old roof: rotted decking on shaded north slopes, structural load questions on hillside framing, and the county permit path for Class A compliance. We build those allowances into the written quote, and any surprise found during tear-off gets priced and approved in writing before we touch it. Call (743) 200-8347 for a free estimate, and you’ll get a number, not a sales pitch.
Every job includes the 365-Day Done Right Promise. Every repair carries a written guarantee. If something fails within the year, we return for free. That’s the same promise for a $500 flashing repair or a $40,000 metal re-roof.
We Also Serve Cities Near Kensington
Our Roofing Company team serves the East Bay hills and beyond, including the communities around Kensington. Homeowners in Los Angeles, San Diego, San Jose, and San Francisco call us for the same written-price certainty and Threshold Verified technicians we bring to every Roofing Company in Kensington job. The terrain changes, the standard doesn’t.
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
You can’t because the entire town sits inside a Cal Fire-designated Very High Fire Hazard Severity Zone, and Contra Costa County permit rules prohibit replacing wood shake with new wood shake. Every re-roof in Kensington must convert to Class A fire-rated materials: composition shingles, concrete tile, or metal. That’s a county-level rule, not a roofer’s preference. We’ll walk you through which Class A system fits your home’s slope, framing, and budget. Call (743) 200-8347 and we’ll give you a written options list.
Contra Costa County issues roofing permits for Kensington, because Kensington is an unincorporated community, not an incorporated city with its own building department. That means the permitting path runs through the county’s Building Inspection Division, and the timeline and requirements can differ from what roofers who work only in incorporated cities are used to. We handle the permit application and coordinate inspections as part of the job, and the written quote includes the permit line item. Call (743) 200-8347 for a quote that accounts for the county process.
Rarely. On Kensington’s shaded hillside lots, thick moss usually means the sheathing underneath has been damp for years, and it’s often rotted through. We pulled several inches of moss off a 1931 Craftsman near Arlington Avenue and found the decking gone underneath. The repair cost what a full new roof section costs, not a cleaning. We quote moss removal with a plywood-replacement allowance built in, and if we find rot, you approve the added scope in writing before we cut. Call (743) 200-8347 for an honest assessment.
Because Kensington’s hillside homes from the 1920s through 1940s were often framed for wood shake, which weighs far less than concrete tile or standing seam metal. Converting to a heavier system without checking rafter sizing and deck condition risks sagging rafters and failed inspections. We include a structural check in the quote when the conversion calls for it. It’s part of the written price, not an afterthought. Call (743) 200-8347 and we’ll tell you what your roof can actually carry.
It should include a tear-off line, a decking-replacement allowance of at least $2 – $4 per square foot for partial sheathing replacement, flashing at all valleys, pipes, and penetrations, a line for the county permit, and a structural check if you’re converting to tile or metal. Any roofer quoting Kensington without a decking allowance on a shaded north slope is pricing a fantasy. Our written quote includes these lines, and no change order starts without your written approval first. Call (743) 200-8347 for a fixed-number estimate.
If your roof is showing its age, or you found a leak, or you just want a straight answer about what a re-roof in Kensington actually costs, call (743) 200-8347. A live person answers. We’ll schedule a visit, send you the technician’s name and photo before they arrive, and put the estimate in writing before we go home.
Written by Grant Whitlock, Owner at Mercer Roofing, serving Kensington with the Threshold Verified standard.






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