Gutter Installation for Older and Raised Homes in Guerneville
Four in five Guerneville homes were built before 1980, many near the river have been raised above flood level, and the whole town lies in a state fire hazard zone. New gutters here have to account for all three.
Get a Free Quote
Fill out the form below and we'll get back to you within 24 hours.
Gutter installation · Guerneville
Who puts up new gutters on Guerneville houses?
Nor-Cal Maintenance installs gutters and downspouts in Guerneville from our Santa Rosa office on Banyan Street, about 18 road miles away. We look at the house first, answer your questions and then send a written proposal. The work falls under California contractor license #772419, whose classes include metal products.
Guerneville’s housing goes back a long way. The Census Bureau’s latest estimates put the median year built at 1955, and more than 80 percent of homes went up before 1980. Houses that age have had a long time to wear out a gutter system, or two. A replacement is the chance to correct what the old layout got wrong: too few downspouts, outlets that dump water at the foundation, runs hung without enough fall toward the outlet. Our gutter installation page covers the work itself. This page is about what the town adds to it, and the Guerneville page has the wider picture.
In Guerneville
Do new gutters in Guerneville have to meet the wildfire code?
On new homes, yes. Since July 1, 2008, new buildings in State Responsibility Area hazard zones have been built to Chapter 7A of the state building code, which requires roof gutters to have “the means to prevent the accumulation of leaves and debris.” CAL FIRE’s 2024-25 maps put nearly all of Guerneville in that area’s High zone.
For replacements on existing houses, the county permit is the question. Guerneville is unincorporated, so building permits come from Permit Sonoma, and gutters don’t appear on its list of work exempt from a permit. The county says to assume a permit is needed for anything not on that list, so call (707) 565-1900 before a full tear-off. On material, the UC ANR Fire Network notes that the code doesn’t dictate it, but in a demonstration a plastic gutter melted and fell while burning debris sat in it, and a metal one stayed up.
Height is the other local factor. After the 1995 floods, Sonoma County began raising flood-prone houses, and a FEMA study counts 197 buildings along the Russian River and its tributaries lifted to the 100-year flood level between 1998 and 2006. The county’s program today raises homes at least a foot above the base flood level and limits the space underneath to storage. On a raised house the downspouts run longer, the ladder work is taller, and the outlets need somewhere to send water other than the storage area below.
From a customer
“My gutters were a disaster because I don't think they had been ever changed and my house is 45 years old. They are now beautiful.”
FAQ
Guerneville gutter installation FAQ
Should a new gutter in Guerneville be metal or vinyl?
The state wildfire code allows either. UC ANR’s fire researchers, though, watched a plastic gutter melt and fall when the debris inside it burned, while a metal one stayed put. Our contractor license is in the metal products class, and in a town rated High for fire hazard, the material is worth settling at the estimate.
Do I need a county permit to replace gutters in Guerneville?
Possibly. Gutters aren’t on Permit Sonoma’s list of exempt work, and the county says to assume a permit is required for anything left off that list. Ask Permit Sonoma at 2550 Ventura Avenue in Santa Rosa, (707) 565-1900, before a full replacement. The written proposal we send after the estimate describes the scope, which helps when you call.
Where should downspouts drain on a house near the river?
Away from the foundation and onto ground that can soak it up, such as a planting bed or a splash block. On a raised house, keep the outlets clear of the space underneath, which the county’s flood program limits to storage. Every lot drains a little differently, so we walk the grades with you before marking outlet locations.
How does a gutter installation in Guerneville start?
With a call to (707) 940-7875 or the form on this page. We come out, look at the roofline, the fascia and where the water goes, answer questions and then send a written proposal. Dave has said the estimate is for gathering information, not selling, so you can take the proposal to Permit Sonoma or simply think it over.
More in Guerneville
Gutter installation nearby
Talk to Dave's team
Replacing gutters on an older Guerneville home?
Call (707) 940-7875 to set up an estimate and a written proposal.