Roofing Contractor
in San Jose, CA
San Jose is where Keith Roofing Company started, and it is still where our crews spend most of their days, on roof repair and roof replacement for shingle tract homes, tile in the older neighborhoods and flat roofs downtown. California Licensed #1118418, BBB A+ Accredited, and family-owned since 1952.
San Jose's Trusted
Local Roofer
San Jose is our home city. Keith Roofing Company was founded here in 1952 when San Jose was still a town of orchards and canneries with around 95,000 residents. Seventy-three years later, San Jose has become the third-largest city in California with over a million people, and Keith Roofing has been on the roofs of thousands of San Jose homes and commercial buildings across every neighborhood the city has grown to encompass.
Our office at 424 Lano Street in the Willow Glen area has been our base of operations for decades. From there, our crews travel across San Jose every working day — from the Cambrian Park tract homes in the south to the downtown commercial buildings in the center, from the hillside custom homes of Almaden Valley to the rancher neighborhoods of Evergreen and Berryessa. We know which neighborhoods have what roof types, which inspectors care about what details, and which streets are tight enough to need special planning for roofing material delivery.
What makes us different from other San Jose roofing companies isn't marketing — it's time. When you've been roofing homes in one city for seven decades, you see every material performance cycle. You learn which contractors shortcut which details and what those shortcuts cost homeowners 15 years later. You develop relationships with tile manufacturers that give you access to legacy colors discontinued decades ago. You know the permit office staff by first name. Every Keith Roofing San Jose project starts with that institutional knowledge.
What this means for you: A city of a million people is really dozens of small roofing markets. An Evergreen ranch, a Willow Glen Spanish Revival and a warehouse off the 880 each wear out in their own way and need a different fix. Because we have worked on all of them, the estimate you get is written for your building and your street, with the permit, any HOA rules and a fair price for that kind of roof already worked out.
What We See on
San Jose Roofs
With roofs this varied, the first job at any San Jose estimate is working out what kind of roof you have and how that kind usually fails.
San Jose residential roofing is overwhelmingly architectural asphalt shingle (on mid-century and newer tract homes across the bulk of the city), with significant concentrations of concrete and clay tile (on Spanish Revival, Mediterranean, and custom homes — particularly in Willow Glen, Almaden Valley, and Cambrian). Commercial roofing in San Jose runs the full range — we install single-ply for modern commercial flat-roof systems, silicone restoration coatings for aging commercial roofs, and modified bitumen and BUR for specific applications. Downtown San Jose has small-commercial flat-roof work across its historic storefronts. The industrial corridors along the 101 and 880 have substantial warehouse and logistics building roofing demand.
Aging 1960s-80s Tract Home Re-Roofs
Thousands of San Jose homes built in the post-war residential boom are now on their second or third roof cycle. Original 3-tab shingles replaced in the 1990s are now aging out and due for architectural shingle roof replacement with proper ventilation upgrades.
Tile Roof Underlayment Failure
San Jose's extensive tile roof inventory — particularly in Willow Glen, Almaden, and Cambrian — is largely running on original underlayment that's 30-50 years old. Lift-and-relay is often the right answer when tile is sound but underlayment has failed. Telling the two cases apart is exactly what a roof inspection in San Jose is for — we document underlayment condition, flashing and remaining service life in writing before recommending a relay or a full tear-off.
Wildfire Zone Compliance
Portions of San Jose are in WUI (Wildland-Urban Interface) overlays, including properties near Alum Rock, Silver Creek, and the hillside neighborhoods in south San Jose. Class A fire-rated assemblies are required in these zones.
Commercial BUR Replacement
San Jose has substantial inventory of 1970s-90s commercial buildings with aging built-up roofs ready for commercial roof replacement with single-ply or silicone roof coating restoration.
San Jose's Roofing Range: Every Material, Every Neighborhood
Why This Material Works Here
San Jose's sheer size — over 180 square miles and 1 million residents — means we handle the widest range of roof types of any service area. The city spans Spanish Revival historic districts, mid-century tract neighborhoods, custom hillside estates, newer subdivisions, commercial office parks, industrial warehouses, and small retail corridors. Each has its own typical roof system, its own failure modes, and its own material preferences. Our seven decades of San Jose work mean we've installed, repaired, and replaced every one of these systems — many of them multiple times.
Technical Installation Approach
For residential shingle (the dominant San Jose roof type), we're certified contractors for CertainTeed (SureStart PLUS), GAF (System Plus), and Owens Corning (Preferred Contractor) — giving us access to enhanced warranties that roofers tied to just one manufacturer can't match. Typical installations include synthetic underlayment, ice-and-water shield at valleys and penetrations, architectural shingles installed per manufacturer spec, ridge ventilation, and proper flashing renewal at chimneys and skylights.
For tile roofing, we work with Monier Lifetile, Eagle Roofing, and Westlake Tile (formerly Eaglelite), with direct supplier access to legacy color profiles for matching 30-50 year old installations. We do full tear-off and replace, lift-and-relay underlayment restoration, and selective tile replacement for repairs and renovations.
For commercial flat-roof work, we install Carlisle SynTec, GAF EverGuard, and Firestone UltraPly TPO systems, apply GE and Gaco silicone restoration coatings, and handle modified bitumen and built-up roof installations for specific applications. Commercial work includes structural review coordination, Title 24 energy compliance documentation, and property-manager-friendly scope reporting.
Expected Longevity & Value
Mild winters, modest rain and mostly dry summers make San Jose fairly kind to a roof. Here an architectural shingle roof usually lasts 25-35 years, concrete and clay tile often go 50-75 years or more, and a commercial single-ply membrane is commonly warranted for 20-30 years. If you expect to stay in the home, spending more on a longer-lived material usually comes back to you as one fewer re-roof, and it can help at insurance renewal time.
San Jose's Climate
and Your Roof
By national standards San Jose weather is mild, but a long, bright dry season and a few hard winter storms still decide how a roof ages here. These are the four things we plan around.
Summer Heat & UV
Summer afternoons in San Jose reach 88-95°F, and the sun is out on 250+ days a year. A dark shingle on a south-facing slope can climb past 150°F at the surface, which is why we usually steer homeowners toward algae-resistant, cool-roof compliant products.
Winter Rainfall
Mild wet winters average 15 inches of rainfall concentrated in December through March. Atmospheric-river events can deliver 3-5 inches in 48 hours. Proper flashing and valley detailing handles these events; marginal installations fail.
Fog & Fire Exposure
San Jose has portions in WUI and Fire Hazard Severity Zones — primarily in hillside areas adjacent to open space (upper Almaden, Silver Creek, Evergreen foothills, areas near Alum Rock). Class A fire-rated assemblies are required in these zones. Fog exposure is moderate in central San Jose and higher closer to the Bay and hillside areas.
Practical Implications
San Jose roofing priorities: UV-resistant materials that hold color and performance over 25-35 years, Title 24 cool-roof compliance (enforced by the San Jose permit office), proper flashing for the annual winter storm cycle, and fire-zone compliance where applicable. The city's sheer size means roof recommendations should match the specific neighborhood and property type.
Where We Work
in San Jose
Willow Glen
Our home turf — historic bungalows, Spanish Revivals, Craftsmans, and small-commercial along Lincoln Avenue.
Almaden Valley
Concrete tile country — custom hillside homes with multi-decade Monier and Eagle Roofing installs.
Cambrian Park
1960s-70s tract homes — straightforward architectural shingle re-roofs are our daily work.
Evergreen
Sprawling residential with diverse roof systems and strong solar-retrofit demand.
Berryessa
Established neighborhoods with tile and shingle mix, excellent access to 680.
Rose Garden / Downtown
Historic residential near downtown plus commercial flat-roof work along Santa Clara Street and 1st Street corridors.
How We Handle Roofing
in San Jose
A Look at Your Roof and Attic
An estimator visits your San Jose home or building, gets on the roof where it is safe to, checks the attic and measures. In a city this big that visit is also where we note the things that change the job: the age of the neighborhood, tile versus shingle, a tight street for deliveries. There is no pressure to decide on the spot.
An Itemized Written Quote
The quote lists each material option, the labor, the City permit fee, the warranty and the schedule as separate lines, so you can hold it up against other San Jose bids and see exactly where they differ.
City Permit and a Start Date
We apply for the permit with the City of San Jose ourselves, which usually takes 2-5 business days, then set a start date and book the material drop for a time that suits your street.
The Install
Our own W-2 crews do the work to the manufacturer's instructions and the San Jose building code. Plants and paths get covered, the site is cleaned every evening, and we photograph the details the warranty registration asks for.
Sign-Off and Check-Ins
Once the City inspector signs off, you get the warranty papers, the manufacturer registration and a photo record of the job. We check back with you at 30 and 90 days to make sure the roof is doing what it should.
Why San Jose Homeowners
Choose Us
73 Years of San Jose Work
We've been roofing San Jose homes since 1952. Every San Jose roofing contractor with 'Since' language younger than that is claiming a history we've actually lived. Our institutional knowledge of this market runs deeper than anyone else's.
Based in San Jose, Not Out-of-Area
Our office is at 424 Lano Street in Willow Glen. We live here, work here, and our crews commute from nearby neighborhoods. You're not hiring a contractor who sends crews in from Sacramento or the Central Valley.
Multi-Manufacturer Certification
As CertainTeed SureStart PLUS, GAF System Plus, and Owens Corning Preferred Contractors — plus certified for Monier Lifetile, Eagle Roofing, Carlisle SynTec, and IB Roof Systems — we offer enhanced warranties no single-brand roofer can match.
Transparent Business Practices
BBB A+ Accredited. California Licensed (CSLB #1118418). 4.7 stars on Google with 102 verified reviews. Full insurance documentation available. Clear written estimates. No surprise change orders. The boring stuff other roofers make exciting.
What We Do
for San Jose Homes & Businesses
Recent Projects
in & Near San Jose
