The Brothers That Just Do Gutters · the East Bay
Gutter fire hardening for San Ramon and the East Bay, before the next Diablo wind.
When a grass or oak-woodland fire runs the Diablo foothills, the flame front is rarely what threatens a house in Windemere, Blackhawk or the Lafayette hills. Embers are. They ride the offshore wind, land by the thousand and look for somewhere dry to sit. A gutter full of oak leaves and pine needles is exactly that. We replace vinyl with metal, cover the trough with non-combustible BroGuard mesh and clean before fire season, so there is nothing up there to catch.
- Free written estimates
- Seamless metal gutters rolled out at your home
- Serving the East Bay
A fire-hardened roof edge,
finished in a single visit.
- Leaves and needles cleared from each run and downspout
- Metal in place of vinyl and plastic
- Stainless BroGuard mesh across the trough
- Screens on downspout tops, gaps at the fascia sealed
- Scope and price in writing before we start
Quick answer
Fire hardening in the East Bay, CA: The Brothers That Just Do Gutters harden the roofline where embers actually land. Metal gutters formed on site, BroGuard non-combustible stainless mesh over the trough so dry debris cannot collect, screened downspouts, closed fascia gaps and cleanings timed to the local fire season. California’s Wildland-Urban Interface Code, Section 504.4 (formerly Chapter 7A), requires gutters in wildfire areas to have a means to keep leaves and debris from accumulating, and the State Fire Marshal’s updated Fire Hazard Severity Zone maps, released February 24, 2025, put parts of San Ramon in Moderate and High zones. Estimates are free. Call (925) 905-9555 or book online.
By the numbers
The Bay Area has already seen what a wind-driven fire does. The maps say it can happen here.
These are the state’s and the county’s own numbers, not ours.
- 396,624acresburned by the 2020 SCU Lightning Complex across the Diablo Range, the third-largest fire in state history at the time
- 2,449homessingle-family homes destroyed in the 1991 Oakland Hills firestorm, plus 437 apartment and condo units, with 25 lives lost, on a Diablo wind
- Feb 242025The State Fire Marshal’s updated Fire Hazard Severity Zone maps, released February 24, 2025, put parts of San Ramon in Moderate and High zones
- Aug 192026the state Board of Forestry adopted Zone 0 rules (withdrawn from state review on September 8, 2026 and not yet in effect) that would require roofs and gutters kept clear of combustible debris
Sources: Cal Fire SCU Lightning Complex incident record; NFPA Oakland Berkeley Hills Fire report; CAL FIRE State Fire Marshal LRA Fire Hazard Severity Zone map for San Ramon, February 24, 2025; California Board of Forestry and Fire Protection Zone 0 regulations, adopted August 19, 2026 and withdrawn from OAL review September 8, 2026.
What wind-driven fire looks like here
Same Diablo wind as Oakland in 1991. Same fuel on the roofline today.
The offshore Diablo wind that drove the 1991 Oakland Hills firestorm is the same pattern behind the 2017 Tubbs Fire that erased Coffey Park in Santa Rosa, the 2019 Kincade Fire in Sonoma County, and the 2020 lightning complexes that burned across the Diablo Range and the Santa Cruz Mountains. In every one of them, homes were lost to embers landing on dry rooflines far ahead of the flame front. The photos below are from those Bay Area fires, and the gutter is where the embers land first.
Get a Free Roofline CheckWhere the risk sits today
San Ramon is a mapped city now. So are the hills around it.
The State Fire Marshal’s updated Fire Hazard Severity Zone maps, released February 24, 2025, put parts of San Ramon in Moderate and High zones, and the Tri-Valley hills from Danville and Alamo through Blackhawk, Diablo and the Tassajara Valley to Orinda, Lafayette and Walnut Creek sit against open grass and oak woodland. If your address sits near open hillside, the roof edge is the part of the house doing the most work.
- 01
Embers in the trough
A gutter holding a summer of oak leaves, pine needles and roof grit is kindling pressed against the fascia. On a Diablo wind that is how a house well ahead of the fire catches.
- 02
Plastic on the roofline
Vinyl gutters and plastic guards soften, drop and burn. The state wildfire code (Section 504.4, formerly Chapter 7A) calls for gutters that keep debris out, and fire agencies call for noncombustible material at the roof edge.
- 03
Open downspout tops and gaps at the fascia
An open downspout top lets embers fall right into the gutter system. A gap along the fascia lets them creep beneath the first row of roofing.
- 04
Zone 0 is coming
On August 19, 2026, the state Board of Forestry approved Zone 0 rules covering Very High zones and State Responsibility Areas. On September 8, 2026 they were withdrawn from state review for technical changes, so they are not yet in effect. Keeping roofs and gutters free of combustible debris is part of those rules.
The hardening visit
A fire-hardened roofline, done before the offshore wind sets up.
First, a Solutionist checks your entire roofline and gives you a scope and price in writing. Then the crew does the work, most often that same day. You receive a report on what was cleared, what was swapped out and what we suggest before the next Red Flag Warning.
Get a Free Roofline Check(925) 905-9555
- Metalaluminum, bonderized steel or copper, no vinyl
- StainlessBroGuard mesh will not burn
- LocalEast Bay crews, local number: (925) 905-9555
- Strip the fuel out of every runCleared, not blown. Downspouts flushed and tested, and the debris carried off your property.
- Trade vinyl for metalSeamless aluminum, bonderized steel or copper rolled out on-site to fit your roofline exactly.
- Top the gutter with BroGuardStainless micro-mesh that will not burn. Oak leaves and needles stay out, rain passes through, and no plastic sits on the roof edge.
- Screen downspouts and seal gapsScreens on downspout tops, hangers reset and fascia gaps sealed, leaving embers no way in.
- Time it to the seasonThe Tri-Valley dries out early and stays dry, so the clean happens before the offshore wind sets up.
- Get it on paperScope and price in writing before we start, plus a roofline report once we finish.
The rules in 2026
What state wildfire rules in California really require of gutters
Much of what East Bay homeowners hear about fire rules is outdated. Here is the status for gutters as of September 2026, with a source for each point.
State building code
Gutters must keep debris out
Since January 1, 2026, California’s wildfire construction rules live in the new California Wildland-Urban Interface Code. Section 504.4 keeps the old Chapter 7A wording: roof gutters must have a means to prevent leaves and debris from building up. It applies to new construction and permitted alterations in mapped fire hazard areas.
Your fire district
State law already covers the roof
California already requires homeowners in fire hazard areas to keep the roof free of leaves, needles and other plant material (Gov. Code 51182), and the San Ramon Valley Fire Protection District sends yearly abatement notices to wildland-urban interface owners.
Zone 0, the five feet closest to the house
Approved, then withdrawn for revisions
On August 19, 2026, the Board of Forestry approved Zone 0 rules that include keeping roofs and rain gutters free of small flammable material. On September 8, 2026 the package was withdrawn from state review for technical changes, so it is not in effect yet. Once it is, it will apply to Very High zones inside cities and to every state responsibility area.
IBHS Wildfire Prepared Home
Metal gutters first, metal guards next
The insurance industry’s wildfire standard calls for noncombustible gutters and downspouts and regular debris removal at its base tier, then adds noncombustible gutter guards at the Plus tier. Metal gutters topped with BroGuard stainless mesh meet both.
Insurance discounts
Gutters are missing from the state discount list, but they still count
The state’s Safer from Wildfires discount list rewards Class A roofs, vents that resist embers, upgraded windows, enclosed eaves and the five-foot zone, and leaves gutters off. Fire agencies keep bringing up gutters because of embers: IBHS research found embers were the first ignition source for up to 90 percent of homes that wildfires damaged or destroyed, and a gutter packed with dry oak leaves is where they settle.
Sources: California Building Standards Commission, Board of Forestry, Office of Administrative Law, IBHS Wildfire Prepared Home, CA Department of Insurance, Gov. Code 51182.
Fire hazard zones
Which East Bay and Tri-Valley cities have Very High zones?
The State Fire Marshal released new local fire hazard maps for Contra Costa, Alameda and San Joaquin counties on February 24, 2025. These are the Very High acres mapped inside city limits in our territory. The state also maps the wildland around them separately.
| City | Very High acres (2025) |
|---|---|
| Orinda | 5,241 |
| Richmond | 4,395 |
| Clayton | 1,302 |
| Antioch | 858 |
| Berkeley | 454 |
| El Cerrito | 329 |
| Concord | 79 |
| Brentwood | 75 |
| San Pablo | 58 |
| Lafayette (down from 4,440 in 2011) | 41 |
| Danville | 29 |
What about San Ramon?
San Ramon has no Very High zone inside city limits. Its 2025 map shows 1,493 High and 4,029 Moderate acres. Walnut Creek, Pleasant Hill, Martinez and Pittsburg also have no Very High zone. Tracy is mapped Moderate and High only, and Stockton and Manteca have no mapped zones.
Check your exact address
Zones are drawn parcel by parcel. For Dublin, Livermore, Pleasanton and every other city, the state map viewer shows your lot in about a minute.
Open the state fire zone mapSources: State Fire Marshal 2025 acres by city, San Ramon LRA map, Feb 24, 2025, Office of the State Fire Marshal.
Checklist
The ember-ready roofline checklist
Our crews follow this sequence on every fire-hardening visit in the Tri-Valley. You can handle steps one and seven on your own. For anything that needs a ladder, give us a call.
- Clean off the roof and each gutterHomes in fire hazard areas are already required by state law to keep roofs clear of leaves and needles. Begin there, then flush each downspout.
- Trade vinyl for metalIBHS calls for noncombustible gutters and downspouts. We roll out aluminum, bonderized steel or copper right at your home, so nothing at the roof edge can melt or catch.
- Top the gutter with a metal guardA noncombustible guard such as BroGuard stainless micro-mesh keeps dry oak leaves out between cleanings, which is the IBHS Plus step and something CAL FIRE recommends.
- Seal the gap at the roof edgeResearch the Board of Forestry cited showed gutter debris can pull fire into a home at the joint between roof and gutter. Drip edge and a snug fit seal it.
- Clean out valleys, dormers and cornersAccording to IBHS, the places where debris gathers on a roof are the same places embers collect.
- Keep the area below the gutters clearReplace bark mulch and plantings under downspouts with gravel or hardscape, which counts toward the ember-resistant five-foot zone on the state’s discount list.
- Trim what hangs over the roofOverhanging oak and bay limbs drop exactly the fine litter embers catch in.
- Book it before Diablo wind seasonSchedule the work in late summer or early fall, before the dry offshore winds that drive ember storms.
Where this comes from: Government Code 51182, the IBHS Wildfire Prepared Home checklist, CAL FIRE home hardening, the Board of Forestry, the Office of Administrative Law, the California Department of Insurance.
Services
More Ways We Help East Bay Homeowners
More services from the same Tri-Valley crews.
Seamless aluminum, copper and bonderized gutters rolled out on-site to the full length of your roofline, with no seams to leak and colors to match your trim.
Learn more Gutter CleaningGutters and downspouts emptied, then flushed and tested. We never blow the debris onto your patio.
Learn more Gutter RepairDripping seams, sagging sections, loose hangers and rotted fascia, fixed on the same visit whenever we can.
Learn more BroGuard Gutter GuardsStainless micro-mesh that blocks oak leaves, needles and grit and lets heavy rain pass. It will not burn.
Learn more Maintenance ProgramCleanings booked before and after the rainy season so your gutters are ready when the storms roll in.
Learn more Free estimateRequest a Free EstimateTell us what is going on with your East Bay gutters. A local Solutionist walks the roofline, explains what you actually need and leaves a written price. No pressure, no obligation.
Book my free estimate or call (925) 905-9555How it works
From your first call to a clean roof edge
- 1Call or book online
Tell us what is going on with your East Bay gutters. Same local team answers.
- 2On-site walkthrough
A Solutionist looks over your roofline, downspouts and drainage, then hands you a written estimate.
- 3The work gets done
Seamless runs rolled out in your driveway, with cleaning and repairs done on the same visit whenever we can.
- 4Walkthrough and clean-up
We flush-test every run, walk you through what we found and leave your yard neater than when we arrived.
Why the Brothers
Why East Bay Homeowners Call the Brothers
The gutter machine rides on our truck. We extrude every run in your driveway to fit the roofline exactly, so no factory joints are there to open up during a Tri-Valley heat wave.
Local employees, local phone number, and an owner who lives in the neighborhoods we serve. When you call (925) 905-9555 you reach the local team that works in the East Bay every week.
Gutters in aluminum, bonderized steel and copper, topped with metal mesh guards. No plastic at your roof edge, which counts in East Bay neighborhoods where embers are a real threat.
Pre-season cleanings, downspout flushes and repairs booked ahead of the first big storm, so your gutters are not what fails when El Niño arrives.
Year-round
Your East Bay gutter calendar
What we are doing on East Bay rooflines each season, so your system is ready before the weather asks it to work.
- Fall · Oct to NovPre-storm cleaning and repairs
Gutters and downspouts cleared and flush-tested, with loose hangers and leaky seams fixed ahead of the first winter storm.
- Winter · Dec to MarStorm season response
Overflow and clog calls moved to the front of the line when storms are forecast, plus emergency repair if a run tears loose.
- Spring · Apr to MayPost-bloom clean-out and guards
Eucalyptus, sycamore and oak drop cleared, and BroGuard installed so the trough stays clear all summer.
- Summer · Jun to SepInstall season and hardening
Prime time to add seamless runs, switch to metal and put on non-combustible guards, ahead of peak fire season.
The Work
Real Crews. Real East Bay Homes.
Watch
What a hardened roofline looks like.
Metal gutters formed on site, tight corners and nothing plastic at the roof edge.
- One continuous seamless gutter, formed right at your home
- Licensed California contractor
- A free estimate in writing before we start anything
- BroGuard fine metal mesh guards on request
Reviews
What East Bay Homeowners Say
“Exceptional customer service, professionalism, knowledge of the work needed to be done on our gutters and very fair pricing. We had our gutters cleaned (2 story home) and One Guard installed on first floor gutters today. The crew cleaned up nicely. We are so happy with the completed work and highly recommend!”
Posted on Google“I had leaking gutters that needed sealing. The Brothers sent out a person to do a quote. The person was well knowledged about gutters. I was already thinking of putting in gutter guards and they proposed a guard that would work with my current gutters… The two installers were friendly and explained everything clearly.”
Posted on Google“Crew called prior to arriving. They asked what my needs were and followed through. Their work was excellent and they left a clean job site. They were polite and efficient. Job well done.”
Posted on Google“Brothers That Just Do Gutters was a great service to work with. They were on time, communicated well and the finished product looks really nice!”
Posted on Google“Team installed the gutter filters in half the predicted time. The quality was superb! We would recommend Brothers for your gutter needs!”
Posted on Google“Great bid price, did the work when they said they would, showed up exactly on time. Work was done to perfection.”
Posted on GoogleService area
Also serving these East Bay communities
Every community on this list is inside our service area and gets the same local crews, on-site seamless gutters and free written estimates. Cities with an arrow have their own local page. For anywhere else on the list, call (925) 905-9555 or request a free quote and a Solutionist will come out.
Frequently Asked Questions
Embers hit the roof edge before anything else. A gutter filled with dry oak leaves, needles and roof grit is tinder pressed up against the fascia and decking, and IBHS research found embers, not the flames themselves, were the first ignition source for up to 90 percent of homes that wildfires damaged or destroyed.
We clean and flush the entire system, swap vinyl or worn-out runs for metal gutters rolled out on-site, put on BroGuard stainless micro-mesh, seal the gaps along the roof edge and at the downspouts, and show you anything else along the roofline worth fixing before fire season.
Not at this point. On August 19, 2026, the Board of Forestry approved Zone 0 rules covering the first five feet around a home, but on September 8, 2026 the package was withdrawn from state review for technical changes. State law already has homes in fire hazard areas keep roofs clear of leaves and needles, and the approved rules carry that over to rain gutters.
Since January 1, 2026, the rule is Section 504.4 of the California Wildland-Urban Interface Code, which replaced Chapter 7A and R337. Roof gutters must have a means to prevent leaves and debris from building up. The state text does not name a material, but the IBHS Wildfire Prepared Home standard calls for noncombustible gutters and downspouts.
The state’s Safer from Wildfires discount list leaves out gutter guards; it rewards roofs, eaves, vents, windows and that five-foot zone. The IBHS Wildfire Prepared Home standard, though, requires noncombustible gutters, then adds noncombustible guards at its Plus tier, so check with your insurer on how they handle that designation.
Yes. Plastic or foam guards and vinyl gutters can soften, melt or catch fire when embers drop into them, and a melted gutter leaves debris and embers resting against the fascia. Metal gutters topped with stainless mesh leave embers nothing to ignite.
No. The State Fire Marshal’s February 24, 2025 map for San Ramon shows 1,493 High and 4,029 Moderate acres and no Very High zone inside city limits. Nearby, Orinda has 5,241 Very High acres, Clayton 1,302 and Danville 29.
In our territory, Orinda (5,241 acres), Richmond (4,395), Clayton (1,302), Antioch (858) and Berkeley (454) have the most Very High acres inside city limits on the 2025 state maps.
Free estimates
Ready for a roofline that will not feed the next fire in the East Bay?
Free, no-pressure estimates from local Solutionists. Metal gutters formed at your home, non-combustible BroGuard protection and pre-season cleanings scheduled before the offshore wind sets up.
The Brothers That Just Do Gutters · San Ramon · (925) 905-9555 · Serving the Tri-Valley and East Bay, CA
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