The Brothers That Just Do Gutters · Sunnyvale
Gutter fire hardening for Peninsula and San Francisco homes, before the offshore wind.
The 2020 CZU Lightning Complex destroyed 1,490 structures in San Mateo and Santa Cruz counties, and CAL FIRE’s 2025 maps pulled new Very High zones into Peninsula cities like Millbrae and Pacifica. Homes in a wind-driven fire are usually lost to embers landing in dry gutters, under roof edges and on anything plastic along the roofline. 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 formed on-site
- Serving Sunnyvale to San Francisco
Quick answer
Fire Hardening in Sunnyvale and the Peninsula, CA: The Brothers That Just Do Gutters Sunnyvale hardens the roofline against embers with metal gutters formed on-site instead of vinyl, non-combustible BroGuard stainless mesh so dry debris cannot collect, screened downspouts, closed fascia gaps and cleanings timed before fall’s dry offshore winds. 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 CAL FIRE’s February 2025 maps added new Very High zones on the Peninsula. Estimates are free. Call (650) 600-0598 or book online.
By the numbers
The Peninsula is not as far from fire country as it looks.
These are CAL FIRE’s own numbers from the 2020 CZU Lightning Complex, and the state’s 2025 hazard mapping for San Mateo County.
- 1,490structures destroyed by the 2020 CZU Lightning Complex in San Mateo and Santa Cruz counties
- 86,509acresburned between August 16 and full containment on September 22, 2020
- 353acresof Millbrae rated Very High on CAL FIRE’s February 2025 maps, up from zero, plus 186 acres rated High
- 100ftof defensible space required around homes in a Very High Fire Hazard Severity Zone
Sources: CAL FIRE CZU Lightning Complex incident page; San Mateo Daily Journal on the February 2025 maps; CAL FIRE Fire Hazard Severity Zone maps; California defensible space requirements.
What 2020 showed us
Lightning, wind and dry fuel. The CZU fire came within one ridge of the Peninsula.
The CZU Lightning Complex started on August 16, 2020 from a dry lightning storm and burned 86,509 acres across the Santa Cruz Mountains and the San Mateo County coast before it was contained on September 22. It destroyed 1,490 structures. It is the largest fire on record in San Mateo County, and the hills it burned sit directly behind the neighborhoods we work in every week. The roofline is where the embers land first.
Get a Free Roofline Check
Where the hazard is now
The 2025 maps reach into Peninsula neighborhoods that never carried the label.
CAL FIRE released new local hazard maps for San Mateo County on February 24, 2025. Millbrae went from no Very High land to 353 acres, and Pacifica saw some of the largest increases in the county. The hillside edges of the Peninsula, from the Santa Clara County foothills up to the ridges above San Mateo and Daly City, are where the wildland meets the rooflines. Your city fire department publishes an address lookup, and if your home is inside a zone, the roof edge is the part of the house doing the most work.
- 01
Embers in the trough
A gutter holding a season of oak leaves, eucalyptus bark and redwood needles is kindling pressed against the fascia. In a dry offshore wind that is how a house far from the flames 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 downspouts and fascia gaps
An unscreened downspout top drops embers straight into the system. A gap at the fascia lets them work under the first course of roofing.
- 04
Zone 0 is coming
The state Board of Forestry adopted Zone 0 rules on August 19, 2026 (withdrawn from state review on September 8, 2026 for technical edits and not yet in effect) for Very High zones and state responsibility areas. Roofs and gutters kept clear of combustible debris is written into them.
The hardening visit
A fire-hardened roofline, done before the wind picks up.
A Solutionist walks the whole roofline and gives you a written scope and price first. Then the crew does the work, usually the same day. You get a report of what was cleared, what was replaced and what we recommend before the next red flag warning.
Get a Free Roofline Check(650) 600-0598
- Metalaluminum, bonderized steel or copper, never vinyl
- StainlessBroGuard mesh is non-combustible
- LocalPeninsula crews, local phone number: (650) 600-0598
- Strip the fuel out of every runCleared by hand, downspouts flushed and tested, and the debris carried off your property.
- Replace vinyl with metalSeamless aluminum, bonderized steel or copper formed on-site to the exact length of your roofline.
- Cover the trough with BroGuardNon-combustible stainless micro-mesh. Leaves and needles stay out, rain still flows through, nothing plastic on the roof edge.
- Screen the downspouts, close the gapsDownspout tops screened, hangers reset and fascia gaps closed so embers have nowhere to work in.
- Time it to the seasonCleanings scheduled before fall’s dry offshore winds, not after the first red flag warning.
- Put it in writingA written scope and price before any work, and a roofline report when it is done.
The rules in 2026
What California’s wildfire rules actually say about gutters
A lot of what homeowners hear about fire rules is out of date. Here is where things stand for gutters as of September 2026, with the source behind each one.
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.
Peninsula fire agencies
Clean roofs and gutters, every year
Santa Clara County Fire tells homeowners to clean roofs and gutters of dead leaves, debris and pine needles that could catch embers. Central County Fire, which covers Burlingame, Millbrae and Hillsborough, says to keep roofs and rain gutters free of leaves and debris.
Zone 0, the first five feet
Adopted, then pulled back for edits
The Board of Forestry adopted Zone 0 rules on August 19, 2026, including keeping roofs and rain gutters clear of small flammable material. The filing was withdrawn from state review on September 8, 2026 for technical edits, so the rules are not in effect yet. When they are, they cover Very High zones in cities and all state responsibility areas.
IBHS Wildfire Prepared Home
Metal gutters, then metal guards
The insurance industry’s wildfire standard asks for noncombustible gutters and downspouts plus routine debris removal at its base level, and adds noncombustible gutter guards at the Plus level. Metal gutters with BroGuard stainless mesh check both boxes.
Insurance discounts
Gutters are not on the state discount list, and they still matter
California’s Safer from Wildfires discount list covers Class A roofs, ember-resistant vents, enclosed eaves, upgraded windows and the five-foot zone, but not gutters. The reason every fire agency still talks about gutters is embers: IBHS research found that as many as 90 percent of homes damaged or destroyed in wildfires were first ignited by embers, and a gutter full of dry debris is where they land.
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 Peninsula and San Francisco neighborhoods have Very High zones?
The State Fire Marshal released new local fire hazard maps for Santa Clara, San Mateo and San Francisco on February 24, 2025. These are the Very High acres mapped inside city limits in our territory.
| City | Very High acres (2025) |
|---|---|
| Palo Alto (the foothills) | 3,263 |
| Los Altos Hills | 861 |
| Pacifica | 454 |
| San Bruno | 427 |
| Millbrae | 353 |
| San Francisco | 166 |
| Burlingame | 91 |
What about the valley floor?
Sunnyvale, Santa Clara and Mountain View do not appear on the 2025 map. Los Altos has only small High and Moderate areas, Daly City and South San Francisco are Moderate only, and Foster City is not in a zone.
Check your exact address
Zones changed a lot from the 2011 map in Belmont, San Carlos, Hillsborough, Redwood City and San Mateo, and they are drawn parcel by parcel. The state map viewer shows your lot in about a minute.
Open the state fire zone mapSources: State Fire Marshal 2025 acres by city, Santa Clara County Fire, San Mateo Consolidated Fire.
Checklist
The ember-ready roofline checklist
This is the order our crews work in on every fire-hardening visit. Steps one and seven you can do yourself. Everything that needs a ladder, call us.
- Clear the roof and every gutterState law already requires roofs in fire hazard areas to be kept free of leaves and needles. Start there, then flush every downspout.
- Swap vinyl for metalIBHS asks for noncombustible gutters and downspouts. We form aluminum, bonderized steel or copper on-site, so nothing on the roof edge melts or burns.
- Cover the trough with a metal guardA noncombustible guard like BroGuard stainless micro-mesh keeps dry leaves out between cleanings, the IBHS Plus step and a CAL FIRE recommendation.
- Close the gap at the roof edgeResearch cited by the Board of Forestry found gutter debris can carry fire into the home at the roof-to-gutter joint. Drip edge and a tight fit close it.
- Clear valleys, dormers and cornersIBHS notes that the spots where debris collects on a roof are the same spots where embers pile up.
- Keep the ground under the gutters cleanSwap bark mulch and plants under the downspouts for gravel or hardscape, part of the five-foot ember-resistant zone on the state discount list.
- Trim what hangs over the roofOverhanging oak, redwood and pine limbs drop exactly the fine litter embers catch in.
- Book it before offshore wind seasonSchedule the work in late summer or early fall, before the dry offshore winds that drive ember storms.
Sources: Gov. Code 51182, IBHS Wildfire Prepared Home, CAL FIRE, Board of Forestry, Office of Administrative Law, CA Department of Insurance.
Services
More Ways We Help Peninsula Homeowners
Related services from the same local crews.
Aluminum and specialty gutters formed on-site to the exact length of your roofline. No factory seams to leak, and no vinyl anywhere on the roofline.
Learn more Gutter CleaningOak, eucalyptus, redwood and pine debris cleared by hand, downspouts flushed and tested. We do not leaf-blow it onto your patio.
Learn more Gutter RepairLeaking seams, sagging runs, loose hangers and rotted fascia, repaired the same visit when possible.
Learn more BroGuard Gutter GuardsNon-combustible metal micro-mesh that stops leaves, needles and grit while heavy rain flows through. Nothing plastic on your roofline.
Learn more Maintenance ProgramScheduled cleanings before fire season and again before the rains, so the trough is never full when it matters.
Learn more Free estimateRequest a Free EstimateTell us what is going on with your Sunnyvale 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 (650) 600-0598How it works
From first call to clean rooflines
- 1Call or book online
Tell us what is going on with your Peninsula gutters. Same local team answers.
- 2On-site walkthrough
A Solutionist checks the roofline, downspouts and drainage and gives you a written estimate.
- 3The work gets done
Seamless runs formed in your driveway, cleaning and repairs finished the same visit when possible.
- 4Walkthrough and clean-up
We flush-test the system, show you the results and leave the property cleaner than we found it.
Why the Brothers
Why Peninsula Homeowners Call the Brothers
Our truck carries the machine. Each run is extruded on-site to the exact length of your roofline, so there are no factory seams to split and nothing on the roofline that melts.
Eric Dodge runs it out of our shop on Willow Avenue in Sunnyvale. Local employees, a local phone number, and when you call (650) 600-0598 you reach the team that works from Sunnyvale to San Francisco every week.
Metal gutters with non-combustible mesh guards, which is what Section 504.4 of the Wildland-Urban Interface Code (formerly R337.5.4) is asking for when a property sits in a Wildland-Urban Interface Fire Area. CAL FIRE redrew the hazard maps in 2025 and parts of this territory moved the wrong way.
Pre-season cleanings, downspout flushing and repairs scheduled before the first atmospheric river, so your gutters are not the weak link in December.
Year-round
Your Peninsula gutter calendar
What we are doing on Peninsula rooflines each season, so your system is ready before the weather asks it to work.
- Fall · Oct to NovPre-storm cleaning and repairs
Troughs and downspouts cleared and flush-tested, loose hangers and leaking seams fixed before the first big system.
- Winter · Dec to MarStorm season response
Overflow and clog calls prioritized ahead of forecast storms, plus emergency repair when a run pulls loose.
- Spring · Apr to MayPost-bloom clean-out and guards
Oak, eucalyptus and liquidambar drop cleared, and BroGuard installed so the trough stays clear through the dry months.
- Summer · Jun to SepInstall season and hardening
The long dry window for new seamless runs, metal upgrades and non-combustible guards, which is also when fire season is at its peak.
The Work
Metal Gutters, Hung by a Local Crew
Watch
What a hardened roofline looks like.
Metal gutters, tight corners and nothing plastic at the roof edge.
- Seamless gutter formed on site, in one continuous run
- Licensed California contractor, License #1123680
- A free written estimate before any work starts
- BroGuard fine metal mesh gutter guards available
Reviews
What Peninsula Homeowners Say
“The crew from ‘Brothers’ did a great job repairing a damaged segment of the gutters at our home in Los Altos. They showed up on time, as promised, completed their work diligently and took care to clean up carefully after the work was completed. Many thanks!”
Posted on Google“They were very professional, approachable and responsive to the desires of the customer’s end goal. The crew worked very efficiently. They offer the curbed sleek gutters which are not easy to find; I’m happy with the overall results!”
Posted on Google“The Brothers were great to work with. Quick response, easy scheduling, flexible accommodation of our requests. Front man Max and get ’er done Robert both knew their stuff. They also didn’t hesitate to come back immediately for some touchups even after they had my money.”
Posted on GoogleFire Hardening Questions, Answered
Embers land on the roof edge first. A gutter full of dry leaves, needles and roof grit is kindling pressed against the fascia and roof deck, and IBHS research found that as many as 90 percent of homes damaged or destroyed in wildfires were first ignited by embers, not the flame front.
We clean and flush the whole system, replace vinyl or failing runs with metal gutters formed on-site, install BroGuard stainless micro-mesh, close gaps at the roof edge and downspouts, and walk you through anything else on the roofline worth fixing before fire season.
Not yet. The Board of Forestry adopted Zone 0 rules for the first five feet around homes on August 19, 2026, but the filing was withdrawn from state review on September 8, 2026 for technical edits. State law already requires homes in fire hazard areas to keep roofs free of leaves and needles, and the adopted rules extend that 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.
Gutter guards are not on California’s Safer from Wildfires discount list, which covers roofs, vents, eaves, windows and the five-foot zone. The IBHS Wildfire Prepared Home standard does call for noncombustible gutters, and noncombustible gutter guards at its Plus level, so ask your insurer how they treat that designation.
Yes. Vinyl gutters and plastic or foam guards can melt or burn when embers land in them, and a melted gutter lets debris and embers sit right against the fascia. Metal gutters with a stainless mesh guard give embers nothing to catch.
On the February 24, 2025 state maps, Very High acres inside city limits include Palo Alto (3,263, in the foothills), Los Altos Hills (861), Pacifica (454), San Bruno (427), Millbrae (353), San Francisco (166) and Burlingame (91).
No. Sunnyvale, Santa Clara and Mountain View do not appear on the 2025 local fire hazard maps, so no fire zone building rules apply there. Metal gutters and a clean roofline are still the better build for any home, and they matter even more in the foothill cities nearby.
Service area
Peninsula communities we serve
Every community on this list is inside our service area and gets the same local crews, on-site seamless gutters and free written estimates. Our territory covers 70 ZIP codes running from Santa Clara up the Peninsula and across all of San Francisco. Call (650) 600-0598 or request a free quote and a Solutionist will come out.
Free estimates
Ready for a roofline that will not feed the next fire on the Peninsula?
Free, no-pressure estimates from local Solutionists. Seamless gutters formed at your home, cleaning and repair scheduled around you, and BroGuard protection that keeps you off the ladder.
The Brothers That Just Do Gutters · Sunnyvale · (650) 600-0598 · Serving Sunnyvale, CA and the Peninsula
From the blog
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Gutters for Eichler Homes: What a Low-Slope Roof Needs♿
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Licensed, Bonded & Insured · California Contractor License #1123680