Saratoga News

City Council says yes to class-A roofs in all new Saratoga homes

Roofing company argues that the move is overkill

Fire chief supported change

By Sarah Lombardo

Despite a roofer's plea for less stringent standards, the Saratoga City Council unanimously passed an ordinance June 3 requiring all new roofs in Saratoga to be made of class-A materials, considered to be the most fire-resistant on the market. The ordinance will take effect July 3.

The move brings all homes in the city up to the same roofing standards. Currently, only homes located in the hills above Saratoga-Sunnyvale and Los Gatos- Saratoga roads are required to have class-A roofs. Homes throughout the rest of the city fall under the Santa Clara County requirement of class-C roofing material.

Jim Brooks, who works at Los Gatos Roofing Co., asked the council to consider the cost and engineering involved in installing class-A roofs. He requested that the council consider reducing the standard to class-B roofing, as the city of Cupertino did in 1996 when a class-A ordinance came before its City Council. The Cupertino City Council ultimately decided against upgrading its roofing standards. Brooks told the council that class-C roofing materials are sufficiently safe for residential, valley-floor homes and that class-A fire resistance can be achieved with a combination of class-C materials and certain underlayments.

"By going with a class-A, it's just overkill," he said. "The only thing you are doing is punishing your homeowners."According to Brooks, the difference between class-C and class-A materials is about $100 per square foot, adding thousands of dollars to the cost of a new roof to some homeowners. In addition, Brooks said the heavier class-A materials require more engineering consideration when installing a new roof, also adding to the cost to the homeowner.

Materials that meet class-A standards include tile, concrete and treated wood, when applied with a solid plywood underlayer.

But Robert Burns, a member of the Committee for Fire-Safe Dwellings, countered Brooks' argument, saying that the additional cost to homeowners is minimal, the latest class-A materials are not that much heavier than other materials and the ultimate safety of homes outweighed any expenses involved.

"I think we have enough evidence here in California that class-C and class-B roofs just aren't adequate," he said. "There's a whole laundry list of cases that show class-C is not as adequate as class-A."

Saratoga Fire District Chief Ernie Kraule, whose department supported the class-A ordinance, said he was concerned with the city's future ability to prevent widespread fires as vegetation on the valley floor grows and the canopy of trees in Saratoga flourishes.

"A class-A roof is a defensible roof," he said. "To give a fire department a chance to fight a fire storm, you have to build defense into a home."

[ Back to Contents Page | Saratoga News Home Page | Archives ]