This Foster City home’s 1996 fiber-cement “fire-free rustic shake” roof was cracking, slipping, and shedding pieces after thirty years — so we tore it off, installed new OSB decking over the original sheathing, and re-roofed the home in Malibu concrete tile in a blended Slate Range finish. The roof work took about two weeks, fully permitted and inspected by the City of Foster City, and we waived the $614.49 permit fee.
How Do You Replace a Failing Fiber-Cement Shake Roof in Foster City?
Replacing a failing fiber-cement shake roof means a full tear-off, new decking, fresh underlayment, and a Class A roof system installed under a City of Foster City permit — not another round of patch repairs. On this project we stripped the 1996 “fire-free rustic shake,” overlaid the original sheathing with new OSB decking, added tile-seal underlayment and new horizontal battens, and installed Malibu concrete tile across 20 squares of two-story hip-and-valley roof. The crew finished the roof itself in about two weeks, and we carried permit BLDG2026-0075 through all three required city inspections — with the permit fee waived for the homeowner.
A 1990s “Fire-Free” Shake Roof at the End of Its Life
The home was built in 1978 and re-roofed in 1996 with fiber-cement “fire-free rustic shake” — the product thousands of Bay Area homeowners chose in the 90s to get the wood-shake look without the fire risk. Thirty years on, that roof was done. The shakes had turned brittle in the bay-side sun and salt air: field tiles were cracked and split, whole pieces had slipped out of their courses or fallen off the roof entirely, moss and algae had taken hold, and earlier patch repairs were visible across the slopes. This was also a family project in the truest sense — the original owner now lives in a care facility, and her daughters managed the re-roof on her behalf, from gathering quotes to signing under power of attorney. What the house needed wasn’t another patch; it was a roof that would outlast the questions.
Malibu Concrete Tile — the Roof the 90s Product Promised to Be
We inspected the roof and quoted three options across architectural shingle and concrete tile — as an Owens Corning Platinum Preferred Contractor, we always give homeowners the shingle math too. Budget was a real constraint, and the family initially stepped back at the roughly $24,000 shingle level. Eleven days later they came back and chose the option we’d have picked for our own parents’ house: a full roof replacement in Malibu concrete tile, color Slate Range, at $31,861 — the more expensive roof, but the one that ends the replacement cycle. Concrete tile carries a Class A fire rating (the very thing the original “fire-free” shake was bought for), lasts 50+ years, and the blended slate-gray Malibu profile gives the home dimensional curb appeal that reads far richer from the street than the worn shake it replaced.
Two Weeks on the Roof — and We Handled the City
The contract was signed February 9 — twice, in fact: because a daughter was signing under power of attorney for her mother, we re-papered the agreement properly rather than letting a signature question linger over the project. We applied for the City of Foster City permit the same day, and permit BLDG2026-0075 was issued ten days later. One honest lesson from this job: our crew had already begun demo when the first of the city’s three required inspections came due, so the inspector reclassified it as a pre-inspection. Nothing about the roof changed, but it’s why we now hold tear-off until the inspection calendar is locked — on a permitted re-roof, sequencing matters as much as workmanship.
From there the work moved quickly: full tear-off of the old fiber-cement shake, OSB decking overlaid across the entire roof, tile-seal underlayment, new horizontal battens, and then the Malibu tile set course by course over 20 squares of complex hip-and-valley roof. The city’s in-progress sheathing inspection passed on February 24, and the tile was substantially complete about two weeks after the crew first climbed the roof. The slow part wasn’t the roofing — it was the paperwork. The city’s final sign-off required a letter of compliance that sat in review for roughly six weeks, and we chased it until the final permit documents were filed in late April, then delivered the homeowner’s warranty certificate: a 10-year workmanship warranty behind a 50-year roof.
Before vs. After
| Feature | Before | After |
|---|---|---|
| Roof material | 1996 fiber-cement “fire-free” shake | Malibu concrete tile, Slate Range blend |
| Condition | Cracked, slipping, patched, moss-covered | New Class A fire-rated tile system |
| Decking | Original spaced sheathing | New OSB overlay, passed city inspection |
| Underlayment | 30-year-old, failing | Tile-seal underlayment + new battens |
| Expected lifespan | None — shedding pieces | 50+ years |
| Permit & warranty | — | Permit BLDG2026-0075 finaled, $614.49 fee waived · 10-yr workmanship warranty |
Why This Matters for Foster City Homeowners
Foster City and the mid-Peninsula are full of roofs exactly like this one: fiber-cement shake systems installed in the late 80s and 90s as the fire-safe alternative to wood shake, most of them now at or past the end of their service life — and many of the original products long since discontinued, which makes true repairs impossible. Bay-side sun, salt air, and damp winters only speed the decline. Concrete tile is the natural successor: it delivers the Class A fire protection those roofs promised, holds its color, and lasts half a century or more. And if you’re managing this decision for a parent’s home — comparing quotes, coordinating siblings, signing under power of attorney — we’ve handled that with care before. The smart first step is a free roof inspection, and you can see more finished work in our project gallery.
Shake-to-Tile Re-Roofing — FAQs
What is a fire-free rustic shake roof, and why are they failing?
“Fire-free rustic shake” is a fiber-cement roofing product sold heavily in the Bay Area in the late 80s and 90s as a fire-safe look-alike for wood shake. In practice these roofs last about 25 to 30 years: the fiber-cement turns brittle, shakes crack and slip out of their courses, and because most of the products were discontinued, matching replacement pieces for repairs are nearly impossible to find. When one of these roofs starts shedding pieces, replacement is the honest recommendation.
Do you need a permit to re-roof a house in Foster City?
Yes — the City of Foster City requires a building permit and three inspections for a re-roof: pre-construction, in-progress (sheathing), and final. On this project we applied on contract day, permit BLDG2026-0075 was issued ten days later, and we managed every inspection through the city’s final sign-off. We also waived the $614.49 permit fee for the homeowner — permits are part of the job, not an upsell.
How much does a concrete tile re-roof cost in Foster City?
This 20-square, two-story hip-and-valley re-roof came to $31,861 complete: tear-off, new OSB decking, tile-seal underlayment, battens, and Malibu concrete tile. We quoted three options for the family, including an architectural shingle route near $24,000 — they chose tile for the 50+ year lifespan. Every roof prices on its size, pitch, and access, so the best number is a free, no-obligation estimate.
Have One of Those 90s Shake Roofs?
If your fiber-cement or wood shake roof is cracking, slipping, or shedding pieces, we’ll give you honest options across shingle and tile, pull the permit, and chase the city’s final so you don’t have to. See more of our work in the project gallery, or book a free estimate today.
Gina K. writes about Bay Area roofing for Lifetime Roofing & Renovation, drawing on the team's 16+ years of experience and 1,000+ completed roofs across Silicon Valley.
