San Rafael, CA 94901 • 94903 • Incorporated 1874 • Marin County • Family-Owned Since 1970 • CSLB #265709
Steel / Metal Stud Framing in San Rafael, CA
Light-gauge steel and metal stud framing in San Rafael — interior partitions, tenant-improvement walls, soffits, and fire-rated assemblies. We frame the wall so the drywall stays flat: Fourth Street shops, Canal and Terra Linda interiors, and house remodels inside city limits.
San Rafael Framing From the Fairfield Shop
Ron Hogan Drywall has been family-owned since 1970. We are based in Fairfield — a Marin run, not a Fourth Street storefront. San Rafael is an incorporated city and the county seat — not San Anselmo, not Novato, and not “Civic Center” as one permit office. It has its own Building Division at 1400 Fifth Avenue. Street ZIPs 94901 and 94903 cover City of San Rafael lots and also unincorporated county land. 94912, 94913, and 94915 are San Rafael PO Boxes. This page is steel / metal stud framing at City of San Rafael addresses — Fourth Street, Canal, Terra Linda, and downtown. The street decides the bid.
Text “San Rafael” with the plans or a photo of the room. If the scope is interior metal studs — or frame-and-hang on the same trip — we schedule it.
Metal Stud Work We Do in San Rafael
Interior partition walls
Track, studs, and bracing for new rooms, office layouts, and non-load-bearing walls at City of San Rafael addresses. This is the skeleton the board hangs on.
Fourth Street and downtown TIs
Restaurant, shop, office, and commercial build-outs on Fourth Street, Fifth Avenue, Mission Avenue, and downtown when the drawing says steel studs. If the plan names metal, that is the bid. Commercial framing →
Canal and Francisco interiors
Shop, warehouse-office, and occupied-building partitions on Francisco Boulevard, Bellam Boulevard, and in the Canal. Occupied buildings change the layout — not the stud spec.
Terra Linda and 94903 interiors
Office and house partitions on Freitas Parkway, Las Gallinas, Northgate, and Redwood Highway when the lot is City of San Rafael. Terra Linda is inside the city. Marinwood and Lucas Valley share 94903 and are not.
House remodel and ADU partitions
New interior steel walls inside an existing San Rafael house when the finish needs a straighter plane than bowed lumber. Wood structure stays wood unless the plan says otherwise. Metal vs wood →
Soffits, bulkheads, and chases
Dropped ceilings, kitchen hood wraps, and framed openings so boxes, ducts, and lights have a home before drywall.
Fire-rated and heavier-gauge walls
Listed assemblies, Type X board later, and heavier studs when the plan or the engineer calls for them. The rating is the whole wall — not the stud alone.
Frame and hang together
One crew frames the metal, hangs the board, and can finish it. Split bids leave missing backing and wavy walls. Services →
Which Stud Belongs on a San Rafael Job
| Stud | Use it when | Skip it when |
|---|---|---|
| Light-gauge metal (what we frame) | Fourth Street TI, Canal shop, Terra Linda office, rated walls, or a finish that needs a flat plane for Level 4 / Level 5 | You need beams, columns, or structure that hold the building up — that is a different contractor |
| 25-ga interior studs | Short, non-load-bearing partitions with a normal finish | Tall walls, high-abuse corridors, or a spec that names 20-ga or heavier |
| 20-ga / heavier track and studs | Taller commercial walls, restaurant TIs, or engineer notes | A simple closet that never needed the extra gauge |
| Wood studs | Most San Rafael house walls with no commercial spec | The plan already says steel, or the finish will show every bow |
| Furring / hat channel on masonry | Concrete, brick, or masonry walls that need a cavity for boxes before drywall | Glue-only board on a finished living space |
Compare studs: Metal vs wood → · Cost: Is steel expensive? → · Why it stays flat: Steel benefits →
San Rafael Streets, ZIP, and Permits
San Rafael is an incorporated city in Marin County — the county seat. This page uses street ZIPs 94901 and 94903. 94912, 94913, and 94915 are San Rafael PO Boxes. Area codes are 415 and 628. Nearby San Anselmo uses 94960. Fairfax uses 94930. Larkspur uses 94939. Novato uses 94945 and 94947. Text the street so the bid matches City of San Rafael Building Division — not Marin County Building and Safety at 3501 Civic Center Drive, Suite 308, not Town of San Anselmo Building, not Town of Fairfax Building at 142 Bolinas Road, and not City of Novato Building.
Permits for City of San Rafael addresses run through City of San Rafael Community Development, Building Division, 1400 Fifth Avenue, Top Floor, San Rafael, CA 94901. Call (415) 485-3367. Inspections: (415) 485-3365. Email: building@cityofsanrafael.org. City site is cityofsanrafael.org. A 94903 mailing ZIP on Marinwood, Lucas Valley, or Santa Venetia runs through Marin County Building — same Civic Center campus, different office. Civic Center Drive is not automatically a city permit.
San Anselmo sits west. Novato sits north. Larkspur sits south. Highway 101 splits downtown from Terra Linda. Fourth Street is downtown. Freitas Parkway and Las Gallinas sit in Terra Linda. Text the street so the bid matches City of San Rafael for a city address — not a County Building permit for a city lot, and not a San Anselmo 94960 permit.
Commercial work sits on Fourth Street, Fifth Avenue, Mission Avenue, Francisco Boulevard, Bellam Boulevard, Freitas Parkway, Las Gallinas, and Northgate. Occupied houses and open shops change the layout — not the stud spec.
The usual mismatch is treating a Fourth Street restaurant wall like a bedroom 2×4 — or hanging a Level 5 commercial finish on house framing that only needed wood hang-only. Interior metal studs do not hold the building up. Occupied houses and open shops need a clean layout, backing for cabinets and TVs, and a stud plane the finish can live with. Matching the spec still beats guessing the gauge. Send the plan sheet or a wide shot of the room. That photo decides wood hang-only vs new metal studs faster than a ZIP code.
How a San Rafael Metal-Stud Job Runs
1. Photos + place
Text (925) 791-9099 San Rafael, the street, and the plans or a photo of the wall.
2. Name the wall
Partition, TI layout, soffit, rated assembly, house remodel, or frame-and-hang. We will say if the existing framing can take the finish.
3. We frame it
Protect the space. Track, studs, backing, hang if scoped. Ready for inspection and board. 12-month warranty on our work.
San Rafael, CA
This page is steel and metal stud framing in San Rafael — City of San Rafael lots in 94901 and 94903 — from our Fairfield shop. City Building Division is at 1400 Fifth Avenue. Need the board hung and finished on the same job? Services → · Commercial framing: Commercial → · Contact: Contact →
Office: 2380 Palmer Circle, Fairfield, CA · CSLB #265709 · Check the number on cslb.ca.gov.
Not on This Page
No Marin County Building permit at 3501 Civic Center Drive for a City of San Rafael lot. No claim that every 94903 address is inside city limits — Marinwood, Lucas Valley, and Santa Venetia share that ZIP and are unincorporated. No Town of San Anselmo permit. No Town of Fairfax permit at 142 Bolinas Road. No City of Novato permit. No storefront on Fourth Street. No structural steel building. No promise that metal studs hold the building up. We frame interior light-gauge walls and hang drywall on wood or steel. A closet does not need a shaft-wall spec. San Anselmo, Fairfax, Novato, Marinwood, and other addresses that only share a nearby ZIP are different places. This page is San Rafael, CA, City of San Rafael — text the street so the permit office matches the address.
San Rafael Metal Stud FAQs
Do you do steel / metal stud framing in San Rafael?
Yes. Interior light-gauge metal stud framing in San Rafael, CA from our Fairfield shop — partitions, Fourth Street TIs, Canal and Terra Linda interiors, house walls, soffits, heavier-gauge spec walls, and frame-and-hang.
Is this the City of San Rafael or Marin County?
This page is City of San Rafael lots. The City of San Rafael incorporated on February 18, 1874. Building permits inside city limits run through City of San Rafael Building Division at 1400 Fifth Avenue. Unincorporated lots that only use a San Rafael mailing ZIP — including Marinwood, Lucas Valley, and Santa Venetia — run through Marin County Building at 3501 Civic Center Drive. Text the street.
Is Terra Linda in San Rafael?
Yes. Terra Linda is inside the City of San Rafael. Marinwood and Lucas Valley sit next door, share ZIP 94903, and are unincorporated Marin County.
Is this structural steel?
No. We frame interior light-gauge studs, track, headers, and soffits. Beams, columns, and structure that hold the building up are a different contractor.
Do San Rafael houses use metal studs or wood?
Most house walls here are still wood. Metal wins on Fourth Street TIs, rated walls, and remodels that need a straighter plane for a smooth finish. If the drawing names the stud, that wins.
Can you frame a shop on Fourth Street or in Terra Linda?
Yes. Occupied retail, restaurant, office, and commercial tenant improvements on Fourth Street, Francisco Boulevard, Freitas Parkway, and Northgate are a usual request — new partitions, soffits, and backing, then hang if the scope includes board.
Do you work occupied San Rafael buildings?
Yes. Floors are protected and the layout is planned around an occupied house or an open shop. Downtown storefronts need a clean layout — not a guessed gauge.
Does 94903 always mean City of San Rafael?
No. 94901 and 94903 cover City of San Rafael lots and also unincorporated county land. 94912, 94913, and 94915 are San Rafael PO Boxes. 94960 is San Anselmo. Text the street so the bid matches City Building or County Building.
Do you work Fourth Street, Canal, and Terra Linda?
Yes. Fourth Street, Fifth Avenue, Mission Avenue, Francisco Boulevard, Bellam Boulevard, Freitas Parkway, Las Gallinas, Northgate, and other City of San Rafael addresses are on this framing page. Text the street with the photos.
What ZIP does this San Rafael page cover?
This page covers City of San Rafael street addresses in 94901 and 94903. Those ZIPs also serve some unincorporated county parcels. Text the street with the photos so the bid matches City of San Rafael Building Division — not Marin County Building at Civic Center, and not San Anselmo 94960.
Who issues the permit in San Rafael?
City of San Rafael Building Division, 1400 Fifth Avenue, Top Floor, San Rafael, CA 94901. Call (415) 485-3367. Marin County Building and Safety at 3501 Civic Center Drive, Suite 308 is a different office for unincorporated parcels. Town of San Anselmo Building is a different office. Town of Fairfax Building is a different office. City of Novato Building is a different office.
How much does metal stud framing cost in San Rafael?
It follows the gauge, wall height, how cut-up the layout is, fire rating, access, and whether we only frame or also hang and finish. Photos or plans first. Written scope — no hidden fees.
Are you licensed in California?
Yes. CSLB #265709. Look it up before you book us or anyone else. Work at a City of San Rafael address uses City of San Rafael Building Division — not Marin County Building unless the lot is unincorporated.
Need San Rafael Walls Framed Straight — Then Hung?
Call the family-owned crew that has been framing interiors and hanging board since 1970.
Call / Text (925) 791-9099
