Building in Fairfax
Steep parcels and small footprints where every added square foot is negotiated.
Greenport is a design-build general contractor and millwork shop in San Rafael, founded in 2012 by brothers Eli and Jacob Froneberger, both raised in Marin. We hold California General Building license #1073941, and we mill our own casework at 47 Louise St, a short drive from Fairfax.
Permitting
The Town of Fairfax Planning and Building Department reviews applications, with hillside and tree standards that apply to most parcels above the flat.
Housing stock
Small early and mid-century houses on steep, wooded lots, often modified informally over the years.
What decides the schedule
Unpermitted prior work. Fairfax renovations frequently uncover earlier additions that were never permitted, and resolving them is part of the project, not a surprise at inspection.
Common project types
- Renovation of small hillside houses
- Legalizing and correcting earlier work
- Space-efficient kitchens and built-ins
- Decks, stairs, and access improvements
- Region
- Marin County
- Shop
- 47 Louise St, San Rafael, CA 94901
- License
- #1073941, active through 3/31/2027
- Hours
- Monday to Sunday, 8am to 6pm
- Reviews
- 5.0 from 17 Google reviews
Fairfax questions
- Who issues building permits in Fairfax?
- The Town of Fairfax Planning and Building Department reviews applications, with hillside and tree standards that apply to most parcels above the flat.
- What kind of work does Greenport do in Fairfax?
- Renovation of small hillside houses; Legalizing and correcting earlier work; Space-efficient kitchens and built-ins; Decks, stairs, and access improvements. We are a design-build general contractor and millwork shop, so drawings, permits, construction, and cabinetry come from one firm.
- What happens if earlier work on the house was never permitted?
- It has to be addressed to permit new work. We identify it during feasibility, scope the correction, and handle the agency conversation as part of our concierge and permitting work.