We all know the classic Santa Barbara postcards. Mountains in the distance, blue skies and glimmering ocean, and the red-tiled roofs and white stucco walls spread across the landscape. The city’s Spanish-Colonial style has become immediately recognizable across the world and, for the past 25 years, the Anguiano brothers at Martin Roofing Company have been preserving the iconic look.
Martin Anguiano visited Santa Barbara in 1982 from Ensenada, Mexico, and later returned to work as a roofer at the age of 22. Over the years, he learned the trade working for various companies around town, mastering everything from preparation to installation.
“I liked the trade. I really fell in love with roofing. Being outside and working with your hands really fit my personality,” said Mr. Anguiano.
Eventually people started to notice his work.
“Because I love what I do then people started asking, ‘Hey can you do this for me,’” he said.
The more opportunities came Mr. Anguiano’s way, the more he realized he needed to get his contractor’s license and start his own business.
“I had a contractor licence in October of 1994. That’s when Martin Roofing started,” said Mr. Anguiano.
Although it took him two years to build up his client base, there were enough people that encouraged him to start the business, knew his previous work, and sent him clients that Mr. Anguiano was able to keep going.
“They kept me busy right away,” he told the News-Press.
“The first year was difficult. It was just me and a helper. Then after three years two of my brothers decided to join the company because we were growing. After that we considered it a family business.”
Martin runs the business alongside his younger brothers, Felipe and Salvador, as well as their brother-in-law, Magdelone Chavez, and Salvador’s son, Danny.
When they joined the business the family created the Anguiano Bros. Corporation, and helped to expand the work that Martin Roofing was able to take on. Everyone has their “assignments,” said Mr. Anguiano.
With a crew of 33, including roofers and office staff, Martin Roofing Co. installs, repairs, and replaces roofs on houses and offices from Carpinteria up to Santa Ynez.
“We use the best materials possible and we’ve been successfully finishing roofs for 25 years,” said Mr. Anguiano. “These days building something faster and cheaper is the norm for a few companies, and we do the opposite. We take our time to work on details that we know will be better for the house or for the roof’s longevity. We use the best materials and the best roofing practices.”
Martin Roofing Co. offers a range of services related to roof repair and maintenance, like handmade tiling, metal roofing, gutters, and more. Of course, leaks are a major part of the job, and the Anguianos are always making emergency repairs around town during the rainy seasons. In addition to maintenance, Martin Roofing does roof restoration for historic buildings. Those often have specific criteria and any new work has to match the original roof.
“Sometimes we try to imitate or replicate the work and craftsmanship people were using in the 1920s. During that era they built some amazing buildings, buildings with a lot of detail and really good craftsmanship,” said Mr. Anguiano.
One of Mr. Anguiano’s favorite jobs was restoring the George Washington Smith residence in 2010. A revered architect, Mr. Smith popularized the Spanish Colonial Revival style in early 20th Century America while living in Montecito and helped create the aesthetic of the Santa Barbara area.
“I had the privilege of restoring the roof of his own residence,” said Mr. Anguiano. “He had the handmade tile roof made locally in Carpinteria back in the 20s. I like roofing and for me that was a privilege that I had a chance to do it.”
The Anguianos also have something that gives them an edge over the competition, a state of the art sheet metal shop. With the latest automatic and computerized equipment, Martin Roofing has much more control of the quality of the finished product, and can do complete metal roof installations with a dedicated crew for operating the shop and metal roof installations.
It allows them to take on more difficult projects as well, like putting copper siding and roof tiles on an asymmetrical house on Via Manana.
“That was challenging because we had to form all the tiles at the shop, bend each one and then install it, and keep the house dry through two rainy seasons,” said Mr. Anguiano.
At the end, Martin Roofing had made 18,000 copper pieces in their shop, said Mr. Anguiano.
Martin Roofing brings the best materials, attention to detail, and quality craftsmanship to their work, and it shows. Growing from a small two-man business with competition to the family team it is now, Martin Roofing has secured a loyal clientele.
“Because of the customer services and attention to detail they just come back,” said Mr. Anguiano.
For more information or a free estimate, visit www.martinroofingco.net.
email: cwhittle@newspress.com
