home stylesplate 13 of 13built c. 1920s–1940sboyenga team at compass
French Country & Provincial homes mansards, quoins and Norman towers
Steep hipped or mansard roofs, stucco or brick, quoins at the corners and tall windows that break the eave line. The French revivals came in two waves. First the eclectic houses of the 1920s to 1940s, from Henry Gutterson's Norman revivals in St. Francis Wood to the mansard-roofed tract fronts San Francisco Planning counts among the Sunset's dominant wartime and postwar styles. Then, much later, large French-inspired estate houses. Here is how to read one, where to find them, and every one listed for sale now.
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- selling silicon valley since1996
how to spot one
How to spot a French revival from the sidewalk
The drawing is a symmetrical French Provincial; the last item covers the Norman version. Hover or tap a number to match it to the list.
Steep hipped roof
A tall, steeply pitched hipped roof, sometimes flared at the eaves.
Mansard roof
In San Francisco tracts, SF Planning calls the mansard roof the primary element indicating the style in 1940s examples.
Dormers through the eave
Upper windows that rise through the cornice into wall dormers, often with arched or segmental tops.
Symmetry
Provincial houses are formal and balanced, with the door centered between matched windows.
Quoins and scored stucco
Stone-like blocks at the corners and, on Sunset tract fronts, scored stucco at the ground story.
Iron balconettes
Shallow balconies with patterned metal railings at tall upper windows or French doors.
Norman tower
In the Norman, or French Country, version: an asymmetrical plan with a round tower and conical roof, often at the entry, and mixed stone, brick and stucco.
on the market
French Country and Provincial homes for sale now
Every active listing in our service area that the MLS tags French, Normandy or Provincial, or whose description says French Country, French Provincial, French Normandy, French Eclectic, Norman revival or chateau-style. Listings also use French Country for kitchens and decor, so check the photos and the year built.
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How homes land here: we read each active listing’s MLS style field and its description, then check the year built. “MLS-tagged only” keeps the homes whose listing agent picked this style. Orange pins are MLS-tagged. Some listings record a style only in fields this search can’t filter on, so a few may not appear here; ask us for a full search. Listing data comes from the MLS and is shown with the listing brokerage; confirm details with the listing agent.
where to find them
Where French revival homes cluster
Neighborhoods where our guides, city historic inventories and planning documents record French Provincial, French Eclectic or Norman revival houses. Each name opens the full guide.
San Francisco
- Outer & Central SunsetSF Planning lists French Provincial among the Sunset's primary tract styles and says a stripped, mansard-roofed version was one of the dominant wartime and postwar styles.
- St. Francis Wood & Monterey HeightsSupervising architect Henry Gutterson designed dozens of houses here, mostly English and Norman period revivals.
- Presidio HeightsLarge houses over raised basements in Tudor, French Provincial, Colonial and other revival styles.
Peninsula
- San Mateo Park, San MateoThe city's context statement lists a moderate concentration of French Eclectic houses here, alongside Spanish Colonial Revival and Tudor Revival.
- Baywood & Aragon, San MateoSpanish Colonial Revival, Tudor Revival, French Eclectic and Monterey Colonial Revival houses in tracts laid out from 1927.
- Carolands, HillsboroughThe chateau, planned in 1913 by Ernest Sanson with Willis Polk managing construction, is California Historical Landmark No. 886; the 554-acre estate was subdivided from 1930.
Santa Clara & San Jose
- Old Quad, Santa ClaraThe city's historic inventory lists a 1925 Normandy-style house on Harrison St and the 1940 French Eclectic Pasetta House on Hilmar St.
- College Park & The Alameda, San JoseThe city's inventory records French Eclectic houses of 1923–24 on Harding and Pershing Avenues in the Schiele Subdivision and Alameda Park landmark district.
Los Gatos
- BroadwayThe historic district's one Norman French house, which Henry Crall designed as a copy of a house he had seen in Normandy.
inside
What you find inside
- plan
Formal and balanced
A symmetrical Provincial front usually means a center entry with rooms to either side.
- sunset plan
Living over the garage
In San Francisco's Sunset tracts the French front dresses the standard house: garage at the ground story, living rooms above, behind a mansard and balconettes.
- detail
Tall, slender windows
SF Planning describes early-1930s Sunset examples with slender, ogee-arched wood-sash windows and divided upper sash.
- estate
Period outside, modern plan
A French-style estate built in recent decades has a period exterior over a plan of its own era, so judge it by its build year, not its style.
the nerd check
Buying or selling one
What we check when you buy
- Steep roofs and their materialsSlate, clay tile, wood shake and composition all appear on French-style roofs. Have a roofer confirm the material and condition, and the flashing at dormers, valleys and towers.
- Mansards and dormersCheck where a mansard or wall dormer meets the wall below for flashing and water entry; these joints are hard to see from the ground.
- Stucco, stone and quoinsLook for cracks, loose veneer and staining around quoins and window surrounds, and for moisture behind the stucco.
- Iron balconettesCheck the railings' anchors for rust and loose fastenings, and whether the railing height meets current code if you plan to use the door.
- Foundation and boltingConfirm the foundation type and any bolting and cripple-wall bracing. California's Earthquake Brace + Bolt program offers retrofit grants for wood-framed houses built before 1980 on raised foundations in designated ZIP codes, with registration open for a limited time each year.
- Lead paintFor houses built before 1978, sellers must disclose known lead-based paint and give buyers the federal pamphlet, and buyers get a 10-day window to inspect.
- Asbestos before remodelingSuspect materials can't be identified by sight. EPA advises sampling by an accredited professional before a remodel disturbs them.
- Check which eraFrench in a listing can mean a 1920s Norman house, a 1940s mansard tract front or a much newer estate. Check permit and assessor records for the year built, then apply the checks for that age.
How we market one when you sell
- Photograph the rooflineThe roof, dormers and towers are the style; shoot them in low, raking light from the street.
- Roof and envelope reportsA roof report that covers the dormers and flashing, plus a stucco or masonry review, answers the questions buyers ask first.
- Name the versionSay French Provincial, Norman or French Country and give the year built, so buyers comparing a 1920s original with a newer estate know which they are seeing.
- Pull the historyArchitect, year built and any inventory or district record add to the story; buyers and their agents will ask.
- Document the systemsPanel, wiring, plumbing and roof dates, plus any retrofit permits.
In San Francisco, St. Francis Wood is a National Register and California Register district, and contributing buildings in Presidio Heights' eligible districts are Category A historic resources, so facade changes, visible additions and demolitions get Planning's historic review. San Jose puts exterior changes in the Schiele Subdivision and Alameda Park landmark district through historic review, and Los Gatos's Broadway historic district has 2008 design guidelines. In Hillsborough, every new house goes through a Preliminary Review by the Architecture and Design Review Board. We check the rules for a specific address before you plan changes.
questions
Questions we hear
What's the difference between French Provincial, French Country and French Normandy?
French Provincial is the formal, symmetrical version: a steep hipped or mansard roof, a centered door, quoins and balconettes. French Normandy, or Norman, is asymmetrical, often with a round entry tower. French Country is the looser listing term for informal, rustic versions of either.
What is a French Provincial house?
A formal, symmetrical house with a steep hipped or mansard roof, stucco or brick walls, tall windows and quoins at the corners. San Francisco Planning dates French Provincial Revival in the city to 1935–1950 and notes that houses often appear in near-identical forms.
What does French Eclectic mean?
It is the umbrella term historians and inventories use for French-influenced houses of roughly the 1920s and 1930s, including Provincial, Norman and towered versions. Santa Clara's and San Jose's inventories and San Mateo's context statement use it.
Is a French Normandy house the same as a Tudor?
They are cousins. Both use steep roofs and mixed stone, brick and stucco, and some Normandy houses add half-timbering, but a round tower with a conical roof points to Norman French. Henry Gutterson's St. Francis Wood houses include both.
Are newer French-style estate houses the same as the 1920s originals?
No. They share the roof shapes and materials, but construction methods, codes and seismic-program eligibility differ by age, so confirm the year built first.
Can I change the exterior of a French revival house?
It depends on where it is. Historic districts in San Francisco, San Jose and Los Gatos review exterior changes, and Hillsborough's design board reviews every new house. We read the rules for the address before you plan.
further reading
From the Property Nerds
all home styles
Every style in the field guide, by era
Bars show the years each style was mostly built here. See the full field guide.
- 01Victorian & Edwardian1870s–1910s
- 02Craftsman & bungalow1905–1930
- 03Spanish & Mediterranean1915–1940
- 04Tudor, storybook & traditional1920s–1940s
- 13French Country & Provincial1920s–1940s
- 12Monterey Colonial1925–1940
- 11Minimal Traditional1935–1952
- 05California ranchlate 1930s–1970s
- 06Mid-century modern1945–1975
- 07Eichler1949–1974
- 10Split-level1950s–1970s
- 08Modern & contemporary1970s–today
- 09Modern farmhouse & new construction2005–today
talk to a property nerd
Own a French revival, or want one?
Call us for a value, a roof-and-masonry prep plan, or a tour of the neighborhoods where French revival houses cluster. Commissions are negotiable, and we offer bundled services, so ask us what’s included.
Questions about French Country and Provincial homes? Send us a note.
