home stylesplate 12 of 13built c. 1925–1940boyenga team at compass
Monterey Colonial homes the house with the long balcony
Two stories, a low roof and a long second-floor balcony tucked under the main roof slope. The type goes back to Monterey in the mid-1830s, when merchant Thomas O. Larkin built a two-story adobe with an upper balcony that the National Park Service calls a widely imitated prototype. The revival arrived here in the late 1920s and 1930s, in Palo Alto, San Mateo's Baywood and the Saratoga hills. 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 Monterey Colonial from the sidewalk
The balcony settles it. Hover or tap a number on the drawing to match it to the list.
Second-story balcony
A cantilevered full- or partial-width balcony beneath the principal roof slope, the feature San Francisco Planning uses to identify the style.
Simple wood posts
Plain wood columns hold up the balcony or the roof over it.
Low gable or hip roof
A low-pitched roof, often clay tile or wood shingle, that runs out over the balcony.
Two full stories
A simple two-story block, sometimes with an L-shaped plan.
Mixed walls
Stucco, brick or wood, sometimes stucco on the first floor and wood siding on the second.
False shutters
Shutters beside the windows that don't close, a Colonial touch on a Spanish-derived house.
on the market
Monterey Colonial homes for sale now
Every active listing in our service area that the MLS tags Monterey, or whose description says Monterey Colonial, Monterey Revival or Monterey style. Few listings use the term, so ask us about any two-story house with a balcony under the main roof.
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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 Monterey Colonial homes cluster
Neighborhoods where our guides, city historic inventories and San Francisco Planning's surveys record Monterey Colonial or Monterey Revival houses. Each name opens the full guide.
Palo Alto
- Leland Manor & GarlandEmbarcadero Oaks was built up from the 1930s in styles from Tudor Revival to Monterey Colonial, some designed by Birge Clark.
- Old Palo AltoA historian's survey of Birge Clark's Coleridge Avenue block between Cowper and Webster lists a Monterey Colonial among his Spanish Colonial and Tudor-influenced houses.
San Mateo
- Baywood & Aragon'The Californian,' a 1930 Monterey Colonial Revival model home by Grimes and Schoening on Fordham Road, drew more than 30,000 visitors; it is now a private home.
Saratoga
- Montalvo & HorseshoeThe City's inventory lists 1910s–30s houses here in Mediterranean, Spanish Colonial and Monterey Colonial styles, including the 1929 Carey House on Peach Hill Road.
- Saratoga VillageThe City's inventory files the 1929 Graham House on Oak Place as Monterey-Craftsman Eclectic.
San Jose
- Japantown & HensleyThe city's inventory records a Late Monterey Revival house of about 1935–1940 on N. 3rd St in the Hensley district.
San Francisco
- St. Francis Wood & Monterey HeightsSF Planning's guide to the city's architectural styles illustrates Monterey Revival with a house on San Buenaventura Way.
- Outer & Central SunsetSF Planning calls Monterey Revival uncommon in the Sunset tracts, where a balcony is usually the only cue; its examples are Oliver Rousseau houses of 1932–33 on 34th Avenue and Lawton Street.
inside
What you find inside
- plan
Two full floors
Bedrooms upstairs, opening onto the balcony; living room, dining room and kitchen below.
- plan
Turned toward the garden
Birge Clark, who drew Monterey Colonial houses in Palo Alto, saw his Early California houses as suited to informal indoor-outdoor living.
- plan
Sometimes an L
SF Planning notes that some Monterey Revival houses use an L-shaped plan rather than a simple rectangle.
- sunset plan
Living over the garage
In San Francisco's Sunset tracts the Monterey balcony sits on the front of the standard house: garage at the ground story, living rooms above.
the nerd check
Buying or selling one
What we check when you buy
- The balconyHave the cantilevered joists, posts, decking and railings checked for rot and for how they tie into the house, and look for water damage in the wall below.
- Roof over the balconyWhere the main roof runs out over the balcony, check the flashing, gutters and the underlayment beneath any clay tile.
- Stucco and siding jointsWhere stucco meets wood siding, look for cracks, gaps and water entry, and check the stucco for bulges and staining.
- 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.
- Sewer lateralOwners are responsible for at least the private part of the lateral, and rules vary by city. San Bruno requires a compliance certificate before selling a home 50 or more years old.
- Historic statusCheck whether the house is on a city inventory or in a district, since balcony, window and siding changes can need review.
How we market one when you sell
- Shoot the balconyThe balcony is what makes the style; photograph it from the street and from the rooms that open onto it.
- Balcony and roof reportsAn inspection of the balcony structure and the roof over it answers the first question buyers ask.
- Name the styleFew listings say Monterey Colonial, so say it, with the year built, so buyers looking for one find the house.
- Pull the historyArchitect, year built and any inventory 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, so exterior changes visible from the street, additions and demolitions get Planning's historic review. In San Jose's City Landmark Districts, such as Hensley, exterior changes, additions and demolitions can need a Historic Preservation Permit. Saratoga's Heritage Resources Inventory lists Monterey Colonial houses on Peach Hill Road and Oak Place, and San Mateo adopted a new historic preservation ordinance in May 2026. We check the rules for a specific address before you plan changes.
questions
Questions we hear
What is a Monterey Colonial house?
A two-story house with a low gable or hip roof and a cantilevered second-story balcony under the main roof slope, often on simple wood posts. San Francisco Planning dates Monterey Revival in the city to 1925–1940 and calls it a residential variation on the Spanish Colonial Revival.
What's the difference between Monterey Colonial and Spanish Colonial Revival?
The balcony and the second story. Spanish Colonial Revival houses lean on arches, red tile and wrought iron; a Monterey adds a long upper balcony under the roof and often mixes in Colonial details such as false shutters and wood siding.
Where did the Monterey style come from?
Monterey, in the mid-1830s, when merchant Thomas O. Larkin built a two-story adobe with an upper balcony. The National Park Service's landmark documentation calls the Larkin House a widely imitated prototype of the Monterey Colonial style.
When were Monterey Colonial houses built around here?
The local examples we have found date from 1929 to about 1940: the 1929 Carey House in Saratoga, San Mateo's 1930 'Californian' model home and Oliver Rousseau's 1932–33 Sunset houses. Architectural historians date the revival nationally to about 1925–1955.
Is any two-story house with a balcony a Monterey?
No. The balcony should sit under the main roof slope, usually across much of the front. A balcony on brackets over a single door, or a deck at the back, doesn't make the style.
What should an inspection cover on a Monterey Colonial?
The balcony first: joists, posts, decking, railings and the flashing where it meets the wall. Then the roof that runs out over it, the stucco-to-siding joints and, for a house built before 1980 on a raised foundation, the bolting and bracing.
further reading
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 Monterey Colonial, or want one?
Call us for a value, a plan for the balcony, roof and historic-review questions buyers ask, or a tour of the neighborhoods where they stand. Commissions are negotiable, and we offer bundled services, so ask us what’s included.
Questions about Monterey Colonial homes? Send us a note.
