Keeping Campbell's Alice Avenue bungalows and 1960s homes in shape
Campbell's population doubled during the 1960s, from 11,863 to 23,797, so much of its housing dates from that decade, while the Alice Avenue Historic District and a 147-property historic inventory keep older bungalows in the mix. The work splits between them: porch woodwork and windows repaired in kind on historic houses, and ceilings, walls and fixtures in 1960s homes.
The Ed Arnott House at 155 Alice Avenue, a 1922 Craftsman bungalow, shows what the district's porches are made of: a broad porch on brick and stone pillars, stacked wooden brackets, and exposed rafter tails under projecting eaves. That exposed wood is what weathers first. Rotted rafter tail ends can be cut back and spliced, missing brackets copied from a surviving original, and loose porch trim refastened, keeping the look the historic district is there to protect. More about carpentry, shelves and trim
Windows repaired in kind
Campbell's Historic Preservation Board reviews proposals for landmarks and Alice Avenue properties, but the city's own guidance says routine maintenance of a historic home, such as replacing a roof or a window with equivalent materials, has the same requirements as a non-historic home. That makes in-kind work the straightforward route: repairing wood sashes, replacing a rotted sill, reglazing a loose pane and rehanging doors, all in the same materials and style as the originals. More about door and window repair
Ceilings and walls in 1960s houses
Houses from the decade Campbell doubled in size are now around sixty years old, and it shows in the drywall: nail pops, cracked corner bead and stains from old roof or plumbing leaks. Some still have textured acoustic ceilings from that period, which can contain asbestos in homes of that age, so a sample is tested before anyone scrapes or sands. Patching walls, retaping seams and matching knockdown or orange-peel texture are all handyman jobs. More about drywall and plaster repair
Replacing sixty-year-old fixtures
Houses from Campbell's 1960s growth may still have fixtures from that period or cheap replacements from later decades: yellowed flush-mount domes, buzzing fluorescent kitchen boxes and dated bathroom light bars. Swapping them for new fixtures or ceiling fans on the existing boxes is routine handyman work, done with the breaker off. Adding boxes, putting switches in new locations or running circuits for more lighting is work for a licensed electrician.
How the houses here are built
Mostly single-family homes, with some condominiums, duplexes and apartments. Craftsman bungalows from the 1920s stand in the Alice Avenue Historic District near downtown, and many more houses went up as the population doubled through the 1960s.
The bungalows are wood-framed with low-pitched roofs, projecting eaves, exposed rafter tails and porches on brick or stone pillars. The 1960s houses are wood frame with drywall interiors, and some keep textured ceilings from that era.
Dry valley summers bake the exposed rafter tails and porch brackets of downtown's bungalows, and winter rain then works into the joints where that wood meets brick and stone pillars.
Good to know before a job in Campbell
The historic inventory and Alice Avenue
Campbell keeps a Historic Resource Inventory, which grew out of a 1977-78 citywide survey and now lists 147 properties. Proposals for landmarks and for properties in the Alice Avenue Historic District go to the Historic Preservation Board, which meets on the fourth Wednesday of each month. Routine maintenance with equivalent materials follows the same rules as any other house, but a change that departs from historic guidelines can need review by the board, the Planning Commission and the City Council.
Cambrian 36 joined Campbell
In 2011 Campbell and San Jose competed to annex Cambrian 36, a 103-acre unincorporated county island with about 1,000 residents. Campbell got the island, and San Jose received a $1 million settlement. If your house is in that area, building permits and code questions now go to the City of Campbell rather than Santa Clara County. Repairs that need no permit are unaffected by the change.
How a request works
Describe the job
A sentence and a photo or two is enough. It takes about a minute.
A local handyman gets in touch
By call or text, to ask what the photos don't show and give you a price.
You decide
Agree a time and price with the handyman directly, or don't. Requesting costs nothing.
Questions from Campbell homeowners
Our house is on Campbell's Historic Resource Inventory. Can we replace a rotted window without going before the board?
Campbell's guidance says routine maintenance of a historic home, including replacing a window with equivalent materials, has the same requirements as a non-historic home. A matching wood window, or a repaired original sash, fits that description. A different material or style may need review, so ask the Planning Department before ordering.
We live in the former Cambrian 36 area. Which city handles our permits now?
Campbell. The 103-acre island was annexed by Campbell in 2011 after a contest with San Jose that ended in a $1 million settlement, so building permits and code questions go to the City of Campbell. Repairs that need no permit are unaffected.
Can the porch brackets on our Alice Avenue bungalow be copied?
Yes, as long as one original survives. It is measured and traced, the profile is cut from matching lumber, and the new bracket is primed on every face before it goes up so it weathers like the rest. Rafter tails can be handled the same way, by cutting back the rot and splicing on a matching end.
Our 1960s house has a popcorn ceiling with a water stain. Can it be patched?
Often, but test first. Textured acoustic ceilings from that era can contain asbestos, so a sample should be tested before anything is scraped. If it is clear, the stain is sealed with a stain-blocking primer, damaged texture is patched and matched, and the area is repainted. If the leak is still active, fix that first.
Checked against these public sources in September 2026. Rules change: confirm anything permit-related with the city or town of Campbell before work starts.
