On January 31, 2025, East Bay EDA led a group of 30+ members and partners on an exclusive tour of Roof and Realm, a premier builder of modular homes and accessory dwelling units (ADUs). Founded in 2019 and located in Concord, the company specializes in a wide range of customizable steel-framed homes that are fire, mold, and pest retardant. Having opened around the time of the start of the pandemic, their business began to grow quickly as people’s interest in ADUs increased. Over the past five years, the company has undergone three expansions and is currently assessing market demand for a potential East Coast warehouse.
As the tour began, the group was greeted by co-founder and CEO, Fatima Shahid, who proudly talked about Roof and Realm’s commitment to the East Bay region. The company is currently the largest purchaser of steel in Contra Costa County and buys its other building materials from local companies. Before getting a chance to look more closely at their product line, the group also heard welcoming remarks from East Bay EDA Board Chair and Contra Costa County District 2 Supervisor, Candace Andersen as well as Carlyn Obringer, Mayor of Concord, each of whom expressed the importance of having companies like Roof and Realm start and grow here in our region.
California has faced a housing shortage for decades and modular building allows for homes to be built faster and cheaper than traditional construction. As a growing East Bay manufacturer of these kinds of structures, Roof and Realm has created new jobs for local residents while also supplying a product that is an important part of the solution to the Bay Area’s housing shortage. As we have unfortunately recently seen firsthand in communities impacted by wildfires, steel-frame homes stand out for their durability, as well as their resistance to fire and water damage. For these and other reasons, their company was recognized as a finalist for the 2024 East Bay Innovation Awards.
East Bay EDA enjoyed the opportunity to bring a diverse array of guests to visit Roof and Realm’s operations and tour their site. If you are interested in joining these exclusive events, we encourage you to learn more about East Bay EDA membership and read our recently released 2024 Impact Report to learn more about some of our current and ongoing events, initiatives, and projects.