Marketing plan · El Cajon

Roofing direct mail in El Cajon:
a neighborhood-by-neighborhood plan

By Best Direct Mail, San Marcos · Numbers from USPS and the US Census Bureau

El Cajon sits in a hot valley ringed by hills, and summer sun is hard on a roof. Much of the city was built in the 1950s, 60s and 70s, so there are many houses on their second or third roof. Down in the valley, older homes sit next to apartments, rentals and mobile home parks. Up on the edges, Fletcher Hills has postwar homes with long-time owners, Granite Hills has larger lots next to brush, and Rancho San Diego has 1970s and 80s tracts with tile roofs reaching the age when the underlayment wears out.

So the right card changes as you climb. Below is what we'd mail where, starting with the public numbers for each ZIP Code: how many homes there are, how old they are, how many are houses and who owns them.

El Cajon by ZIP Code

ZIP Code	Built before 1980	Single-family houses	Owner-occupied	Median home value	New movers a month (average)
92020 Central and west El Cajon, Fletcher Hills	71%	42%	44%	$813,100	about 241
92021 North and east El Cajon, Bostonia, Granite Hills	57%	44%	54%	$611,900	about 304
92019 South El Cajon and Rancho San Diego	42%	64%	66%	$801,400	about 105

What the columns tell you:

Built before 1980: the share of homes more than 45 years old. Many are on their second or third roof, and the higher it is, the more owners are due for a replacement.
Single-family houses: the share of homes that are detached houses. The higher it is, the fewer EDDM® cards go to apartments and condos, where the association or the landlord decides on the roof.
Owner-occupied: owners buy roofs. Renters don't.
Median home value: higher values point to tile, metal and premium shingle roofs. Elsewhere, financing and a clear price matter most.

These figures cover whole ZIP Codes, and single routes inside them can be quite different. Our EDDM® route planner shows homes, income and homeownership for every route before you choose.

Home age, single-family houses, homeownership and home value are US Census Bureau American Community Survey 5-year estimates for the ZIP Code area. New movers are a US Census Bureau American Community Survey 5-year estimate: residents who moved into a different home in the past year, turned into households and divided by 12.

New movers: on average about 650 households move to a new home in these ZIP Codes every month. Many buyers get a roof report from their home inspection and plan the repairs in their first year.

What a mailing costs: starting from $2,034 for 5,000 homes with a 6.25 × 9 EDDM® postcard, or $2,544 with our recommended 8.5 × 11, including printing and postage. See our EDDM® prices for other quantities.

What to mail in each neighborhood

Fletcher Hills (92020)

On the west side next to La Mesa and Grossmont College, Fletcher Hills is mostly single-family homes from the 1950s and 60s on curving streets that climb into the hills, with many long-time owners. Many of these roofs have been replaced before and are due again.

"Is your roof over 20 years old?" A free inspection or replacement estimate before the rainy season, with financing.
A calm, clear card for long-time owners: large type, an easy-to-read phone number, your license number and your reviews.

Granite Hills (92021)

East of downtown, Granite Hills rises toward the open hills on the city's edge, with homes from the 1950s through the 80s on larger lots and natural brush on the streets next to open land. Much of it is unincorporated county land with El Cajon addresses. Parts of these hills are mapped as fire hazard areas, where a replacement roof has to be Class A fire-rated.

Fire-rated roofing, with ember-resistant vents and gutter guards, mailed before fire season and the fall Santa Ana winds.
Larger replacement jobs on bigger homes, for owners who want the work done right more than done cheap.

Rancho San Diego (92019)

South of the city, Rancho San Diego is unincorporated, though most of it shares El Cajon addresses. Much of it was built in the 1970s and 80s, with newer tracts since, and many homes have concrete tile roofs. The tiles can last a very long time, but the underlayment beneath them usually wears out after about 25 to 30 years, and that is when leaks start.

Tile roof underlayment cards that explain why a tile roof can leak even when the tiles look fine.
Repairs, inspections and gutters on the newer tracts, where most roofs aren't due for replacement yet.
Check with the HOA. Many tracts have rules on roof colors and materials, and the condo and townhome complexes are the association's decision, so skip those routes.

Bostonia and the north side (92021)

North El Cajon, around Bostonia, is mostly 1950s and 60s ranch homes on flat, regular lots, with mobile home parks and apartments along the main roads. Many of these asphalt shingle roofs have taken decades of valley sun and are due for replacement.

Replacement estimates before the rainy season, and leak repair after the first storms.
Pick the house routes. Skip the mobile home parks and the apartment routes along the main roads, or use a homeowner list by the age of the home.

Central El Cajon (92020)

Around downtown, Main Street and the civic center, small houses from the 1940s and 50s share the streets with apartments and duplexes, and many homes are rented. EDDM® here spends much of the mailing on renters, who don't buy roofs. Use a homeowner list to reach the owners, including landlords who live elsewhere, with a card for rental roof repairs and replacements, including flat and low-slope roofs on duplexes and small apartment buildings.

A first El Cajon mailing plan

Older roofs first. Mail an inspection and replacement card to the house routes of Fletcher Hills and Bostonia from August to October, before the rain. Pick routes in our EDDM® route planner for 92020 or 92021.
Tile underlayment to Rancho San Diego, on the 1970s and 80s tracts, and fire-rated roofing to Granite Hills before fire season.
Neighbors of every job. After each roof you finish, mail the carrier route around it: "We just put a new roof on a home on your street."
New homeowners every month. Many buyers get a roof report from their home inspection. A welcome card with a free inspection reaches them first.

Mail each group at least three times, a few weeks apart. Use a different offer code on each card so you can see which neighborhood and which service brings the calls.

EDDM® or a mailing list in El Cajon?

Which one is better depends on the neighborhood. In Fletcher Hills, Granite Hills and most of Rancho San Diego, most homes are owner-occupied houses, and EDDM® reaches nearly the same people for less. In central El Cajon and along the main roads of the north side, where apartments, rentals and mobile home parks make up a large part of each route, a homeowner list by the age of the home wastes far fewer cards. Compare the home age, single-family and homeowner numbers in the table above, and tell us the areas you want and we'll recommend the right mix.

What to put on an El Cajon postcard

Say you're local. "Serving El Cajon, Fletcher Hills and Rancho San Diego" tells people you'll be there for the warranty too.
A photo of an El Cajon roof you installed. Real local work beats stock photos.
One service and one offer per card, matched to the neighborhood above.
Your C-39 license number, plus "licensed and insured" and your warranty.

For the full list of services, offers and a 12-month calendar, see our roofing direct mail guide.

Roofing postcard designs

Start from one of our ready-made roofing postcards. We add your logo, offer, license number and photos, send you a proof, then print and mail it. Need a custom design, or have your own? Just let us know.

Roofing marketing plans in other cities

El Cajon at a glance

New movers: About 650 households a month
Best areas: Replacements: Fletcher Hills and Bostonia. Tile underlayment: Rancho San Diego. Fire-rated roofs: Granite Hills. Rental roofs: central El Cajon, by homeowner list.
What it costs: Starting from $2,034 to mail 5,000 homes by EDDM® (6.25 × 9), or $2,544 with an 8.5 × 11
Where to start: An inspection and replacement card to the older house routes from August to October, plus new homeowners.

Frequently asked questions

How many homes are there to mail in El Cajon?

The table above shows the homes and carrier routes in each El Cajon ZIP Code, straight from the USPS EDDM® route map. These ZIP Codes also include unincorporated areas such as Rancho San Diego and parts of Granite Hills. Most roofers don't mail them all at once: they pick the neighborhoods with the oldest roofs, plus the routes around each job they finish.

Which El Cajon neighborhoods are best for roofing postcards?

For replacements, the postwar house streets of Fletcher Hills and Bostonia. For tile underlayment, the 1970s and 80s tracts of Rancho San Diego. For fire-rated roofs, Granite Hills. The table shows the share of homes built before 1980, single-family houses and owner-occupied homes in each ZIP Code.

When should an El Cajon roofer mail?

August to October, before the rainy season, for inspections and replacements, and November for leak repair after the first storms. Mail fire-rated roofing cards to Granite Hills before fire season and the fall Santa Ana winds.

Do you mail to El Cajon from San Marcos?

Yes. Our print shop is in San Marcos, so we print your postcards there and take EDDM® mailings to the Post Offices that deliver your El Cajon routes.

Get a quote for your El Cajon mailing

Tell us which neighborhoods and services you want to focus on. We'll reply with a price for printing and mailing, and the routes or list we recommend.

Roofing direct mail in El Cajon:a neighborhood-by-neighborhood plan