Jurisdiction file · California
What San Francisco pays, by the filings
20,661 permits across 14 kinds of work, filed over the last two years. Every figure is what somebody actually declared to San Francisco — no estimates.
| Project | Median | Typical range | Permits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Roof Replacement | $16,000 | $12,000 – $23,800 | 6,806 |
| Kitchen Remodel | $65,700 | $40,000 – $120,000 | 5,445 |
| Bathroom Remodel | $31,057 | $24,000 – $60,000 | 2,871 |
| Siding or Stucco | $17,000 | $8,500 – $32,000 | 1,557 |
| Deck or Patio | $18,000 | $8,000 – $35,000 | 1,059 |
| Garage | $20,000 | $10,000 – $50,000 | 751 |
| Home Addition | $86,794 | $25,000 – $242,186 | 677 |
| Solar Panels | $25,950 | $14,000 – $42,251 | 406 |
| Window Replacement | $13,860 | $6,000 – $30,000 | 289 |
| Interior Remodel | $108,000 | $45,000 – $216,000 | 285 |
| HVAC Replacement | $15,000 | $9,000 – $34,000 | 213 |
| ADU / Guest House | $165,000 | $82,500 – $225,000 | 167 |
| Foundation Repair | $27,388 | $11,540 – $50,000 | 79 |
| Water Heater | $5,200 | $2,000 – $10,950 | 56 |
What the file shows
Roof Replacement is the work San Francisco files most: 6,806 of these 20,661 permits, 33% of the file. The dearest median here is ADU / Guest House at $165,000; the cheapest is Water Heater at $5,200.
The figure to read is not the median but the range next to it. Home Addition is the least predictable work in this jurisdiction: half of those jobs land between $25,000 and $242,186, a 9.7× spread inside one city and one kind of work. A median says where the middle sits. It does not say which half a particular job is in, and on work that varies this much the difference is the whole decision.
Source: City and County of San Francisco DBI — Building Permits. Updated 2026-09-24. Methodology.