Building permits in San Francisco, California
Of the 12 common home projects we have verified in San Francisco, 6 need a permit outright and 6 depend on size or scope. Click any project for the full rule, fee, and how to apply.
By Mario Bailey Last checked · 2 official sources
Verified against official sources- Project types verified
- 13
- in San Francisco
San Francisco Department of Building Inspection (DBI)
- Permit Center, 49 South Van Ness Avenue, San Francisco, CA 94103
- Phone: (628) 652-3200
- Email: dbicustomerservice@sfgov.org
- Official permit page
- Permit portal
- Official fee schedule
Look up a permit in San Francisco
San Francisco runs an online permit portal. Many local portals let you check application status, search permit records, and view inspection results without calling the office.
What needs a permit in San Francisco
Of the 12 common home projects we have verified in San Francisco, 6 need a permit outright and 6 depend on size or scope. Click any project for the full rule, fee, and how to apply.
| Project | Permit needed? | Threshold | Typical fee |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bathroom Remodel Permit | Permit required | Any size | ...(Table 1A-C, "CATEGORY 1P" includes "a single kitchen or bathroom remodel", $290)... |
| Deck Permit | It depends | height of the deck walking surface above grade | ...Fee is the Plan Review Fee plus the Permit Issuance Fee." For a valuation of $1 to... |
| Electrical Permit | Permit required | Any size | ...up to 10,000 sq. ft.": "Up to 10 outlets and/or devices (1 inspection)"... |
| EV Charger Permit | It depends | Before installing, altering or modifying any part of the electrical system for an EV... | ...1 residential wiring applies ("Up to 10 outlets and/or devices (1 inspection)"... |
| Fence Permit | It depends | fences in a side or rear yard; the figure is 3 feet for a fence in the front yard | ...Fee is the Plan Review Fee plus the Permit Issuance Fee." For a valuation of $1 to... |
| HVAC Permit | Permit required | Any size | ...gas appliance (furnace, hydronic heat, heat pump)" "(maximum two inspections)"... |
| Patio Permit | Not confirmed | Not confirmed | Not published |
| Plumbing Permit | Permit required | Any size | ...or a single kitchen or bathroom remodel" "(maximum two inspections)"... |
| Pool Permit | It depends | prefabricated pools with walls entirely above grade, accessory to a one- or two-family dwelling (Group R-3) | ...Fee is the Plan Review Fee plus the Permit Issuance Fee." For a valuation of $1 to... |
| Roof Replacement Permit | It depends | area reroofed in any 12-month period, with no roof sheathing installed, repaired or removed | DBI's reroofing page: "$514 and up for single-family homes and duplexes." and "$714 and... |
| Shed Permit | It depends | one-story detached storage shed or playhouse; a 10-foot height limit also applies | ...Fee is the Plan Review Fee plus the Permit Issuance Fee." For a valuation of $1 to... |
| Solar Permit | Permit required | Any size | ...Installations: "Solar Photovoltaic Systems" "10 KW rating or less"... |
| Water Heater Permit | Permit required | Any size | the residential single-unit plumbing category is "CATEGORY 1P" at $290 and "CATEGORY... |
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San Francisco permit fees compared with nearby California localities
| California locality | Deck Permit | HVAC Permit | Electrical Permit |
|---|---|---|---|
| San Francisco | ...plus the Permit Issuance Fee." For a valuation of $1... | ...heat, heat pump)" "(maximum two inspections)"... | ..."Up to 10 outlets and/or devices (1 inspection)"... |
| Alameda County | ...A building permit fee table (for example, '$381.46... | ...Permit 18% of Building Permit Fees, $140.00... | ...Permit 20% of Building Permit Fees, $140.00... |
| Contra Costa County | No deck-specific flat fee is published | ...Schedule S-002 D.6, "Mechanical Permit (Other) $75.00... | ...Schedule S-002 C.6, "Electrical Permit (Other) $75.00... |
| Fresno County | No flat deck permit fee is published | ...Code Fees, FY 2026-27: Issuing each permit... | ...Code Fees, FY 2026-27: Issuing permits $42.77... |
Each cell is the opening clause of that California jurisdiction's own fee schedule; the full wording and source sit on each permit page.
San Francisco permit questions, answered from the data
- Do you need a permit in San Francisco?
- For most projects, yes. Of the 13 permit types we have verified for San Francisco, 6 always require a permit (for example a bathroom remodel permit), 6 depend on size or scope (a deck permit, for instance). Each San Francisco permit type's page states the exact rule and its source.
- How much does a permit cost in San Francisco?
- San Francisco publishes a fee for 12 of the 13 permit types we cover, each quoted on its page from the jurisdiction's own schedule (linked on every page that carries one). Fees are set by San Francisco Department of Building Inspection (DBI); we do not estimate or mark them up.
- Where do you apply for a permit in San Francisco?
- San Francisco Department of Building Inspection (DBI) issues permits in San Francisco, with an online portal for applications, plan uploads and status checks, and takes questions at (628) 652-3200. The San Francisco official page and portal are linked in the office section above.
How the San Francisco pages were verified. 13 permit types, 10 distinct official sources, most recently checked . Every rule is read from San Francisco Department of Building Inspection (DBI) or the applicable code and cited on its page; anything we could not confirm for San Francisco is marked rather than estimated. How we verify.