The short answer
Do you need a permit to replace a roof in San Francisco?
Replacing a San Francisco roof takes a DBI reroofing permit. The only reroofing on DBI's exempt list covers no more than 25 percent of the roof's surface in any 12 months, so a full tear-off always needs one. A licensed roofing contractor (state license class C-39) can apply online through PermitSF. The fee starts at $514 for a single-family home or duplex and $714 for other buildings. That online route works only when the job needs no plans and replaces no framing, decking or sheathing; once structure is involved, it becomes an over-the-counter building permit. Landmark buildings need Planning sign-off and photos of the existing roof. About 45% of the city's housing was built before 1940 (Census ACS 2024), so plan for what the tear-off exposes.
If you want the permit fast, ask your roofer to set up a contractor authorization record with DBI at least two business days before filing. For a home that is not historic, the reroofing permit can then issue online right away.
Discuss your scope with a Renology advisor and check suitable contractor options. Free for homeowners, with no obligation.
Targeted repair: inclusions & limits
Covers diagnosis, photos and a patch or partial replacement where the defect sits. DBI's permit-exempt list only reaches reroofing of no more than 25 percent of the roof's surface in any 12-month period, so repeated patches can add up to a permit job. Minor dry rot repairs are on DBI's over-the-counter list. A repair does not change the age of the rest of the roof.
Replace the roof: inclusions & limits
Includes tear-off, underlayment, the new covering, flashings, penetrations and disposal. This is the job the online reroofing permit is built for: no plans and no structural replacement. The application asks for the existing and proposed material, whether the roof is flat or pitched, any skylights or solar panels being replaced, and whether the crew will do hot work, meaning anything that creates flames, sparks or enough heat to ignite materials.
Roof plus structural work: inclusions & limits
Once the work needs plans or replaces structural parts such as framing, decking or sheathing, DBI sends it to an over-the-counter building permit instead of the online reroof. New skylights in new locations need plans. Changing exterior features, such as adding dormer windows, brings Planning design review. On a landmark building, the application needs a Planning Approval Letter, or confirmation that none is required, plus photos of the existing roof.
What a roof replacement costs in San Francisco in 2026.
Few San Francisco home projects leave as clear a price trail as a new roof. On 5,648 reroof permits filed for single-family homes and duplexes since September 2024, owners declared a median of $15,000, and half of them landed between $11,000 and $20,085.
$15,000
Two things make that number unusually solid. It has not moved: the median was $15,000 in 2024, in 2025 and again in 2026. And the Census Bureau's housing survey lands in the same place, at a $14,550 median for roofing projects across the San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward metro. Only about 17 percent of these permits use a round multiple of $5,000, which suggests many filers enter the actual contract figure rather than a rounded guess. What moves a bid away from $15,000 is mostly what sits under the old covering, and how hard it is to get material onto the roof.
All the numbers and where they come from
| Figure | Value | What it measures |
|---|---|---|
| Median permit value | $15,000 | Declared construction value on 5,648 reroofing permits for single-family homes and duplexes, filed September 2024 to September 2026. Half fall between $11,000 and $20,085. (San Francisco DBI building permits, open data) |
| Top tenth of permits | $28,000+ | One in ten of those permits declared $28,000 or more. (San Francisco DBI building permits, open data) |
| Median by year | $15,000 | The same median in 2024 (1,160 permits), 2025 (3,104 permits) and 2026 so far (1,384 permits). (San Francisco DBI building permits, open data) |
| What households spent | $14,550 | Median spent on roofing projects in the San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward metro, small jobs and DIY work included (margin of error $1,071). (U.S. Census Bureau, American Housing Survey 2023, Table 16) |
| National comparison | $13,000 | Houzz 2026 national median spend on roofing in 2025. The Census survey's national median was $10,000. (Houzz, 2026 U.S. Houzz and Home Study, Renovation Trends (national)) |
| Reroofing permit fee | $514+ | DBI's online reroofing permit for a single-family home or duplex, $714 and up for other buildings. The street space permit fee is included. (SF.gov (DBI): Apply for a reroofing permit) |
| Roofer wage | $35.74 an hour | Median roofer wage in the San Francisco-Oakland metro, May 2025. Contractors bill above wages. (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, May 2025 wages, San Francisco-Oakland) |
Median declared reroof value by neighborhood
- Inner Sunset$16,500 median, 310 permits
- Noe Valley$16,500 median, 253 permits
- West of Twin Peaks$16,000 median, 689 permits
- Outer Richmond$15,100 median, 401 permits
- Sunset and Parkside$14,690 median, 973 permits
- Bernal Heights$14,250 median, 307 permits
- Excelsior$12,775 median, 296 permits
- Bayview Hunters Point$12,035 median, 247 permits
| Budget line | Define it | Watch for |
|---|---|---|
| Permit and street space | The reroofing permit starts at $514 for a single-family home or duplex and $714 for other building types, with more fees depending on the project. The street space permit fee is included in the reroofing permit fee. | Street space still has to be activated with Public Works after the permit issues, and No Parking signs go up at least 72 hours before the crew takes the curb. Confirm who handles both. |
| Decking and structure | Sheathing, rafters and dry rot found once the old covering comes off. With about 45% of the city's housing built before 1940, the boards under the roof deserve a line of their own. | Replacing decking or sheathing takes the job off the online permit and into over-the-counter review. Ask for unit prices and photos before any board is replaced. |
| Access and hauling | Getting materials up and debris down on buildings with little or no side access, plus a debris box or loading space at the curb. | A debris box in the street needs a Public Works permit, and full boxes must be removed within 2 business days. Material and equipment may not take more than a third of the roadway or half the sidewalk. |
For inclusions, allowances and exclusions, see how to read a contractor quote line by line. For broader benchmarks, see the Renology Cost Index.
What a roof replacement budget buys in San Francisco.
About $11,000
A quarter of San Francisco reroof permits declare $11,000 or less. That is a tear-off and new covering on a smaller or simpler roof with sound decking, filed as DBI's online reroofing permit from $514 for a house or duplex. The permit fee and the street space it includes do not shrink with the job.
About $15,000
The citywide median, unchanged for three years, and close to the $14,550 the Census survey found across the metro. Enough for a full replacement with underlayment, flashings, penetrations and disposal on a typical house, as long as the decking holds and no plans are needed.
$20,000 to $27,500
Above the middle half of permits, which tops out at $20,085. Larger roofs, flat roofs with torch-applied hot work, skylights or solar panels coming off, and tight side access push jobs here. So does rotten decking: once sheathing is replaced, the job leaves the online permit for over-the-counter review.
$28,000 and up
One permit in ten declares $28,000 or more. Structural work lives here: new framing, a changed roof shape, new skylights that need plans, or a landmark building that needs Planning sign-off. At this level the framing sets the price, not the shingle.
Why a roofing bid strays from a $15,000 median that never moves.
San Francisco's reroof median sat at $15,000 in 2024, in 2025 and again in 2026, so a bid far from it needs a reason. The reason is usually under the old covering. The permit value is declared before tear-off, while a bid has to cover labor, materials, overhead, profit and a plan for whatever the old boards turn out to be.
So compare what each bid carries. One includes hot work precautions, activating the street space with Public Works and posting No Parking signs 72 hours ahead, a debris box, and unit prices for rotten boards agreed before tear-off. Another prices the covering and leaves the rest for later. Local wages play a part: the median roofer in the San Francisco-Oakland metro earned $35.74 an hour in May 2025. That helps explain why the local median of $15,000 sits above the national Houzz figure of $13,000.
Bring the bid checklist to every contractor so the numbers describe the same job.
Make the guide yours
Patch, reroof or rebuild: sizing a San Francisco roof job
In San Francisco the roof you need decides the permit you get. A patch within the City's 25 percent limit can stay off the permit list. A full tear-off on sound decking fits the online reroofing permit. The moment sheathing or framing is replaced, or plans are needed, the job moves to over-the-counter review.
No scope selected. The guide and checklist are available without choosing a project tier or leaving contact details.
On a row house, everything goes up the front
On a row house with no side yard, every bundle goes up the front and every scrap comes down there. Public Works lets materials take no more than a third of the roadway or half the sidewalk, and a full debris box has to leave within 2 business days. Ask each roofer how they will stage the job inside those limits.
Patches add up. DBI's permit exemption stops at 25 percent of the roof's surface in any 12 months, and every repair in that window counts toward it. A second or third patch in a year can turn into a permit job.
Official starting point: San Francisco Department of Building Inspection.
A decision to work through · illustrative scenario
A flat roof leaking over the back bedroom
The roofer can patch the corner or reroof the whole flat roof. A patch stays off the permit only while the year's repairs stay under 25 percent of the roof. A full reroof moves to over-the-counter review if rotten decking has to be replaced.
Before you compare bids: Ask for photos showing where the water gets in, and two written prices, a patch and a full reroof, each with a unit price for replacement boards.
From PermitSF to final inspection: a San Francisco reroof in order
A San Francisco reroof runs through two offices before the first shingle comes off. DBI issues the permit, right away for a prepared contractor on a non-historic home, and Public Works controls the curb, where No Parking signs must stand for 72 hours before the crew arrives. Inspections are then booked from the PermitSF dashboard as the work progresses.
- 1
Check the route: confirm whether the building is a landmark, whether anything changes visibly from the street, and whether plans or structural replacement are involved. That decides online reroofing permit or over-the-counter review. A contractor authorization record filed two business days ahead lets a non-historic residential permit issue right away.
- 2
Permit and curb: pay for the permit before it issues, then activate the street space permit with Public Works and post No Parking signs at least 72 hours before occupying the curb. Historic residential projects need staff review, which DBI aims to finish within two business days.
- 3
Tear off and inspect: photograph decking as it is exposed and price any replacement under the agreed rule, then request inspections from the PermitSF dashboard. Keep the inspection record with the roofing warranty papers.
Ask for separate dates for design, permit review, ordering and construction.
Five lines every San Francisco roofing bid should spell out
Roofing bids tend to agree on the covering and disagree on everything around it. One includes hot work precautions, the street space and a price for rotten decking; another leaves them for later. In San Francisco those items carry real rules, from the 72-hour No Parking signs to the permit change when sheathing is replaced. The five lines below make bids comparable.
- Permit route: online reroof in PermitSF or OTC review, based on plans and any decking or framing work
- Existing and proposed roof material, flat or pitched, and every skylight or solar panel coming off
- Hot work plan, if the crew will use torches or any other flame or spark source
- Street space activation, curb length and the date No Parking signs go up, 72 hours ahead
- Unit prices and a photo rule for rotten decking, agreed before tear-off
If you ask for help, a Renology advisor talks through your scope and checks local contractor availability. You decide whether to go ahead.
Already have a proposal? Check its scope and exclusions with the quote-review tool before your next contractor conversation.
Roof permits, fees and timing in San Francisco
Interior damage comes first, because a leak usually leaves two jobs behind it. Then come permits, fees and how fast DBI issues a reroof.
Should a roof quote include the water-damaged ceiling?
Only if it says so. The reroofing permit and the roofing contract cover the roof. A stained ceiling inside is separate work, often by a different trade. Get it listed as its own line or as a separate bid, and photograph the damage before the roof is opened.
Do I need a permit to replace my roof in San Francisco?
Yes. DBI requires a permit before installing, repairing or removing roofing material, with exemptions listed in Building Code Section 106A.2 item 13. The exempt list covers reroofing of no more than 25 percent of the roof's surface in any 12-month period. A full replacement uses the online reroofing permit if it needs no plans and no structural replacement, and an over-the-counter building permit if it does.
How much does a roofing permit cost in San Francisco?
DBI lists the reroofing permit at $514 and up for single-family homes and duplexes and $714 and up for all other building types, with additional fees depending on the project. The fee for the street space permit, which covers the curb and sidewalk your roofer occupies, is included in the reroofing permit fee.
How long does it take to get a roofing permit in San Francisco?
For a non-historic home it can issue right away online, if the contractor's name and email were on a contractor authorization record at least two business days in advance. Otherwise the application is processed manually. Historic residential projects need staff review, and DBI's goal is to approve those within two business days.
Check contractor credentials with California CSLB. Match the business identity and scope to the proposal.
Sources
- SF.gov (DBI): Apply for a reroofing permit
- SF.gov (DBI): Check if your construction project needs a permit
- SF.gov (DBI): Get an Over-the-Counter permit for your exterior residential project
- SF Planning: Homeowners (design review and neighborhood notification)
- San Francisco Public Works: Street Space permit
- San Francisco Public Works: Debris Box permit
- U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 2020-2024 5-year, B25034 Year Structure Built, San Francisco County
- San Francisco DBI building permits, open data
- U.S. Census Bureau, American Housing Survey 2023, Table 16
- Houzz, 2026 U.S. Houzz and Home Study, Renovation Trends (national)
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, May 2025 wages, San Francisco-Oakland
Keep planning.
Explore the general roof replacement guide for project-wide ideas.
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