San Francisco remodeling in numbers
| What we measured | San Francisco |
|---|---|
| Remodel permits, three years | 5,126 |
| Firms | 1,925 |
| Firms with an active CSLB license | 94.3% |
| Usual filed value | $38,000 |
| Middle half of firms' usual value | $28,000 to $61,500 |
| Usual days from permit to completion | 180 |
| Completed (permits a year or more old) | 81.9% |
| 10th / 90th-percentile firm (10+ permits) | 66.9% / 92.6% |
| Firms with 10 or more permits | 70 |
| Firms with exactly one permit | 908 (47.2%) |
San Francisco remodeling is spread among many small firms: the busiest one filed 1.0% of remodel permits and the five busiest 4.2%. So the record for any one firm is short, and the license check carries more weight. Prices by job size are on the San Francisco remodel cost page.
Which license a San Francisco remodeler needs
San Francisco has no city contractor license; California licenses contractors through CSLB. For a remodel across trades the class is B General Building or B-2 Residential Remodeling; for one trade, the specialty class (C-36 plumbing, C-10 electrical, C-20 HVAC) (CSLB Licensing Classifications, read 22 October 2026). The only unlicensed work allowed is under $1,000 in labour and materials, with no hired workers and no permit (CSLB, AB 2622, in force since 1 January 2025). CSLB caps the down payment at 10% of the price or $1,000, whichever is less, unless the contractor has a blanket performance and payment bond on file.
Before it issues a permit, DBI asks for the "State of California contractor's license and classification (known as a pocket card)", a workers' comp certificate, a current San Francisco business registration and a Licensed Contractor's Statement (DBI, read 22 October 2026).
The five-minute check: enter the number on CSLB Check a License and read the status, the classification, the bond and workers' comp. A firm that arrives with a crew and is exempt from workers' comp has a question to answer. More in the San Francisco contractor license lookup.
The permit rule for a San Francisco kitchen or bath
DBI issues an over-the-counter permit for "kitchen, bath, and other interior residential remodels", and an "In-kind bathroom remodel (no change to the floor plan or walls)" can go over the counter with no plans; layout changes need plans (DBI, read 22–23 October 2026). The contractor pulls it. DBI lets owners apply for work they do themselves, which makes the work your responsibility rather than a licensed contractor's, so "you pull it as owner" is a reason to ask why. Find the permit by address on DBI's Permit / Complaint Tracking System; the contact should be your contractor. Rules elsewhere: do I need a permit for a kitchen remodel.
Red flags in the San Francisco record
- A completed share under 66.9%, the 10th-percentile line among the 67 remodelers with 10 or more permits; 10 complete under 70%.
- A CSLB record that is not active. 42 remodel firms on San Francisco permits matched a license that was not active.
- A class that does not fit the job, such as a C-39 roofer or C-17 glazier quoting a kitchen.
- A deposit over $1,000 or 10%, without a blanket bond on file with CSLB.
- A firm that stopped filing. 30 remodel firms with 5 or more permits filed none in the last 12 months.
- A one-permit history and no references you can look up. With 47.2% of firms at one permit, ask for addresses of past jobs and search them on DBI's tracker.
The busiest San Francisco remodelers in the last 12 months
Ranked by remodel permits in the last 12 months of the window. Volume, not quality; at these counts the ranking changes month to month.
| Firm | Permits, last 12 months | Permits, three years |
|---|---|---|
| Be Home Remodeling Inc | 23 | 33 |
| We Do Construction Inc | 20 | 49 |
| Baths for Less LLC dba Jacuzzi Bath Remo | 20 | 20 |
| Reliable Construction Inc | 19 | 37 |
| Mission Home Remodeling Inc | 16 | 48 |
Some of the busiest filers specialise in one product, such as bath or tub conversions, rather than full remodels. Each firm's completed share, usual value and CSLB status are on the compare list.
See every San Francisco remodeler by completion and CSLB license →
What the San Francisco record does not tell you
Electrical, plumbing and mechanical permits in San Francisco are separate datasets with no contractor field, so the subs on your job are not in our data; check their CSLB numbers yourself. A completed permit means DBI passed the inspections, not that the finish work was good or the job came in on budget. Home values on our pages are Proposition 13 assessed values, well below market. The national checklist with ten questions is in hiring a remodeling contractor, and contract structures in fixed price vs cost plus.
How we know this
Permits are San Francisco DBI building permits on one- and two-family homes classified as kitchen, bath and remodel, 2023-10 to 2026-09, with the contractor from the City's permit contacts file. "Completed" uses permits a year or more old, adjusted for permit age; days to completion is the median from issue to completion. Percentile and under-70% figures use remodel firms with 10 or more permits; the filed-value range uses firms with 3 or more. The busiest-firm table ranks by permits in the last 12 months. License status is the CSLB license file joined on the license number recorded on each permit. Rules are quoted from CSLB and DBI pages, read 22–23 October 2026.
Numbers come from San Francisco DBI building permits on one- and two-family homes, with the contractor from the city's permit contacts file, data through October 16, 2026. Nobody paid to be on this page and nobody can.
Questions
- How do I choose a remodeling contractor in San Francisco?
Check the CSLB license is active with a B General Building or B-2 Residential Remodeling class, keep the down payment within CSLB's cap, make sure the contractor pulls the DBI permit, and read its San Francisco record: 81.9% of remodel permits a year or more old were completed, and the 10th-percentile firm with 10 or more permits completed 66.9%.
- What license does a remodeler need in San Francisco?
A California CSLB license: B General Building or B-2 Residential Remodeling for work across trades, or the specialty class for a single trade. San Francisco does not license contractors; DBI checks the state license, workers' comp and a San Francisco business registration before it issues a permit.
- Do I need a permit for a kitchen or bathroom remodel in San Francisco?
Usually yes. DBI issues over-the-counter permits for kitchen, bath and other interior residential remodels, and an in-kind bathroom remodel with no change to the floor plan or walls needs no plans. Layout changes need plans.
- How much does a remodel cost in San Francisco?
The usual San Francisco kitchen, bath and remodel permit was filed at $38,000, and the middle half of remodelers had a usual filed value between $28,000 and $61,500. Filed values are what the contractor told DBI, not the contract price.
- How long does a remodel permit stay open in San Francisco?
The usual San Francisco remodel permit was completed 180 days after issue, because the permit stays open for the whole job. Tie the last payment to the final inspection.
Build your own list
Every firm with that kind of permit on record. Pick what you value. The list moves.
Related guides
- Hiring a remodeling contractor: 5 red flags and 10 questions, checked against remodel permits in 49 cities
- How to check contractor references: ask for addresses, check the permits, and the 8 questions to ask
- How many contractor quotes should you get? Three, and how to tell if they're in range
- How to compare contractor bids: what a good quote and contract include, and how to check each line
For one city
- Check a License — CSLB (2026-10-22)
- CSLB Licensing Classifications (2026-10-22)
- Finding the Right Contractor — CSLB (2026-10-22)
- Handyperson Exemption to Increase to $1,000 in 2025 — CSLB press release (AB 2622) (2026-10-22)
- Gather documents for your building permit issuance — San Francisco DBI (2026-10-22)
- Over-the-Counter (OTC) permits — San Francisco DBI (accessed 2026-10-23)
- Projects eligible for an Over-the-Counter (OTC) permit — San Francisco DBI (accessed 2026-10-22)
- Permit / Complaint Tracking System — San Francisco DBI (2026-10-22)