Hiring a roofer in San Francisco: the C-39 license, the reroofing permit, and what 9,500 roofing permits show

San Francisco roofing in numbers

Filing peaks in October (index 132), ahead of the rains, and is lowest in December (80). Prices by job size are on the San Francisco roofing cost page.

Which license a San Francisco roofer needs

San Francisco has no city contractor license; California licenses roofers through CSLB under the C-39 Roofing classification (CSLB Licensing Classifications, read 22 October 2026). DBI then limits who can file: "You must be a licensed C-39 contractor registered with the City of San Francisco to apply for a reroofing permit online" (San Francisco DBI, read 23 October 2026). A general contractor with a B license can roof as part of a larger job, but a roof-only quote should come from a C-39.

The five-minute check: search the license number on CSLB's Check a License. The status must be Active, the classes must include C-39, the bond must be current, and workers' compensation must be on file if the roofer has employees. CSLB caps the down payment at 10% of the price or $1,000, whichever is less (Finding the Right Contractor). More in the San Francisco contractor license lookup.

The permit rule for a San Francisco reroof

DBI says "You need a permit before installing, repairing, or removing roof sheathing." The online reroofing permit is for work that "Does not require plans" on an "R-3 residential building only (not historical) with no active complaints"; a reroof that needs plans goes through an over-the-counter building permit instead. The fee DBI lists is $256.62 for single-family homes and duplexes and $386.22 for other types, and "additional fees may apply" (San Francisco DBI, read 23 October 2026). The exemptions sit in San Francisco Building Code Section 106A.2 item 13; DBI does not spell them out on that page.

After booking, search your address on DBI's Permit Tracking System: the reroofing permit should list your roofer's license number, and after the final inspection, a completion. Rules elsewhere: do I need a permit for roof replacement.

Red flags in the San Francisco record

• A CSLB record that is not Active. 30 roofing firms on San Francisco permits (2.8%) matched a license that was not active.
• A completion share under 62.2%. That is the 10th-percentile line among the 135 roofers with 10 or more permits; 20 complete under 70%.
• No C-39 on a roof-only bid, which means the firm cannot file the online reroofing permit itself.
• A firm that went quiet. 38 roofing firms with 5 or more permits filed none in the last 12 months.
• A down payment above 10% or $1,000, whichever is less, the CSLB cap.

The busiest San Francisco roofers in the last 12 months

Ranked by San Francisco roofing permits in the last 12 months of the window. Volume, not quality.

The market is spread wide: the five busiest hold 16.2% of permits, and 51.4% of firms filed exactly one. The compare list shows each firm's completion share, days and CSLB status.

See every San Francisco roofer by completion and CSLB license →

What the San Francisco record does not tell you

A completed permit means DBI's inspector signed off on code; it does not check the manufacturer's installation spec or the warranty registration. San Francisco permits carry the contractor's license number, so our license match is unusually direct, but status can change after our snapshot: check CSLB the week you sign. Insurance never appears on a permit. Remodels are covered in hiring a remodeling contractor in San Francisco, the national roofer checklist in hiring a roofer, and California rules in how to check a contractor's license in California.