Which license each job needs in San Francisco
| Work | CSLB class | San Francisco firms with an active CSLB license |
|---|---|---|
| Remodels across trades, kitchens, baths | B General Building, or B-2 Residential Remodeling | 94.3% of 1,925 |
| Additions, ADUs, foundations | B General Building, or the specialty class for the work | 95.3% (additions), 96.7% (ADUs), 92.3% (foundations) |
| Roofing | C-39 Roofing | 91.7% of 1,072 |
| Windows | C-17 Glazing (or a B on a wider job) | 93.2% of 1,358 |
| Decks, stairs | B General Building | 95.0% of 1,014 |
| Solar | C-46 Solar | 95.7% of 116 |
| Electrical | C-10 Electrical | separate city dataset with no contractor field |
| Plumbing, water heaters | C-36 Plumbing | separate city dataset with no contractor field |
| Furnaces, heat pumps, A/C | C-20 Warm-Air Heating, Ventilating and Air-Conditioning | separate city dataset with no contractor field |
Class names are from CSLB's Licensing Classifications list (read 22 October 2026). The only unlicensed work allowed is the handyperson exemption: under $1,000 including "all costs associated with the project", no hired workers and no building permit (CSLB, AB 2622, in force since 1 January 2025). A licensed contractor carries a $25,000 license bond, which CSLB notes "may not cover multiple complaints".
What DBI asks for before it issues the permit: the "State of California contractor's license and classification (known as a pocket card)", a certificate of workers' compensation, a current San Francisco business registration and a Licensed Contractor's Statement. Only property owners, state-licensed contractors or their agents may apply (DBI, read 22 October 2026).
How to run the lookup in five minutes
- Get the license number from the quote. CSLB says it must be on ads, bids and contracts.
- Search CSLB Check a License by number. Check the status is active, the classification fits the job (a C-39 roofer should not be rebuilding your stairs), the bond is current and workers' comp is on file if the firm has employees.
- Check the down payment. CSLB says it generally cannot exceed 10% of the price or $1,000, whichever is less.
- Read the record: open the firm on our San Francisco roofing, remodel or windows list to see its permits, completion share and usual days to completion.
How to search San Francisco permit records
DBI's Permit / Complaint Tracking System searches building, electrical, plumbing and boiler permits and complaints by site address, permit number, "Applicant or Authorized Agent", or description keyword, with records back to the 1980s (DBI, read 22 October 2026). The applicant search is the closest it gets to a contractor history, and it lists one permit at a time.
We use the same building permits, joined to the contractor in the City's permit contacts file and to CSLB by license number, so a firm's whole San Francisco record sits on one page. The San Francisco permit statistics and ZIP code pages show the same file by trade and neighborhood.
What 24,197 San Francisco permits show
| Trade | Permits | Firms | Completed | Usual days to completion | Usual filed value |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Roofing | 9,537 | 1,072 | 87.3% | 36 | $15,275 |
| Remodel | 5,126 | 1,925 | 81.9% | 180 | $38,000 |
| Windows | 4,050 | 1,358 | 85.9% | 159 | $24,000 |
| Decks and stairs | 1,701 | 1,014 | 83.4% | 237 | $22,000 |
| Exterior | 1,076 | 610 | 77.9% | 103 | $10,000 |
| Foundation | 781 | 401 | 82.8% | 191 | $17,848 |
| Addition | 674 | 509 | 52.2% | 621 | $230,000 |
| Solar | 441 | 116 | 71.7% | 349 | $25,900 |
| ADU | 333 | 271 | 52.5% | 567 | $169,365 |
"Completed" is the share of permits a year or more old that the City marked complete, adjusted for permit age; expired, suspended and revoked permits count against it. Additions and ADUs complete about half the time a year on, which reflects how long those jobs run, so compare an ADU builder only with other ADU builders.
Among the 135 roofing firms with 10 or more permits, the 10th-percentile firm completed 62.2% and the 90th 98.1%; 20 were under 70%. For remodelers the spread is 66.9% to 92.6%.
See every San Francisco roofer by completion and CSLB license →
Red flags in San Francisco
- A CSLB record that is not active. 42 remodel firms, 41 window firms and 30 roofing firms in our file matched a license that was not active.
- A class that does not match the job, such as a C-39 roofer quoting a kitchen.
- A down payment over $1,000 or 10%, without a blanket bond on file with CSLB.
- "You pull the permit as owner." DBI lets owners apply for work they do themselves, on its Property Owner's Disclosures form, which makes the work your responsibility rather than a licensed contractor's.
What this lookup does not tell you
San Francisco's electrical, plumbing and mechanical permits are separate datasets with no contractor field, so electricians, plumbers and HVAC firms are not ranked here. The CSLB file lists current licenses only, so a firm whose license lapsed shows no license record rather than "expired". Home values on our pages are Proposition 13 assessed values, well below market. A license says the firm may do the work, not how its last job went. The statewide rules are in How to check a contractor's license in California.
How we know this
Permits are San Francisco DBI building permits on one- and two-family homes, 2023-10 to 2026-09, with the contractor from the City's permit contacts file, grouped into trades from each permit's description. "Completed" uses permits a year or more old, adjusted for permit age; the percentile figures use firms with 10 or more permits. License status is the California CSLB license master file, joined on the license number recorded on each permit where there is one. Rules are quoted from CSLB and DBI pages, read 22 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
- Does San Francisco license contractors?
No; California does, through the Contractors State License Board. San Francisco's Department of Building Inspection checks that license before it issues a permit, along with workers' comp and a current San Francisco business registration.
- Which license does a San Francisco remodeler need?
A CSLB B (General Building) or B-2 (Residential Remodeling) license for work that spans trades, or the specialty class for a single trade: C-39 roofing, C-17 glazing for windows, C-10 electrical, C-36 plumbing, C-20 HVAC, C-46 solar.
- Can someone without a license do small jobs?
Only under $1,000 total, labor and materials included, with no permit and no hired workers, since AB 2622 took effect on 1 January 2025 (CSLB). Anything that needs a DBI permit needs a licensed contractor or the owner.
- How much can a contractor ask as a down payment?
CSLB says contractors generally cannot ask for more than 10% of the contract price or $1,000, whichever is less, unless they have a blanket performance and payment bond on file with CSLB.
- How do I see the permits on a San Francisco address?
On DBI's Permit / Complaint Tracking System, by site address, permit number, applicant or agent, or description keyword. It covers building, electrical, plumbing and boiler permits and complaints, back to the 1980s.
Build your own list
Every firm with that kind of permit on record. Pick what you value. The list moves.
Related guides
- 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)
- Permit / Complaint Tracking System — San Francisco DBI (2026-10-22)