24,197 permits from 3,609 contractors across 10 kinds of work in the City and County of San Francisco, October 2023 through September 2026: about 8,066 a year. Roofing is the biggest trade with 9,537 permits. The busiest month for filings is October.
Firms are distinct business names on the file. A linked usual filed value opens what that work costs. Finished is the share of permits a year or more old that the city closed out. Days to finish run from issue to the city's completion date, not from application.
| Trade | Permits | Firms | Active last 12 mo | Usual filed value | Finished | Days to finish | Busiest month |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Roofing | 9,537 | 1,072 | 535 | $15,275 | 87.2% | 36 | October |
| Kitchen, Bath & Remodel | 5,126 | 1,925 | 1,034 | $38,000 | 81.4% | 180 | July |
| Windows & Skylights | 4,050 | 1,358 | 572 | $24,000 | 85.8% | 159 | October |
| Decks, Stairs & Porches | 1,701 | 1,014 | 420 | $22,000 | 82.7% | 237 | April |
| Siding, Dry Rot & Exterior Repair | 1,076 | 610 | 209 | $10,000 | 79.4% | 103 | October |
| Foundation & Seismic | 781 | 401 | 149 | $17,848 | 82.2% | 191 | May |
| Addition | 674 | 509 | 208 | $230,000 | 51.7% | 621 | September |
| Fire Sprinklers & Alarms | 478 | 85 | 37 | $14,800 | 77.4% | 333 | October |
| Solar & Battery | 441 | 116 | 95 | $25,900 | 74.2% | 349 | April |
| ADU | 333 | 271 | 111 | $169,365 | 52.5% | 567 | October |
The file we publish splits exactly into the last 12 months on file and the 24 months before them, so these are 12-month periods ending September 2026, not calendar years. Per year scales each period to 12 months. Counts cover the 10 kinds of home work we track, not every permit San Francisco issues.
| Period | Months | Permits | Per year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Oct 2023–Sep 2025 | 24 | 17,109 | 8,554 |
| Oct 2025–Sep 2026 (last 12 months) | 12 | 7,088 | 7,088 |
Share of filings by month, 100 = an average month (the thin line). The 7 biggest trades (every trade with 500 or more permits), October 2023 through September 2026. A tall bar is a busy month at the permit counter, which usually means a longer wait for a contractor.
9,537 permits · busiest October, quietest December
5,126 permits · busiest July, quietest November
4,050 permits · busiest October, quietest February
1,701 permits · busiest April, quietest November
1,076 permits · busiest October, quietest December
781 permits · busiest May, quietest February
674 permits · busiest September, quietest November
| Trade | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Roofing | 106 | 96 | 105 | 110 | 107 | 103 | 89 | 98 | 86 | 132 | 89 | 80 |
| Kitchen, Bath & Remodel | 91 | 98 | 106 | 91 | 113 | 110 | 125 | 106 | 92 | 103 | 81 | 83 |
| Windows & Skylights | 100 | 90 | 92 | 94 | 97 | 98 | 104 | 101 | 101 | 121 | 102 | 100 |
| Decks, Stairs & Porches | 92 | 84 | 100 | 125 | 104 | 102 | 120 | 101 | 115 | 100 | 72 | 85 |
| Siding, Dry Rot & Exterior Repair | 96 | 80 | 86 | 110 | 103 | 106 | 112 | 110 | 87 | 152 | 80 | 78 |
| Foundation & Seismic | 108 | 81 | 81 | 109 | 114 | 84 | 111 | 88 | 95 | 114 | 109 | 106 |
| Addition | 77 | 94 | 91 | 128 | 84 | 100 | 123 | 105 | 135 | 110 | 66 | 87 |
For each trade, the month with the most permit filings and the month with the fewest, October 2023 through September 2026. Trades do not all peak together, so the busy season depends on the job. Busiest is not the same as best: these are counts of filings, not prices or weather, though a quiet month at the permit counter can mean contractors have more room in the schedule.
October: San Francisco roofing permits peak in October (132 against an average month of 100, about 11% of a year's filings); December is the quietest (80). That is from 9,537 permits, October 2023 through September 2026. If you can choose when to schedule roofing work, December has the fewest filings; the usual permit then takes 36 days from issue to sign-off. Busiest is not the same as best: this counts filings, not prices or weather, and we have no prices by month. See the roofing chart →
July: San Francisco kitchen, bath & remodel permits peak in July (125 against an average month of 100, about 10% of a year's filings); November is the quietest (81). That is from 5,126 permits, October 2023 through September 2026. If you can choose when to schedule a home remodel, November has the fewest filings; the usual permit then takes 180 days from issue to sign-off. Busiest is not the same as best: this counts filings, not prices or weather, and we have no prices by month. See the kitchen, bath & remodel chart →
October: San Francisco windows & skylights permits peak in October (121 against an average month of 100, about 10% of a year's filings); February is the quietest (90). That is from 4,050 permits, October 2023 through September 2026. If you can choose when to schedule window replacement, February has the fewest filings; the usual permit then takes 159 days from issue to sign-off. Busiest is not the same as best: this counts filings, not prices or weather, and we have no prices by month. See the windows & skylights chart →
April: San Francisco decks, stairs & porches permits peak in April (125 against an average month of 100, about 10% of a year's filings); November is the quietest (72). That is from 1,701 permits, October 2023 through September 2026. If you can choose when to schedule a deck build, November has the fewest filings; the usual permit then takes 237 days from issue to sign-off. Busiest is not the same as best: this counts filings, not prices or weather, and we have no prices by month. See the decks, stairs & porches chart →
October: San Francisco siding, dry rot & exterior repair permits peak in October (152 against an average month of 100, about 13% of a year's filings); December is the quietest (78). That is from 1,076 permits, October 2023 through September 2026. If you can choose when to schedule exterior work, December has the fewest filings; the usual permit then takes 103 days from issue to sign-off. Busiest is not the same as best: this counts filings, not prices or weather, and we have no prices by month. See the siding, dry rot & exterior repair chart →
May: San Francisco foundation & seismic permits peak in May (114 against an average month of 100, about 9% of a year's filings); February is the quietest (81). That is from 781 permits, October 2023 through September 2026. If you can choose when to schedule foundation work, February has the fewest filings; the usual permit then takes 191 days from issue to sign-off. Busiest is not the same as best: this counts filings, not prices or weather, and we have no prices by month. See the foundation & seismic chart →
September: San Francisco addition permits peak in September (135 against an average month of 100, about 11% of a year's filings); November is the quietest (66). That is from 674 permits, October 2023 through September 2026. If you can choose when to schedule a home addition, November has the fewest filings; the usual permit then takes 621 days from issue to sign-off. Busiest is not the same as best: this counts filings, not prices or weather, and we have no prices by month. See the addition chart →
October: San Francisco fire sprinklers & alarms permits peak in October (166 against an average month of 100, about 14% of a year's filings); May is the quietest (75). That is from 478 permits, October 2023 through September 2026. If you can choose when to schedule fire sprinkler and alarm work, May has the fewest filings; the usual permit then takes 333 days from issue to sign-off. Busiest is not the same as best: this counts filings, not prices or weather, and we have no prices by month.
April: San Francisco solar & battery permits peak in April (136 against an average month of 100, about 11% of a year's filings); October is the quietest (52). That is from 441 permits, October 2023 through September 2026. If you can choose when to schedule solar installation, October has the fewest filings; the usual permit then takes 349 days from issue to sign-off. Busiest is not the same as best: this counts filings, not prices or weather, and we have no prices by month.
October: San Francisco ADU permits peak in October (130 against an average month of 100, about 11% of a year's filings); July is the quietest (79). That is from 333 permits, October 2023 through September 2026. If you can choose when to schedule ADU construction, July has the fewest filings; the usual permit then takes 567 days from issue to sign-off. Busiest is not the same as best: this counts filings, not prices or weather, and we have no prices by month.
Top 10 by permits pulled in the last 12 months, all trades. This is volume, not quality: a busy firm is not a careful one. Pick what you value on the compare page to build a ranking.
| Contractor | Trades | Last 12 mo | All permits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tom Lee Roofing Inc | Roofing | 134 | 494 |
| Apollo Building & Roofing Group Inc | Roofing, Windows & Skylights | 105 | 435 |
| Jemico LLC dba Renewal by Andersen of SF | Windows & Skylights, Siding, Dry Rot & Exterior Repair, Foundation & Seismic | 104 | 697 |
| General Express Construction dba Roof Ex | Roofing, Kitchen, Bath & Remodel, Windows & Skylights | 81 | 276 |
| The G B Group Inc | Roofing | 81 | 81 |
| Elm Roofing Contractors Inc dba Element | Roofing, Decks, Stairs & Porches | 65 | 171 |
| Luminalt Energy Corporation | Addition, Solar & Battery | 65 | 76 |
| Marina Bay Roofing Inc | Roofing | 45 | 48 |
| Mr. Roofing, Inc | Roofing, Solar & Battery | 38 | 149 |
| American Standard Roofing Inc | Roofing, Solar & Battery | 37 | 177 |
Each permit counted at its property's ZIP code, October 2023 through September 2026, for the 10 kinds of home work we track. The 10 busiest of 19 ZIP codes with 100 or more permits; each opens permits by trade and the most active contractors there.
| ZIP code | Permits | Share | Top trade | Usual home value |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 94112 | 2,398 | 10% | Roofing | $647,000 |
| 94122 | 2,361 | 10% | Roofing | $764,000 |
| 94116 | 2,315 | 10% | Roofing | $805,000 |
| 94110 | 2,102 | 9% | Roofing | $1,011,000 |
| 94131 | 1,886 | 8% | Roofing | $1,099,000 |
| 94114 | 1,780 | 7% | Roofing | $1,688,000 |
| 94127 | 1,705 | 7% | Roofing | $1,122,000 |
| 94121 | 1,703 | 7% | Roofing | $961,000 |
| 94118 | 1,514 | 6% | Roofing | $1,652,000 |
| 94134 | 996 | 4% | Roofing | $587,000 |
Source: San Francisco DBI building permits on one- and two-family homes, with the contractor from the city's permit contacts file. The window is October 2023 through September 2026; a permit filed after that isn't here yet.
A filed value is what the contractor wrote on the permit when they applied. It is not a quote and not the final bill.
Counts are permits, not jobs: one job can need several permits, and one permit can cover several visits. 92.1% of the 3,609 firms on the file match an active license at the California CSLB license master file, using the license number recorded on each permit where there is one; the match goes by name and can miss one.
Nobody paid to be on this page and nobody can. How the records work in San Francisco →
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