InstaBidsHow much does it cost to replace a roof in San Francisco?
$15,000 was the median declared permit value for data years 2023-2026 in San Francisco, CA. Re-roof permits for one- and two-family homes issued in San Francisco declared a typical range (middle half of 10,832 San Francisco DBI permit data points, San Francisco, CA, 2023-2026) of $11,000 to $20,000.
Updated 2026-10-28
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| What was measured | Median declared value | Declared value range (middle half) |
|---|---|---|
| Re-roof permits for one- and two-family homes issued in San Francisco declared | a median declared value on building permits of $15,000 | the typical range (middle half of 10,832 San Francisco DBI permit data points, San Francisco, CA, 2023-2026) was $11,000 to $20,000 |
Declared permit values are what applicants reported to the city; final contract prices can differ.
How measured: residential single-job permits; declared values below the low-value floor for the same job removed (97 rows). Source: DataSF, San Francisco Department of Building Inspection 'Building Permits' (i98e-djp9), data read 22 October 2026.
These figures are estimates from DataSF, San Francisco Department of Building Inspection 'Building Permits' (i98e-djp9), data years 2023-2026, read 22 October 2026, for San Francisco, CA. They are not a quote, and they are not a promise of what any contractor on InstaBids will charge. Your price depends on your home, the materials and the contractor. Get written bids before you decide.
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What the job includes, the line items to ask for and how to compare bids: the national roof replacement cost guide.
What do San Francisco roof permits declare?
San Francisco’s declared-value block contains 10,832 residential re-roof permits. Of 10,934 matching permits, 10,929 declared a value; the low-value filter removed 97.
The city’s building-permit selection covers one- and two-family homes. New-home and demolition-only records, mixed-job descriptions, legalisations, revisions, supplements and renewals are excluded. These are declarations on permit applications, not household invoices.
Roofing survey reports for San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA
| Area or whole-house size | Typical middle | Middle half range | n |
|---|---|---|---|
| San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA | a median of $15,000 | the typical range (middle half of 52 American Housing Survey data points, San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA, 2021-2023) was $10,000 to $27,000 | 52 |
How measured: hired-out finished jobs, survey-weighted, not adjusted for inflation. Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Housing Survey 2023, data read 16 October 2026.
These figures are estimates from U.S. Census Bureau, American Housing Survey 2023, data years 2021-2023, read 16 October 2026, for San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA. They are not a quote, and they are not a promise of what any contractor on InstaBids will charge. Your price depends on your home, the materials and the contractor. Get written bids before you decide.
Full national guide: How much does it cost to replace a roof?
How does San Francisco compare with the national survey?
For the national picture, the Census Bureau's American Housing Survey asked households about the work done on their home and whether they hired it out. Its roofing item reads "Added or replaced roofing", so full tear-offs and smaller partial replacements share one range.
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, AHS 2023 Value Labels Package, read 16 October 2026.
| What was measured | Median | Typical range (middle half) |
|---|---|---|
| Households in the American Housing Survey that hired out a roof replacement reported | a median of $10,000 | the typical range (middle half of 1,820 American Housing Survey data points, the United States, 2021-2023) was $5,800 to $16,000 |
| When the household did the roofing itself | a median (260 American Housing Survey data points, the United States, 2021-2023) of $5,600 | — |
How measured: hired-out finished jobs, survey-weighted, not adjusted for inflation; do-it-yourself jobs the same way. Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Housing Survey 2023, data read 16 October 2026.
These figures are estimates from U.S. Census Bureau, American Housing Survey 2023, data years 2021-2023, read 16 October 2026, for the United States. They are not a quote, and they are not a promise of what any contractor on InstaBids will charge. Your price depends on your home, the materials and the contractor. Get written bids before you decide.
Full national guide: How much does it cost to replace a roof?
The San Francisco median declared value sits above the national survey median for hired-out roof jobs.
The two are different kinds of record: a survey answer is what a household remembers paying, while a permit value is what an applicant wrote down before the work began. This page keeps them apart and never blends them into one number.
Which San Francisco rules cover reroofing and hot work?
Example rule, San Francisco Department of Building Inspection roof permit: permit exemption: “Reroofing without the installation, repair or removal of roof sheathing, if the total surface area of the roof reroofed in any 12-month period does not exceed 25 percent of the entire surface area of the roof.”
Source: San Francisco Department of Building Inspection, read 7 November 2026.
Example rule, San Francisco Fire Department roof permit: hot work permit: “Operational permits are required to conduct hot work operations as defined by the California Fire Code, and/or to use or store LP-Gas or other compressed gases.”
Source: San Francisco Fire Department, read 7 November 2026.
Example rule, San Francisco Fire Department roof permit: hot work site: “A pre-inspection of the site must be performed before any hot work is started.”
Source: San Francisco Fire Department, read 7 November 2026.
Example rule, San Francisco Fire Department roof permit: fire watch: “A fire watch is required during all hot work activities and shall include the entire area where open flame is used or other hot work is conducted.”
Source: San Francisco Fire Department, read 7 November 2026.
Example rule, San Francisco Fire Department roof permit: roofing flame: “Torches or open-flame devices for roofing applications shall not be used in an enclosed area.”
Source: San Francisco Fire Department, read 7 November 2026.
Where does San Francisco direct reroof permit applications?
San Francisco Department of Building Inspection, reroof application route: “New reroofing permit applications and in-kind, nonstructural kitchen or bath permit applications are now issued through the PermitSF portal.”
Source: San Francisco Department of Building Inspection, read 9 November 2026.
San Francisco Fire Department, building permit before roofing begins: “The contractor obtains a building permit with the SF Department of Building Inspection (DBI).”
Source: San Francisco Fire Department, read 9 November 2026.
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Sources for the figures on this page
- DataSF, San Francisco Department of Building Inspection 'Building Permits' (i98e-djp9), https://data.sf.gov/Housing-and-Buildings/Building-Permits/i98e-djp9, read 22 October 2026. InstaBids computed medians and middle-half ranges.
- U.S. Census Bureau, American Housing Survey 2023, https://www.census.gov/programs-surveys/ahs/data/2023/ahs-2023-public-use-file--puf-.html, read 16 October 2026. U.S. government work; no endorsement implied.
- U.S. Census Bureau, AHS 2023 Value Labels Package, www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/ahs/2023/AHS 2023 Value Labels Package.zip, read 16 October 2026.
- San Francisco Department of Building Inspection, codelibrary.amlegal.com/codes/san_francisco/latest/sf_building/0-0-0-92027, read 7 November 2026.
- San Francisco Fire Department, sf-fire.org/513-fire-safety-rules-and-practices-roofing-operations, read 7 November 2026.
- San Francisco Department of Building Inspection, dbiweb02.sfgov.org/dbi_building/, read 9 November 2026.
- San Francisco Fire Department, sf-fire.org/notice-building-owners-managers-regarding-requirements-roofing-contractors, read 9 November 2026.