InstaBidsHow much does it cost to replace windows in San Francisco?
$10,439 was the median declared permit value for data years 2023-2026 in San Francisco, CA. Window replacement permits for one- and two-family homes issued in San Francisco declared a typical range (middle half of 2,344 San Francisco DBI permit data points, San Francisco, CA, 2023-2026) of $5,450 to $20,000.
Updated 2026-10-28
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| What was measured | Median declared value | Declared value range (middle half) |
|---|---|---|
| Window replacement permits for one- and two-family homes issued in San Francisco declared | a median declared value on building permits of $10,439 | the typical range (middle half of 2,344 San Francisco DBI permit data points, San Francisco, CA, 2023-2026) was $5,450 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 (25 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 window replacement cost guide.
What do San Francisco window permits declare?
Each San Francisco figure above is a declared permit value: what the applicant told the permit office the window job was worth when applying. It is not an invoice.
The count covers San Francisco building permits on one- and two-family homes whose description names replacing, changing out or retrofitting windows and names no door, skylight or new opening.
Before counting, 145 legalisation, as-built, revision, supplemental or renewal permits, 111 permits that also named another job, 7 demolition-only permits and 3 permits not on an existing home were left out.
Of the 2,382 matched permits, 2,369 carried a declared value. Of those, 25 fell below the low-value floor for this job and were removed, which leaves the 2,344 permits behind the figures.
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. It has no line for windows alone: its item reads "Added or replaced doors or windows", so a new entry door and a full set of new windows 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 someone to add or replace doors or windows reported | a median of $4,000 | the typical range (middle half of 1,477 American Housing Survey data points, the United States, 2021-2023) was $1,300 to $10,000 |
| When the household fitted them itself | a median (572 American Housing Survey data points, the United States, 2021-2023) of $750 | — |
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 windows?
The San Francisco median declared value sits above the national survey median for hired-out door and window 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.
What does ENERGY STAR say about older homes and landlords?
ENERGY STAR's window page warns that a house built before 1978 probably contains lead-based paint, and says "any contractor or landlord replacing a window must use lead-safe work practices to prevent lead dust hazards."
Source: ENERGY STAR (U.S. EPA), Residential Windows, Doors and Skylights, read 16 October 2026.
Which window rules does San Francisco publish?
Example rule, San Francisco Planning Department window guidance: “Within the City and County of San Francisco, all window replacement projects require a building permit.”
Source: San Francisco Planning Department, read 9 November 2026.
Example rule, San Francisco Planning Department window guidance: “Window replacement in City Landmarks buildings and buildings within landmark districts and conservation districts require a preservation entitlement (either an Administrative Certificate of Appropriateness or a Minor Permit to Alter).”
Source: San Francisco Planning Department, read 9 November 2026.
Example rule, San Francisco Planning Department window guidance: “If the property is Category A* (a City Landmark or in a Conservation District), you are not eligible for an over-the-counter approval. Instead, you may need to apply for an Administrative Certificate of Appropriateness or a Minor Permit to Alter.”
Source: San Francisco Planning Department, read 9 November 2026.
Example rule, San Francisco Planning Department window guidance: “If you want to expand an existing window or add a new window to the exterior of your building, you must include building plans and elevations with your Over-the-Counter (OTC) building permit application – see Submittal Guidelines for building plan requirements.”
Source: San Francisco Planning Department, read 9 November 2026.
Example rule, San Francisco Planning Department window guidance: “A DBI inspector must do a final onsite inspection to "complete" your window replacement permit.”
Source: San Francisco Planning Department, read 9 November 2026.
Example rule, San Francisco Planning Department window guidance: “For Category A (historic) properties, the Department will require replacements to match original windows as close as possible including their size, glazing operation, material, finish, exterior profiles, details, and arrangement.”
Source: San Francisco Planning Department, read 9 November 2026.
Example rule, San Francisco Planning Department window guidance: “For A* properties, all replacement windows where the original window was wood shall also be wood, and aluminum-clad wood shall not be permitted as a replacement material.”
Source: San Francisco Planning Department, read 9 November 2026.
Example rule, San Francisco Planning Department Category A historic-resource window guidance: “All windows should ideally achieve a depth of 2-inches from the face of the building to the sash.”
Source: San Francisco Planning Department, read 9 November 2026.
Example rule, San Francisco Planning Department Category A historic-resource window guidance: “Replacement windows that are not visible can be of any material and operation. For multi-unit properties (such as condos), if windows are replaced individually, all new windows shall be the same.”
Source: San Francisco Planning Department, read 9 November 2026.
Example rule, San Francisco Planning Department window guidance: “As of February 13, 2026 the Permit Center will only accept online applications for in-kind replacements of doors, windows, and siding – you will not need to visit the Permit Center.”
Source: San Francisco Planning 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.
- ENERGY STAR (U.S. EPA), Residential Windows, Doors and Skylights, www.energystar.gov/products/res_windows_doors_skylights, read 16 October 2026.
- San Francisco Planning Department, sfplanning.org/sites/default/files/documents/publications/Window_Replacement_Standards_Recommendations.pdf, read 9 November 2026.
- San Francisco Planning Department, sfplanning.org/homeowners, read 9 November 2026.