Contractor costs in San Francisco, CA

Services indexed

12

Hourly range, avg

$126–$211/hr

San Francisco median

$169/hr

Most affordable: Painter · Premium: Attorney

The San Francisco contractor market

San Francisco indexes 12 services across 4 categories, with hourly rates spanning $49/hr (Painter) to $1000/hr (Attorney). The city median of $169/hr runs 97% above the national average across all indexed cities. Construction is the largest service block here (6 of 12 services).

Source: BLS OEWS May 2024 wage data adjusted for San Francisco cost of living. Read the methodology.

Home Repair & Maintenance

2 services

Construction

6 services
Flooring San Francisco, CA

Flooring Cost in San Francisco 2026: Real Rates by Neighborhood

SF flooring rates $70-$120/hr (avg $95). Victorian refinish $8-$18/sqft, LVP for SOMA lofts, CSLB C-15 + EPA RRP for pre-1978 stock, SF DBI permits.

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Foundation Repair San Francisco, CA

Foundation Repair Cost in San Francisco 2026: Real Rates by Neighborhood

SF foundation repair $61-$101/hr (avg $81). Soft-story retrofit, Victorian rubble foundations, liquefaction zones, and how Pacific Heights shifts pricing.

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General Contractor San Francisco, CA

General Contractor Cost in San Francisco 2026: Real Rates by Neighborhood

SF general contractor rates $135-$225/hr (avg $180). Neighborhood breakdown, CSLB + SF DBI permits, soft-story retrofit, and historic-review pricing.

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Painter San Francisco, CA

Painter Cost in San Francisco 2026: Real Rates by Neighborhood

SF painter rates $49-$82/hr (avg $66). Victorian color schemes, EPA RRP lead rules, Painted Ladies HPC review, and how Pacific Heights changes pricing.

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Roofer San Francisco, CA

Roofer Cost in San Francisco 2026: Real Rates by Neighborhood

SF roofer rates $54-$91/hr (avg $73). Flat TPO/torch-down vs steep-slope shingle, CSLB C-39, SF DBI permits, Title 24 cool-roof, salt-air corrosion.

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Siding San Francisco, CA

Siding Cost in San Francisco 2026: Real Rates by Neighborhood

SF siding rates $100-$166/hr (avg $133). Victorian redwood restoration, fiber-cement retrofit, DBI permits, Article 10/11 historic review costs.

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Outdoor & Landscaping

2 services

Professional Services

2 services

Frequently asked

7 answers

What's the average hourly rate for home services in San Francisco?

Across the 12 home and professional services we index in San Francisco, the median consumer rate is $169/hr. Hourly rates span $126/hr at the affordable end to $211/hr at the premium end, depending on service type and contractor.

Which service is most expensive in San Francisco?

Attorney carries the highest typical rate in San Francisco at $600–$1000/hr. Premium professional and licensed services consistently command the highest rates across our index.

Which service is most affordable in San Francisco?

Painter sits at the lower end of the San Francisco index at $49.34–$82.23/hr. Routine maintenance and cleaning categories typically cluster at the bottom of any city's price spread.

How do San Francisco rates compare to the national average?

San Francisco is 97% above the national average of $86/hr across our 49-city corpus. Local wage data and cost of living drive most of this difference — see the geographic precision note for the underlying data.

Which service category has the broadest coverage in San Francisco?

Construction has the most indexed services in San Francisco (6 guides), reflecting both local demand and the breadth of BLS wage data available for that segment.

Are these prices what consumers pay, or what workers earn?

Consumer-facing rates. We apply industry-standard 1.5–2.5× multipliers to BLS hourly wages to account for business overhead, insurance, licensing, employer costs, and profit margin. The full calculation is documented in the methodology.

How often is San Francisco pricing data updated?

Pricing reflects the BLS OEWS May 2024 release. The next refresh lands when May 2025 data is published in April 2026. Cadence is documented in the update schedule.

Data: BLS OEWS May 2024 · Methodology · Last refreshed January 2026