What's Required in San Francisco
- A building permit is required before renovating or replacing bathroom fixtures; only paint, paper, minor plaster repair and interior doors are exempt.
- DBI values a remodeled bathroom at no less than $20,552 for fee purposes, whatever the contract says.
- A separate plumbing permit (Category 1P, $290) and a separate electrical permit are required alongside the building permit.
- Plans are required, and the plan review fee applies, if the layout or floor plan changes or a wall is removed.
- Online in-kind permits are limited to R-3 homes and pre-1991 R-2 apartment units with a legally permitted bathroom.
- A licensed B contractor files the kitchen/bath permit; a homeowner may file only for an owner-occupied stand-alone single-family home and must do the work personally.
- Wiring and pipes must be inspected before they are covered, and the remodel cannot get its final until the trade permits pass theirs.
- Removing a bathroom requires an affidavit, posted in the building for 15 days, that no dwelling unit is being removed.
- A $5 lead-safe surcharge applies to alteration permits on one- and two-family homes built before 1979.
Do You Need a Permit to Remodel a Bathroom in San Francisco?
Yes, and in San Francisco that includes the in-kind refresh most cities let slide. The Department of Building Inspection (DBI) says you need a permit before renovating and replacing kitchen or bath fixtures, and the building code's exemption list carves floor coverings in bathrooms and toilet rooms out of the usual flooring exemption. What stays permit-free is the finish layer: painting, papering, minor plaster patching, and swapping an interior door. Everything from a new vanity and tile to a moved shower drain runs through a building permit, and the plumbing and electrical parts of the job need their own trade permits on top of it.
San Francisco Bathroom Remodel Permit Rules by Scenario
| What you are doing | City filing | Rule |
|---|---|---|
| Paint, wallpaper, minor plaster patch, new interior door | None | SF Building Code 106A.2 exempt work |
| New tile, vanity, tub or toilet in the same spot, no walls moved | Kitchen/bath permit online (no plans) + plumbing and electrical permits | DBI PermitSF in-kind kitchen/bath permit; R-3 homes or pre-1991 R-2 units |
| Moving the toilet, sink or shower, or removing a wall | OTC building permit with plans + trade permits | Plans required when layout or floor plan changes |
| Adding a brand-new bathroom | OTC building permit with plans + water-use form | New bathrooms are on DBI's OTC interior list |
| New shower pan only | Plumbing permit, Category 1P | $290 single-unit category covers shower pan installation |
| New exhaust fan, lights or GFCI outlets | Electrical permit | Up to 10 outlets or devices $305 |
| Removing a bathroom entirely | Building permit + no-unit-removal affidavit | Affidavit posted 15 days in the building |
How Much Does a Bathroom Remodel Permit Cost in San Francisco?
DBI prices building permits on valuation, and it will not accept a bathroom valued below $20,552; that is the per-bathroom figure in DBI's cost schedule and DBI's own kitchen-and-bath page repeats it as the minimum. On the fee table that took effect July 12, 2026, the permit issuance fee for a $2,001 to $50,000 job is $266 for the first $2,000 plus $8.56 for each additional $1,000 or fraction, so a $20,552 bathroom pays $266 + 19 × $8.56 = $428.64. That is the whole building-permit fee for an in-kind remodel filed online without plans, because the code charges the plan review fee only when plans are required. Add a $5 lead surcharge if the house predates 1979 and a few dollars of state fees. Change the layout and you file over the counter with plans, which adds plan review of $310 plus $28.35 per $1,000: $310 + 19 × $28.35 = $848.65, for a building total of about $1,277. The trade permits are flat: plumbing Category 1P, which covers a single kitchen or bathroom remodel with two inspections, is $290, and an electrical permit for up to 10 outlets or devices is $305. So a same-layout remodel with plumbing and electrical runs about $1,024, and a layout change about $1,872. If your contractor's contract is above the minimum valuation, the building fee rises with it; DBI's own guide puts total fees at 3 to 4.5 percent of construction cost.
Who Can Pull a San Francisco Bathroom Permit?
A licensed B contractor files the kitchen-or-bath permit; other contractors can take the related electrical and plumbing permits, and B contractors authorized for Express Permits skip staff review entirely. Homeowners may file only for a stand-alone single-family home that is their primary residence and only if they do the work themselves; after the online form you go to the Permit Center help desk at 49 South Van Ness with ID to talk to an inspector, who can send you to hire a contractor instead. The same owner-of-a-stand-alone-R-3-home rule governs homeowner plumbing and electrical permits. Condo and flat owners must use licensed contractors.
How the Process Works
In-kind work is filed on PermitSF; after you submit the building permit the portal prompts you to open the separate electrical and plumbing permits, each priced on its own scope. Layout changes go to the Permit Center over the counter with two sets of plans, an owner package or contractor statement, the Green Building form and, for added fixtures, a water-use form. Inspections are requested from your PermitSF dashboard: plumbing and electrical rough-in before anything is covered, then finals. DBI will not schedule the final inspection on the remodel until the plumbing and electrical permits have passed their own finals, and all fees must be paid before sign-off.
How to Get a Bathroom Remodel Permit in San Francisco
Decide if the layout changes
Same-spot fixture replacement files online without plans; moving a fixture or removing a wall means an over-the-counter permit with two sets of plans.
Apply on PermitSF or at the Permit Center
A B contractor (or a qualifying homeowner) files the kitchen/bath permit; plan-based work is submitted in person at 49 South Van Ness with the owner package or contractor statement and the Green Building form.
Open the plumbing and electrical permits
PermitSF prompts for the separate trade permits after the building permit; each is priced on its own scope, $290 for Category 1P plumbing and $305 and up for electrical.
Pay fees and get the job card
Fees are due before issuance; the building fee is $428.64 at the minimum bathroom valuation, plus $848.65 plan review when plans are required. Work starts only after the job card is issued.
Call for rough and final inspections
Request inspections from the PermitSF dashboard before covering pipes or wiring; the remodel final is scheduled only after plumbing and electrical finals pass.