Cost to Build a House in San Francisco, California ()
The cost to build a house in San Francisco, California ranges from $160 to $300 per square foot depending on the grade of construction you choose (not including the cost of sitework or land). To get a more accurate cost for your home building project, request a quote. Please note that if you use our matching service, we may be compensated.
Topics Covered in this Guide: Cost to Build a House | Cost to Build a House Factors | Frequently Asked Questions | Related Cost Guides | Find Home Builders | Cost to Build a House in Your Area
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How Much Does It Cost to Build a House in San Francisco, CA?
The cost to build a house in San Francisco, California ranges from $160 to $300 per square foot depending on the grade of construction you choose (not including the cost of sitework or land).
This guide is intended to provide you an approximate cost to build a house in San Francisco, CA. To get a more accurate quote for your specific project, request a free estimate. Our research, although general in nature, does include feedback provided by home builders and research conducted by the HomeBlue staff.
Cost to build a house in San Francisco:
- The cost to build a house in San Francisco, California ranges from $160 to $300 per square foot depending on the grade of construction you choose (not including the cost of sitework or land).
Home building cost based on the grade of construction you choose:
- Home building cost (standard grade construction): $160 to $190 per square foot.
- Home building cost (premium grade construction): $190 to $240 per square foot.
- Home building cost (luxury grade construction): $240 to $300 per square foot.
- To get a more accurate cost for your home building project, request a quote.
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Factors that Influence Home Building Cost in San Francisco
When custom home builders come to your house to provide you an estimate, they will consider a number of factors that can increase or decrease the cost of your project. Pricing for your home building project will vary based the height, condition and accessibility of the tree. Here are a few things to keep in mind when you get quotes from new home builders:
Your prices may be higher when:
- The house is multiple stories.
- The roof is complex with many ridges and valleys.
- You want a deck, pool, or patio.
- The lot is difficult to build on (ie: odd shape or steep lot).
- The property is in a high cost city.
- Local builders have a significant backlog of work.
- You choose high end finishes and materials.
- The house is custom designed.
- Local building requirements are more strict.
Your prices may be lower when:
- You want to build a one story house.
- The roof is a simple gable or hip roof.
- The property located in a lower cost city.
- You choose standard building materials.
- You use a pre-designed plan and request minimal changes.
- The lot is easy to build (ie: it is rectangular or flat).
- Local building ordinances are less strict.
- The builder is building multiple houses in the same neighborhood.
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Home Building FAQs
Here are a few frequently asked questions related to home building:
We are not aware of any jurisdiction that does not require a permit to build a house. Thus, it is highly likely that a permit is required in San Francisco. The contractor or builder you select should be familiar with the permit process. You can also hire a permit expediter to help move the process along.
The short answer is no. You could hire a local builder that has pre-existing models (with full plans already prepared). These models can be utilized as-is or customized to suit your lot and preferences. However, if you desire a distinct design and have specific requirements for your new home, engaging an architect is likely the way to go.
In our view, chosing a local builder and selecting from their preset plans offers the simplest route to building a new house. Hiring a builder provides access to their array of established plans, streamlining the process for several reasons: firstly, it eliminates the need to hire an architect, saving both time and money; secondly, the builder's familiarity with previous projects often results in greater cost efficiency.
Related Cost Guides
We have researched several other closely related projects. If one of these projects better represents the type of project you are undertaking, please check out the appropriate guide:
- How much does a sunroom cost? Sunroom Cost Guide for San Francisco
- How much does a home addition cost? Home Addition Cost Guide for San Francisco
- How much does it cost to finish a basement? Basement Finishing Cost Guide for San Francisco
- Need to remodel your kitchen? Kitchen Remodeling Cost Guide for San Francisco
- How much to remodel a bathroom? Bathroom Remodeling Cost Guide for San Francisco
- How much to build a deck? Deck Building Cost Guide for San Francisco
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Local Home Builders Near San Francisco, CA
The following are a few contractors in your area. Note that these companies have not been screened or vetted by HomeBlue. Please conduct proper due diligence prior to hiring these or any other company you may select.
Gaia Homes LLC Gaia Homes is an innovative provider of smart, sustainable, and modern prefabricated modular homes in California. Our goal is to help buyers, builders, and designers take meaningful steps towards creating “home of the future” by building net-zero and net-positive energy modular homes. We believe modular homes should be healthy for both residents and our mother earth, Gaia. We are dedicated to sustainable construction, materials, and processes. We strive to minimize our negative impact on the environment by using a prefabricated modular construction system that is simple, smart, efficient, and sustainable.
Prosper construction development We started as a couple of developers who renovated old houses in San Francisco, ones that, with a lot of vision, love, and expert craftsmanship, could be turned into functional, comfortable, and beautiful homes that people enjoyed. As word of our work spread, we started getting requests for different kinds of services, from foundation repairs and kitchen remodels to—soon enough—custom home builds. And we get it: our customers’ homes are our most important assets, and they want the same level of care and diligence applied to any project in their home, big or small. So we teamed up with an engineer, architect, and interior designer, and established Prosper Construction Services in 2012 to make Bay Area residents feel right at home. It would be our pleasure to make you feel right in yours, too.
Home Building Cost Estimates
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Find Cost to Build a House in Your Area
Home building cost varies from area to area. We have developed several cost to build a house guides to help you identify the home construction cost near you.
- How to Get Home Building Price Quotes
- How to Get Matched to Home Builders
- Search for Cost to Build a House in Your City
- Cost to Build a House Guide (National Averages)
- Cost to Build a House in San Jose, CA