1
Doherty Restoration Inc
Based in San Francisco
2 new home permits in SF, latest Dec 2024, median permit value $912k · new construction
licensed 33 yrs
Active · B · #674707 · Bond ✓ · Workers' comp ✓ · Verify on CSLB
C-33 Painting and Decorating
Custom home builders in San Francisco, CA
3 contractors have new-home permit records in San Francisco. CSLB license data dated Oct 16, 2026.
Which license do you need?
B license required. Building a new house takes a B (General Building) license, which covers structures "built, being built, or to be built" with two or more unrelated trades. A B-2 is limited to existing homes and can't build new.
Do you need a permit?
Check with San Francisco first. DBI gives over-the-counter review only to projects needing under 1 hour of plan review; plan on 2 to 8 hours at the counter.
Source: San Francisco Department of Building Inspection, Oct 18, 2026
Cost. Half of new-home permits declared $450k to $1,343k, not total project cost. Details
3 with new-home permits
Source: DataSF permits, 24 months to Oct 18, 2026.
Sorted by San Francisco new home permits in the last 24 months, then years licensed. How we rank.
Only 3 listed so far.
We list contractors here only when city permit records or the contractor show they do new homes. 3 so far. For a wider set of licensed builders, see the San Francisco general contractor list and ask each for new-home projects they've finished.
2
DE Well Construction Inc
Based in San Francisco
2 new home permits in SF, latest Mar 2026, median permit value $1.6M · new construction
licensed 20 yrs
Active · B · #885447 · Bond ✓ · Workers' comp ✓ · Verify on CSLB
License renewal due Oct 31, 2026. Workers' comp policy ends Nov 18, 2026. Ask for the renewal certificate.
3
Mission Home Remodeling Inc
Based in San Francisco
2 new home permits in SF, latest Mar 2026, median permit value $1M · new construction, garage
licensed 5 yrs
Active · B · #1078954 · Bond ✓ · Workers' comp ✓ · Verify on CSLB
Payment doesn't change the order. Business build-out? See commercial GCs. Each card shows CSLB data from the file dated Oct 16, 2026. Verify live on CSLB.
Permits in San Francisco
Permits go through San Francisco Department of Building Inspection (DBI), Permit Center, 49 South Van Ness. Put in the contract who pulls the permit.
Most San Francisco kitchen and bath remodels are reviewed over the counter at the Permit Center, 49 South Van Ness. A remodel that changes the floor plan or removes walls needs two sets of plans, and registered contractors can file in-kind, non-structural kitchen and bath work through PermitSF with no plans.
Source: San Francisco Department of Building Inspection, checked Oct 18, 2026
An owner can pull their own SF building permit, but a tenant can't unless acting as the owner's or contractor's agent. An agent's authorization must be dated by the owner within 30 calendar days.
Source: San Francisco Department of Building Inspection, checked Oct 18, 2026
Section 311 notice gives owners and residents within 150 feet, and Registered Neighborhood Groups, 30 days to ask the Planning Commission for Discretionary Review of your project. Outside the Priority Equity Geographies SUD, a vertical addition triggers notice and a horizontal one generally doesn't.
Source: San Francisco Planning, checked Oct 18, 2026
If your building is 45 years old or older, SF Planning asks you to see a Historic Preservation Specialist at the Planning Counter (628-652-7300). Exterior work on an Article 10 landmark or in a historic district also needs a Certificate of Appropriateness.
Source: San Francisco Planning, checked Oct 18, 2026
What a new-home job costs
Half of the 21 new-home permits declared between $450k and $1,343k (median $912k).
Declared permit valuation, not total project cost
San Francisco permits from the last 24 months to Oct 18, 2026. The value is what the applicant wrote on the permit, so it is not what a homeowner paid in total. Source: DataSF. For an estimate by size and finish, use the home construction cost calculator.
B or B-2: which license fits your job
Both classes can act as your prime contractor. A B-2 is limited to remodels of an existing wood-frame house. If your plan changes the structure, look for a B.
| Job | B General Building | B-2 Residential Remodeling |
|---|---|---|
| Kitchen or bath remodel in an existing house | Yes | Yes, when the contract covers 3 or more unrelated trades |
| Addition or new rooms | Yes | No |
| Moving or removing a load-bearing wall | Yes | No |
| New home | Yes | No |
| Commercial or tenant work | Yes | No |
Sources: CSLB, class B and class B-2, checked Oct 18, 2026. More in B vs B-2.
California rules for your contract
A down payment on a home improvement contract can't be more than $1,000 or 10% of the price, whichever is less. No progress payment can be more than the work done or materials delivered.
Source: California B&P Code 7159.5, checked Oct 18, 2026
Work under $1,000 in total (labor and materials) that needs no building permit doesn't require a license. The exemption doesn't apply if the person advertises as a contractor, has employees, or splits a job to stay under the limit.
Source: California B&P Code 7048, checked Oct 18, 2026
Every licensed contractor must keep a $25,000 contractor's bond on file with CSLB. That has been the amount since January 1, 2023.
Source: CSLB, bond requirements, checked Oct 18, 2026
A contractor with employees must carry workers' comp. Until 2028, a B contractor with no employees can legally file an exemption, so check which one yours did. From January 1, 2028, a workers' comp certificate is required for every license.
Source: CSLB, workers' compensation, checked Oct 18, 2026
Complaint history isn't in CSLB's free data files, so we don't show it. Check complaints on CSLB before you sign.
Custom home builders near San Francisco
Other project types in San Francisco
How this list is built
City permit records from DataSF (the San Francisco open data portal), matched to each contractor by license number, covering the last 24 months. Checked Oct 18, 2026. A contractor is listed only with evidence for new-home work: a permit record whose description matches, or a source the contractor gave us.
License class, status, dates, bond and workers' comp come from CSLB's public data files: Master file Oct 16, 2026, workers' comp file Oct 17, 2026, processed Oct 18, 2026. Each card links to that license's live CSLB record. Full method.