Licensed General Contractor in San Francisco
A licensed, bonded and insured San Francisco general contractor that designs, permits and builds under one contract — with the real numbers published: $400–$800 per square foot whole-home, a 186-day DBI full-review median, and a 10–15% contingency disclosed before demolition, not discovered after it.
A general contractor in San Francisco carries the whole job — permits, structure, trades, inspections — under one California license and one contract. On this city’s pre-1940 housing stock, that single line of accountability is the difference between a renovation that closes on schedule and one that stalls at plan check. The San Francisco Department of Building Inspection reviews every structural alteration, SF Planning’s Section 311 notification governs exterior changes, and Article 10 review applies to historic resources. We Do Construction — a San Francisco general contractor licensed in California (CSLB #1096552, Class B General Building and C-36 Plumbing) and listed in the Architectural Digest PRO Directory — works design-build, so the firm that draws the plans is the firm that pulls the permit and builds. The Noe Valley Volume, a completed down-to-studs remodel, is what that looks like on a Victorian rowhouse.
IAccountability
What Your General Contractor Does in San Francisco
In California, a general contractor holds a Class B General Building license from the Contractors State License Board — the classification that lets one firm take prime responsibility for a project involving two or more trades. Your general contractor signs the contract with you, files the building permit with SF DBI as permit holder of record, hires and schedules every trade, calls each inspection, and answers for the finished work. A firm that also holds C-36 Plumbing can self-perform supply, drain and gas work — which matters in a city where most kitchens and baths relocate plumbing inside 1900s framing. We Do Construction holds both, and works design-build: the drawings, the permit and the build sit with one licensed general contracting company, on one contract.
Who answers to whom on a licensed San Francisco renovation. California Business and Professions Code §7057; CSLB classification rules.
IIWhat we build
Residential General Contracting Across San Francisco
Full-home renovationDown-to-studs Victorians + EdwardiansStructure · systems · finishes · one permit setWDC SF
Kitchen remodelingWall removal, panel, gas, cabinetry$74K–$250K+ · 4–6 monthsWDC SF
Bathroom remodelingPrimary + full-gut, C-36 self-performed$55K–$120K+ · 3–5 monthsWDC SF
ADU + garage conversionState ministerial track$120K–$250K · 9–13 months to C of OWDC SF
New construction + additionsVertical + rear additions, seismicSF Building Code Chapter 34B retrofitsWDC SF
Outdoor architectureDecks, terraces, rear-yard structuresWithin SF Planning rear-yard setbackWDC SFIIIReal numbers
What a General Contractor Costs in San Francisco
Most cost guides stop at a per-square-foot range and leave out design, engineering, permits and contingency — which is why the first number you hear is usually 18–30% short of what the project closes at. These are the bands WDC prices against in 2026, with the lines a typical bid leaves out.
| Scope | San Francisco range, 2026 | Typically excluded from other bids |
|---|---|---|
| Whole-home renovation | $800,000–$2,000,000+ $400–$800 per sf | Design, structural engineering, permit fees, contingency |
| Kitchen remodel | $74,000–$250,000+ | Panel upgrade, gas line, structural for wall removal |
| Primary bath remodel | $55,000–$120,000+ | Drain relocation, waterproofing inspection, tile labor |
| Garage-conversion ADU | $120,000–$250,000 $300–$600 per sf | Utility separation, fire-rated assemblies, survey |
We Do Construction project data, San Francisco, 2025–2026. Ultra-luxury finish tiers exceed $800 per sf.
The all-in number
Take a $1,200,000 construction contract on a 2,400 sf Edwardian. Design and engineering add 8–15%; the pre-1978 contingency holds another 10–15%; DBI permit fees are set on declared valuation, with plan review billed at $526 per hour (Table 1A-D, effective July 12, 2026). Budget $1,416,000–$1,560,000 — not $1,200,000. A bid that omits these lines is not lower; it is incomplete.
Anatomy of the all-in number — $1,200,000 construction contract, 2,400 sf Edwardian
Drawn to the high case. Design and engineering 8–15% of construction; contingency 10–15% on pre-1978 homes (WDC contract terms, 2026).
Construction contract $1,200,000Design + engineering 8–15% · $96,000–$180,000Contingency 10–15% · $120,000–$180,000DBI permit fees · set on declared valuation
Three bids on the same drawings
Published Bay Area ranges put a general contractor’s fee at 10–25% of construction. The percentage matters less than the structure: cost-plus passes every discovery to you at markup; WDC’s fixed price sets the number at feasibility and carries the gap between drawings and what demolition reveals.
When three bids on the same drawings land 30% apart, the low one has left out a permit path, an engineer, or a contingency the job will need anyway. The cheapest contractor on the bid sheet is the most expensive one at closing.
— We Do Construction, San Francisco
IVPermits and timelines
How Long a Renovation Takes in San Francisco
The schedule is set by the permit path, not the construction. In 2025, 92% of SF DBI permits were issued over the counter; projects sent to full plan review carried a 186-day median (DBI, 2025). ADU permits have a 251-day median in 2026, down from 601 in 2023. A general contractor who files as permit holder of record owns that clock — the comments, the resubmittal and the inspection sequence are ours to solve, not yours.
The five permit clocks in San Francisco — median days from filing to issuance
SF DBI permit data, 2023 and 2025; DBI ADU median, 2026. Bars to scale.
| Trigger | What it adds | Who handles it |
|---|---|---|
| Structural alteration | Full DBI plan review; engineer-stamped drawings; 186-day median | WDC files and manages resubmittals |
| Exterior change or expansion | Planning Code Section 311 notification, 30-day window | WDC prepares the notice package |
| Article 10 historic resource | Historic Preservation review before DBI | WDC identifies status at feasibility |
| Soft-story building | SF Building Code Chapter 34B retrofit; engineered shear and moment frames | WDC self-performs the retrofit |
| Conditioned-space work | California Title 24 energy compliance | Designed into the drawings, not added at inspection |
Whole-home renovation — 11–18 months from design start to final inspection
Phase widths on the midpoint of each range. Permitting 2–4 months, construction 9–14 months (WDC project data, 2026). Kitchens run 4–6 months design-to-completion, baths 3–5.
V · Licensed, bonded and insured
We Do Construction Inc. builds under California contractor license CSLB #1096552 — Class B General Building and C-36 Plumbing, issued 2022, current and active. Verify at cslb.ca.gov. We carry a $25,000 contractor’s surety bond through Atlantic Specialty Insurance Company, workers’ compensation through State Compensation Insurance Fund, and general liability insurance. Founded in 2022 by Jacob Bachar, Founder and Principal.
BBB A+ AccreditedGoogle 5.0 (160 reviews)Yelp 5.0 (101)Houzz 5.0 (21) · Best of Houzz 2024–2026BuildZoom 119 — top 1% of California’s licensed contractors
How to Verify Any Contractor in Three Minutes
At the CSLB license check, no account required. California requires a license for any job over $1,000 or needing a permit (AB 2622, 2025).
Class B for a multi-trade renovation. A C-classification alone is not enough.
Must read Active. Suspended or expired means no lien protection for you.
A $25,000 contractor bond has been the statutory minimum since 2023.
On file if there are employees. Then match the license name to the contract name.
VIWhere we build
General Contractors for San Francisco’s Neighborhoods
Every neighborhood carries its own housing stock and permit reality. These are where WDC’s projects concentrate, and the condition that most often shapes the work.
Pacific HeightsVictorian + Edwardian estatesArticle 10 review north of California StWDC SF
Noe ValleyDensest Victorian rowhouse beltOpen-plan conversions are structural workWDC SF
Cole ValleyEdwardian stock on slopeDrainage + foundation drive the scopeWDC SFBeyond the city, WDC works as general contractor in Mill Valley, Sausalito, Berkeley, Oakland and across the Bay Area service radius.
VIIThe structural choice
Design-Build or General Contractor?
It is not either-or. Design-build is a contract structure; general contractor is a license. WDC is a licensed San Francisco general contractor that works design-build — one contract from feasibility to final inspection, drawings authored by the firm that prices and builds them. The separate model fits when design authorship is the product and your calendar can absorb a bid cycle; it costs you the gap between two contracts, where plan-check comments become change orders.
Architect files; contractor inherits the drawings and the comments. The gap between drawings and site conditions is priced twice.
Structure priced at feasibility, permit filed by the builder on its own drawings, one fixed number with a written contingency.
A signature-architect commission and a timeline that can absorb 6–10 weeks of bidding between drawings and construction.
Change-order rate on the last five San Francisco projects, who holds the permit, and what the contract says when demolition reveals what the drawings missed.
More from WDC: design-build vs. general contractor in San Francisco · how to choose a luxury remodeling contractor · fixed-price vs. cost-plus · what a fixed-fee design-build engagement includes.
VIIIQuestions homeowners ask
General Contractor in San Francisco — FAQ
What does a general contractor actually do?
A general contractor holds the Class B General Building license from the Contractors State License Board and takes prime responsibility for a project involving two or more trades. On a San Francisco renovation that means signing the contract with you, filing the building permit with SF DBI as permit holder of record, hiring and scheduling every trade, calling each inspection, and answering for the finished work. We Do Construction holds Class B and C-36 Plumbing, so plumbing is self-performed rather than subcontracted.
Contractor vs. general contractor — what is the difference?
Most contractors hold one specialty classification: C-10 electrical, C-36 plumbing, C-33 painting. A general contractor holds Class B and is the only party licensed to run the whole project and hold the prime contract. On a San Francisco remodel touching structure, electrical and plumbing, the specialty contractors work under the general contractor, not directly for you.
Who pulls the permits — me or the contractor?
Your general contractor should. When a licensed contractor files with SF DBI, the contractor’s license, bond and insurance stand behind the permit. An owner-builder permit moves that liability to you and restricts selling the property within a year of completion. WDC files every permit it builds under as contractor of record and carries plan-check comments and inspections through to final sign-off.
Do I need a licensed contractor in San Francisco?
Yes, for any job that needs a building permit or exceeds $1,000 in labor and materials. California raised the handyperson exemption from $500 to $1,000 on January 1, 2025 under AB 2622, and it applies only when no permit is required and no workers are hired. Every San Francisco kitchen, bath, structural, electrical or plumbing alteration needs a DBI permit — and therefore a licensed contractor.
How do I verify a contractor’s license?
Search cslb.ca.gov by license number or business name and confirm four things: the classification fits the work (Class B for a multi-trade renovation), status reads Active, a contractor bond is on file ($25,000 has been the statutory minimum since 2023), and workers’ compensation is on file or the contractor certifies no employees. Match the license name to the contract name. WDC is CSLB #1096552.
How long does a renovation take in San Francisco?
A kitchen or bath that keeps its footprint usually clears SF DBI over the counter: 4–6 months design-to-completion for a kitchen, 3–5 for a bath. A whole-home renovation with structural work runs 11–18 months from design start to final inspection, with full DBI plan review carrying a 186-day median in 2025. ADU permits have a 251-day median in 2026 and reach certificate of occupancy in 9–13 months.
What does a general contractor cost in San Francisco?
Published Bay Area ranges put the general contractor’s fee at 10–25% of construction cost. The construction itself runs $400–$800 per square foot for a San Francisco whole-home renovation in 2026, $74,000–$250,000+ for a kitchen and $55,000–$120,000+ for a primary bath, per WDC project data. Add 8–15% for design and engineering and hold a 10–15% contingency on pre-1978 homes. A fixed-price design-build contract folds the fee into one number set at feasibility.
Design-build or general contractor — which should I hire?
Design-build is a contract structure; general contractor is a license. The strongest option in San Francisco is a licensed general contractor that works design-build: structure priced at feasibility, permit filed by the builder on its own drawings, one fixed number with a written contingency. Choose the separate architect-plus-contractor model when design authorship is the product and your schedule can absorb a bid cycle. WDC is a licensed general contractor working design-build under one fixed-price contract.
Figures verified September 2026 against SF DBI fee tables, CSLB bulletins and We Do Construction project records.
Talk to a San Francisco General Contractor
A consultation maps your property’s permit path and establishes what the project actually requires — before any design dollars are spent.