CostInMyCity

San Francisco, CA / Deck

Deck cost in San Francisco, CA

$30–$60 per sq ft; average job $8,316 (range $4,340–$12,652). A 16×20 (320 sf) table is $12,800–$19,200. Pressure-treated is the low end; second-story / high-end wood / custom is the high end.

Labor for Deck in San Francisco, CA is indexed to the BLS construction-and-extraction occupations mean hourly wage for San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA of $43.66 (May 2025), applied to the 50% labor share.

San Francisco Department of Building Inspection (DBI) is the issuing office. The typical permit fee recorded from SF DBI Table 1A-A Building Permit Fees, effective July 12, 2026, retrieved 2026-09-01, is $945. Fee model: valuation.

The national typical for this job is $45. Materials stay at the national figure while labor is wage-indexed for San Francisco, CA.

Walking surface only. A 16 by 20 deck is 320 sqft.

Typical all-in

$18,563

Job cost plus the recorded local permit fee at this size.

Low
$12,616
Typical
$18,563
High
$24,723

Breakdown

Labor (allocated)$8,604
Materials (allocated)$8,604
Job subtotal$17,208
Permit$1,355
All-in typical$18,563

Labor is adjusted for construction wages in this metro. Materials stay at the national figure. This is an estimate, not a contractor quote.

Permit fee

Fee model
Based on project value
Typical fee
$1,355
Range
$1,144 – $1,779
Retrieved
2026-09-01
  • Table 1A-A plan review + issuance — $945Included at $12,000.

$2,001–$50,000: plan $310+$28.35 per extra $1,000; issuance $266+$8.56 per extra $1,000. $8,000=797.46; $12,000=945.1; $19,200=1240.38.

New decks use Table 1A-A (plan review + issuance). Platforms ≤30 in may not need a building permit; typical 16×20 is treated as permitted.

SF DBI Table 1A-A Building Permit Fees, effective July 12, 2026

Citations

  1. How Much Does It Cost to Build a Deck? [2026 Data] Retrieved Aug 12, 2026. Average $8,316; $4,340–$12,652; $30–$60/sf; labor $15–$35/sf.
  2. SF DBI Table 1A-A Building Permit Fees, effective July 12, 2026 Retrieved Aug 31, 2026. New decks use Table 1A-A (plan review + issuance). Platforms ≤30 in may not need a building permit; typical 16×20 is treated as permitted.
  3. BLS OEWS construction wages — San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA BLS OEWS construction-and-extraction mean hourly wage / national same vintage, applied to laborShare only. Not a city-specific bid survey.

Other projects in San Francisco

Deck in other cities