San Francisco Preconstruction Activity Index
Building-permit applications by neighborhood and permit type, with issuance timing.
SF index, May–July 2026
81.6
5,099 applications vs 6,250
July applications by permit type
| Category | Jul 2025 | Jul 2026 |
|---|---|---|
| Over-the-counter alterations | 1,942 | 1,393 |
| Plan-reviewed additions/alterations/repairs | 94 | 75 |
| Sign - erect | 74 | 5 |
| Wall or painted sign | 11 | 0 |
| Demolitions | 3 | 2 |
| New construction (wood frame) | 2 | 2 |
| New construction | 2 | 0 |
| Other/newly introduced permit type, definition pending | 0 | 28 |
| Grade/quarry/fill/excavate | 0 | 1 |
Issuance timing
Over-the-counter permits are issued without plan review, so they are reported separately.
| Measure (permits issued in July) | 2025 | 2026 |
|---|---|---|
| Over-the-counter median wait | 0 days | 3 days |
| Over-the-counter issued same day | 59.1% | 41.7% |
| Plan-reviewed alterations, median | 159 days | 190 days |
Declared value, plan-reviewed work
| Percentile | Jul 2025 | Jul 2026 |
|---|---|---|
| 25th | $48,849 | $75,000 |
| Median | $139,000 | $250,000 |
| 75th | $360,169 | $400,000 |
| Filings | 94 | 75 |
Neighborhoods
| Neighborhood | 2025 | 2026 | Index | Passes mover rule |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Financial District/South Beach | 646 | 539 | 83.4 | — |
| Sunset/Parkside | 482 | 415 | 86.1 | — |
| West of Twin Peaks | 418 | 333 | 79.7 | yes |
| Mission | 376 | 307 | 81.6 | — |
| Outer Richmond | 352 | 246 | 69.9 | yes |
| Noe Valley | 251 | 205 | 81.7 | yes |
| Inner Sunset | 247 | 179 | 72.5 | yes |
| Bayview Hunters Point | 240 | 150 | 62.5 | yes |
| Pacific Heights | 227 | 181 | 79.7 | — |
| Castro/Upper Market | 220 | 187 | 85.0 | — |
| Marina | 220 | 179 | 81.4 | yes |
| Bernal Heights | 182 | 158 | 86.8 | — |
| Inner Richmond | 177 | 127 | 71.8 | — |
| Excelsior | 164 | 122 | 74.4 | yes |
| Russian Hill | 140 | 124 | 88.6 | yes |
| Haight Ashbury | 131 | 110 | 84.0 | — |
| Nob Hill | 131 | 129 | 98.5 | — |
| Potrero Hill | 127 | 98 | 77.2 | yes |
| Chinatown | 120 | 88 | 73.3 | — |
| Lone Mountain/USF | 118 | 75 | 63.6 | — |
| Oceanview/Merced/Ingleside | 117 | 90 | 76.9 | yes |
| Presidio Heights | 114 | 106 | 93.0 | — |
| Hayes Valley | 107 | 81 | 75.7 | yes |
| South of Market | 102 | 112 | 109.8 | — |
| Glen Park | 98 | 74 | 75.5 | yes |
| Mission Bay | 94 | 45 | 47.9 | — |
| Western Addition | 90 | 102 | 113.3 | — |
| Outer Mission | 86 | 77 | 89.5 | — |
| Tenderloin | 84 | 60 | 71.4 | yes |
| North Beach | 78 | 104 | 133.3 | yes |
| Portola | 66 | 59 | 89.4 | — |
| Twin Peaks | 58 | 50 | 86.2 | — |
| Seacliff | 50 | 47 | 94.0 | — |
Full table: SF neighborhoods (CSV)
The PermitPipeline Preconstruction Activity Index is published by
Josh Steinman, founder of PermitPipeline.
Underlying data: NYC DOB NOW Job Application Filings and San Francisco building permits (deduplicated).
See the methodology, the
Firm Directory, and
why we publish this research.