San Francisco · new construction timeline
San Francisco new construction timeline.
A realistic San Francisco ground-up schedule — phase by phase — with the local risks that move it. We do not publish a fake fixed week count; we give you the structure to plan honestly.
Quick answer
Total San Francisco ground-up duration is a function of design complexity, San Francisco Department of Building Inspection (DBI) plan-check, overlays, and weather. Use the phase structure below to model an honest schedule for your specific lot and program.
Homeowner & investor takeaway
Plan for DR risk and SF Green Building Code from day one. On east-side parcels, get geotech early — liquefaction can change foundation type entirely.
Phase-by-phase structure.
Preconstruction
Feasibility, program, site survey, soils order, preliminary budget, and consultant team assembly.
Design
Schematic → design development → construction documents. Owner decisions on program, finishes, and systems.
Engineering
Structural, MEP, energy, and any overlay-specific engineering. San Andreas, Hayward, and San Gregorio fault systems regional; CGS EQ Zone App lists liquefaction zones in eastern neighborhoods (SoMa, Mission, Marina).
Permit & plan check
DBI plan check; structural is rigorous given seismic context. Site Permit + Addenda process common on larger jobs.
Procurement
Long-lead items locked: windows, doors, HVAC, electrical service equipment, and any custom finishes.
Sitework & utilities
Minimal grading typical in built-up neighborhoods; downhill lots may have retaining and shoring requirements. PG&E electric/gas; SFPUC water/sewer. Service upgrades on tight lots may require trenching coordination with SF Public Works.
Foundation, framing, shell
Highly variable — bedrock in western neighborhoods, Bay Mud and engineered fill in SoMa/Mission Bay. Liquefaction risk significant in fill areas. Framing and shell sequence drives schedule certainty for the rest of the build.
MEP, insulation, drywall, finishes
Title 24 inspections gate insulation close-in. Climate Zone 3. Title 24 Part 6 with PV; SF's all-electric ordinance applies to new buildings.
Inspection & corrections
DBI inspectors; sequential inspections common given vertical schedules.
Closeout
Final inspections, certificate of occupancy, punch list, warranty handoff, and project documentation.
San Francisco-specific timeline drivers.
Driver 1
Section 311/312 notification (30 days minimum)
Driver 2
Discretionary Review schedule
Driver 3
Site Permit + Addenda process
Driver 4
Wet-season constraints Nov–Mar
Weather, coastal, hillside, wildfire & seismic impacts.
Rainfall window
~23 in/year, concentrated Nov–Mar; wet-season scheduling critical.
Heat & cooling
Mild, cool climate; heating dominates. AC rarely needed but heat-pump heating standard now.
Hillside
Many neighborhoods (Bernal, Twin Peaks, Diamond Heights) on significant slopes — shoring/retaining common.
Wildfire / WUI
Limited VHFHSZ within city limits; some peripheral parcels mapped.
Coastal
Coastal Zone applies to Ocean Beach and parts of the western/southern shoreline; CDP may apply.
Flood
SLR vulnerability mapped along eastern shoreline; FEMA SFHA in limited areas (Mission Creek, southeast bayfront).
How to reduce schedule risk.
- Front-load engineering and overlay studies before plan-check submittal.
- Lock long-lead procurement at construction documents, not after permit.
- Schedule sitework outside the local rainfall window when possible.
- Pre-stage utility coordination with the serving utilities before demo.
- Hold owner decisions to the design phase; change orders in framing destroy schedule.
Schedule guidance on this page is planning-level. Actual durations vary with scope, overlays, and San Francisco Department of Building Inspection (DBI) review cycles.
Questions.
- What is Discretionary Review in San Francisco?
- A process where neighbors or the public can request the Planning Commission review a project that would otherwise be approved ministerially. DR can add 6–12 months and design changes.
- What is Section 311/312?
- Pre-application neighbor notification required for most residential projects; gives neighbors a window to file a DR request.
- Do I have to build all-electric?
- SF's Green Building Code requires all-electric for new buildings in most cases; verify scope at intake.
- Is my lot in a liquefaction zone?
- SoMa, Mission Bay, Marina, and other fill areas are mapped for liquefaction; CGS EQ Zone App is authoritative.
- Does Title 24 apply?
- Yes — statewide. SF Green Building Code adds requirements on top.
Build a defensible San Francisco schedule.
Send your lot and program. We respond with a honest phase-by-phase schedule built around the local realities above.
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