Free roof inspection with deck photos before we talk money - GAF and Owens Corning certified installation
Before
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Before
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Before
AfterHow Much Does Roofing Cost in San Francisco?
Most San Francisco roof replacements run $14,500 to $38,000, and a typical 1,500-square-foot home with architectural asphalt shingles lands near $19,000 to $24,000. Repairs are a different scale entirely: a single leak fix usually costs $450 to $1,400, while a partial re-roof on a flat garage or a small addition runs $3,800 to $9,500. Those numbers come with a written price before any work starts at Brennan Roofing, and that price does not move once the crew is on your roof.
What trips people up is that San Francisco is not one roofing market. A Victorian in the Mission with ornamental cornice work and a tar-and-gravel roof on a Sunset bungalow share a zip code prefix, not a price. Below we break out the real ranges, the local conditions that push them up or down, and what you can do to keep your number closer to the low end.
Roofing Cost Breakdown (2026)
These ranges reflect actual San Francisco Bay Area work in 2026, not national averages rounded into a marketing page. Material costs, permits, and labor are all baked in.
| Service | Typical Cost Range |
|---|---|
| Full replacement, architectural asphalt shingles | $9.50 – $16.00 per sq. ft. |
| Full replacement, flat / low-slope (TPO, modified bitumen) | $11.00 – $21.00 per sq. ft. |
| Partial re-roof, garage or small addition (under 400 sq. ft.) | $3,800 – $9,500 |
| Leak repair with flashing work | $450 – $1,400 |
| Chimney flashing rebuild | $700 – $2,200 |
| New underlayment only (no tear-off) | $2.00 – $4.50 per sq. ft. |
| Full tear-off and haul-away | $1.50 – $3.50 per sq. ft. |
| Decking replacement (rotted plywood/skip sheathing) | $2.50 – $7.00 per sq. ft. |
| Standing seam metal | $18.00 – $34.00 per sq. ft. |
| Roof inspection (credited toward work) | Free |
Three items move that range more than anything else. The first is tear-off: San Francisco’s older housing stock often has two or three layers of shingles stacked on top of each other, and each layer adds haul-away and disposal cost. The second is decking. When we pull the old roof off a 1920s Richmond District building, we frequently find skip sheathing, the spaced wooden slats original to the structure, and because it does not meet current code as a nail base, it either gets overlaid with plywood or replaced outright. The third is slope. A steep gable on a Noe Valley Victorian needs more staging, more safety rigging, and more labor hours per square foot than a low-slope roof, and that shows up in the quote.
What Affects Roofing Pricing in San Francisco
- Coastal fog and salt air. The western neighborhoods, from the Outer Sunset through the Richmond, sit in marine fog and salt-heavy air most of the year. On a roof a few blocks from Ocean Beach, we regularly see fasteners and flashing start to break down well ahead of inland roofs of the same age. Galvanized components pit and rust, and the failure risk is real enough that we recommend corrosion-resistant flashing and fasteners there as a matter of course.
- Permits and historic review. San Francisco’s Department of Building Inspection requires a permit for most re-roofs, and buildings in designated historic districts or those carrying Article 10 landmark status can require additional review before work begins. That review adds cost to the job and weeks to the schedule, so it belongs in the estimate from the start, not discovered halfway through.
- Roof access. A house on a steep Potrero Hill grade with no side yard, or a row house in North Beach where the only access is over a neighboring building, drives up labor. Every stage of the job, from getting materials up to carrying debris down, costs more when there is nowhere to put a dumpster.
- Material choice. We install from the leading manufacturer lines, including GAF, CertainTeed, Owens Corning, IKO, Atlas, Tamko, and Boral. The spread between an entry-level architectural shingle and a premium designer profile from the same manufacturer can be two to three dollars per square foot. We lay out the real options plainly so you can choose based on your budget and the building, not on a pitch.
- Roof complexity. Dormers, multiple valleys, a flat section tied into a pitched one, skylights, and multiple chimneys all add flashing detail and labor hours. A straightforward rectangular roof and a many-gabled Victorian can be the same square footage and thousands of dollars apart.
- Season and scheduling. San Francisco’s rainy season runs roughly November through March. Roofing is weather-dependent work, and scheduling pressure in the dry months can affect timing. Planning a replacement in late spring or early fall often means more flexibility and less rescheduling.
How to Save on Roofing in San Francisco
The first and largest saving is catching damage early. A small flashing failure that gets repaired for a few hundred dollars can become decking rot and interior damage that costs many times more. We offer a free inspection, credited back toward any work you decide to do, and it is genuinely the cheapest thing you can do to protect the roof.
A few practical moves:
- Get the price in writing before work begins. A reliable roofer puts a fixed number on paper before anyone steps on the roof. At Brennan Roofing, the price is written before any work starts and it does not change at the door. If a bid is verbal, treat it as a starting point, not a quote.
- Fix flashing and penetrations first. Many “the whole roof is shot” calls turn out to be failed pipe boots, chimney flashing, or a bad seal at a vent. Repairing those can buy years.
- Choose the right material for the exposure. On the foggy west side, upgrading flashing and fasteners to corrosion-resistant options costs a bit more now and can add life to the roof.
- Do the decking at the same time as the roof. If the old roof is coming off anyway, replacing rotted decking then is far cheaper than opening the roof again later.
- Ask what the guarantee actually says. Every Brennan Roofing job is backed by the 365-Day Done Right Promise: in writing, for one full year, and if the repair or installation fails, we come back at no charge.
When you’re ready to get a real number, call (361) 320-9467. Phones are answered by a live person, no voicemail and no automated system, and estimates are free. You can also start at our home page to learn how The Garrison Standard shapes every job we do.
FAQs – Roofing Cost in San Francisco
How much does a roof replacement cost in San Francisco in 2026?
A full roof replacement in San Francisco typically runs $14,500 to $38,000, with most single-family homes landing between $19,000 and $24,000. Ranges depend on roof size, slope, material, and whether the decking needs work. Call (361) 320-9467 for an exact quote on your roof, and we’ll have the price in writing before any work begins.
How much does a roof repair cost in San Francisco?
Most single-leak repairs in San Francisco cost $450 to $1,400, depending on access and how much flashing needs rebuilding. A chimney flashing rebuild is commonly $700 to $2,200. Repairs come with the same 365-Day Done Right Promise as full installations: guaranteed in writing for a full year. Call (361) 320-9467 and we’ll give you a real number, not a range you have to guess from.
Is it cheaper to repair or replace my San Francisco roof?
If your roof is under 15 years old and the damage is isolated to flashing or a few shingles, repair is almost always the cheaper path, often under $1,400. Once you’re past 20 years, have multiple leaks, or find widespread decking rot, replacement usually costs less over the next decade than a string of repairs. A free inspection tells you which side of that line you’re on. Call (361) 320-9467 to schedule one.
How much does a flat roof cost in San Francisco?
Flat and low-slope roofs, common on Sunset and Richmond District homes and many garages, run $11.00 to $21.00 per square foot installed, using TPO or modified bitumen. For a 1,000-square-foot flat roof, expect roughly $11,000 to $21,000. Flat roofs need properly sloped drainage and quality membrane work, which is where the labor goes. Call (361) 320-9467 for a written quote.
Does a San Francisco roof replacement require a permit, and does that add cost?
Yes. San Francisco’s Department of Building Inspection requires a permit for most re-roofs, and buildings in historic districts or with landmark status can require extra review. Permit and review fees typically add $600 to $2,500 to the job and can affect scheduling by several weeks. We handle the permit paperwork as part of the job and build the cost into the written price up front. Call (361) 320-9467 to get started.
How much does roof inspection cost in San Francisco?
A Brennan Roofing inspection is free, and the cost of the visit is credited back toward any work you decide to do. A paid inspection from an engineering or home-inspection firm in the city often runs $250 to $600. If you just need a straight answer on the condition of your roof and a price to fix what needs fixing, call (361) 320-9467.
What drives the biggest cost difference between San Francisco roofs?
Tear-off layers and decking condition are the two biggest swing factors, often adding $3,000 to $9,000 to a mid-sized job. Older San Francisco buildings frequently carry multiple shingle layers and skip sheathing that has to be addressed before new material goes down. We tell you what we find and what it costs before any work starts, not after.
Why Homeowners Choose Brennan Roofing
Brennan Roofing is an independently owned and operated member of the Garrison Partners family, founded in 2000. We operate under The Garrison Standard: a written price before any work starts, background-checked uniformed technicians who show up inside the promised window, and a full-year written guarantee on every job. The 365-Day Done Right Promise means that if a repair or installation isn’t done right, we make it right, in writing, at no charge, including a free return visit if something fails inside the guarantee period.
We install from manufacturer lines including GAF, CertainTeed, Owens Corning, IKO, Atlas, Tamko, and Boral. We explain the real options in plain trade language so you can choose with confidence, and we show up knowing exactly who’s on your roof and answering the phone with a live person, around the clock.
Get Your Written Price
Roofing in San Francisco has too many moving parts for a phone number and a guess. If you want a real range for your building, an inspection that tells you what’s actually going on up there, and a written price before anyone touches the roof, call (361) 320-9467. Estimates are free, calls are answered by a live person 24/7, and the number we write down is the number you pay.
Pricing reflects the San Francisco market as of 2026. Brennan Roofing offers free estimates – call (361) 320-9467. Written by Travis Oakley, Owner at Brennan Roofing.
What Our Customers Say
"They gave me a warranty in writing and stood behind it."
- Irene G."Quality work and clear communication. Rain pushed the start by two days, which is fair, but we were hoping to be done sooner."
- Cathy N."Storm took off a section of shingles. They were here next morning to tarp it and finished the repair that week."
- Elaine D.