Permit GraphShortlistSan Francisco building permits since 2000

How long do deck permits take in San Francisco's Excelsior neighborhood?

In the Excelsior neighborhood of San Francisco, of the 14 deck permits filed from October 2025 through September 2026 that have been issued, half were issued within 9 days, down from 43 days a year earlier. Of the 25 permits filed from October 2023 through September 2024 that have reached final sign-off, half did so within 182 days of being issued, down from 196 days the year before.

From the city’s permit records, by the quarter each permit was filed. Data as of 8 October 2026. How to cite this · How this is calculated

How long until a permit is issued, and until final sign-off?

How long deck permits take in San Francisco's ExcelsiorneighborhoodMedian days from filing to permit issuedMedian days from issue to final sign-offToo recent to judge01002003004005002017201820192020202120222023202420252026DaysSource: San Francisco Department of Building Inspection permit data via DataSF, analysis by Permit Graph(permitgraph.org), CC BY 4.0.permitgraph.org/neighborhoods/excelsior/deck · Data as of 8 October 2026By the quarter the permit was filed. A median counts only permits that finished the stage, so recent quarterslook faster than they will end up. Gaps: fewer than 5 permits.

This chart as an image (SVG), with its title, source and date, free to embed under CC BY 4.0.

At a glance

StagePermits filedPermits countedMedian daysCounted a year earlierMedian a year earlier
Filed to permit issuedOctober 2025 through September 202614 issued932 issued43
Permit issued to final sign-offOctober 2023 through September 202425 finished18217 finished196

“Counted” is the permits the median was taken over: those filed in the window that have been issued, or that have reached final sign-off. The first stage covers the last four complete quarters, since most permits are issued within the year. The second covers the last four quarters that ended two or more years ago, so that most of their permits have had time to finish. Citywide, the median was 7 days to issue and 164 days from issue to final over the same quarters.

Every quarter since 2000

Quarter filedFiledIssuedMedian days to issueSlowest 10%Reached finalMedian days issue to finalSlowest 10%Never finaledSettled
2026-Q37514310too recent
2026-Q25400too recent
2026-Q12210too recent
2025-Q44320too recent
2025-Q315145817091613010too recent
2025-Q24430too recent
2025-Q11296331871422360too recent
2024-Q4651737340too recent
2024-Q31414105192663640yes
2024-Q2870158572820yes
2024-Q16330yes
2023-Q41191914982123590yes
2023-Q3107410761953023yes
2023-Q22111yes
2023-Q1753625951965760yes
2022-Q4876933852964373yes
2022-Q311914862263482yes
2022-Q2963816453138501yes
2022-Q1666627062773320yes
2021-Q412112635492724543yes
2021-Q3865818342yes
2021-Q21172112262506482yes
2021-Q15546997941yes
2020-Q4131344329112996441yes
2020-Q31297033471895354yes
2020-Q21110yes
2020-Q16626448241yes
2019-Q43320yes
2019-Q31092936182567592yes
2019-Q211914763073139063yes
2019-Q1762675653106332yes
2018-Q4752284541yes
2018-Q3141418183112188563yes
2018-Q211101522981805781yes
2018-Q18853081474040yes
2017-Q44440yes
2017-Q399725792938700yes
2017-Q2982053871295531yes
2017-Q18862162683662yes
2016-Q44320yes
2016-Q31084827786970yes
2016-Q2553656431yes
2016-Q1108435371761,2703yes
2015-Q4664447841yes
2015-Q3550131yes
2015-Q24312yes
2015-Q1662830551186460yes
2014-Q4761061,26661895150yes
2014-Q355114831yes
2014-Q210823997834922yes
2014-Q14312yes
2013-Q47613636942yes
2013-Q33321yes
2013-Q287066682520yes
2013-Q11212154181623563yes
2012-Q465018032yes
2012-Q398298316801281yes
2012-Q21212412412833540yes
2012-Q155011951272090yes
2011-Q48718862133441yes
2011-Q38711907661790yes
2011-Q23321yes
2011-Q188649381033230yes
2010-Q4882881283210yes
2010-Q31010112810751910yes
2010-Q26601946902620yes
2010-Q14322yes
2009-Q42220yes
2009-Q3881836792162yes
2009-Q2141415010842461yes
2009-Q15422yes
2008-Q465024540yes
2008-Q3666722653502,2880yes
2008-Q215130311361711yes
2008-Q1552110430yes
2007-Q46517832yes
2007-Q36441yes
2007-Q2151401191181650yes
2007-Q177010940yes
2006-Q455014451231980yes
2006-Q387032441yes
2006-Q2990737922391yes
2006-Q1760040yes
2005-Q48701295732670yes
2005-Q3770031yes
2005-Q266014230yes
2005-Q14430yes
2004-Q4660040yes
2004-Q399023051203250yes
2004-Q26612659830yes
2004-Q165005251570yes
2003-Q486005371300yes
2003-Q377021851253591yes
2003-Q28804551852851yes
2003-Q13330yes
2002-Q42220yes
2002-Q388024061862281yes
2002-Q25509320yes
2002-Q15512618440yes
2001-Q455021230yes
2001-Q36430yes
2001-Q2101072235103666110yes
2001-Q15420yes
2000-Q46502340yes
2000-Q399028971185240yes
2000-Q277316540yes
2000-Q11110yes

A blank median means fewer than 5 permits behind it: issued permits for the first stage, and for the second, finished permits whose final is dated after their issue (a permit never issued has no span). “Slowest 10%” is the 90th percentile: one permit in ten took at least this long. Download the table as CSV or JSON; both carry the source, license and data date.

What the numbers leave out

80 of the 780 deck permits filed since 2000 (10%) have no final sign-off 3 years after they were issued or, if never issued, filed. A median over finished permits understates the real wait: the permits that never finish are not in it. Inspection records are not yet included: “final sign-off” is the city’s own completion date on the permit.

Project types in San Francisco's Excelsior neighborhood

Shown apart, with their own page here: bathroom remodel (2,869 filed, 2,106 finished; contractors); kitchen remodel (1,940 filed, 1,370 finished; contractors); stairs (1,120 filed, 785 finished; contractors); deck (780 filed, 535 finished; contractors). Other types: 12,100 permits. All permits in San Francisco's Excelsior neighborhood

Nearby neighborhoods

Outer Mission, McLaren Park, Glen Park; all of San Francisco; every neighborhood compared.

How this is calculated

Approved means the city issued the permit: the permit’s issue date. The first stage counts days from the filing date to the issue date, over permits issued on or after they were filed. Final sign-off means the city’s own status for the permit is “complete”, with its completion date; this site does not yet read inspection records, so the inspection date is not a separate stage. The second stage counts days from the issue date to the completion date, over permits that have reached it.

Permits are grouped by the quarter they were filed. A quarter’s median counts only its permits that have finished the stage, so recent quarters look faster than they will end up: their slow permits have not finished yet. Quarters that ended two or more years ago are marked settled; the rest are shaded in the chart. The headline’s first stage uses the last four complete quarters; its second uses the last four settled quarters.

The median is the middle permit: half took less, half more. The slowest 10% is the 90th percentile. A median needs at least 5 permits behind it, or it is left out. A project type is shown apart within a neighborhood only when it has 30 or more finished permits there; the rest are “other types”.

Never finaled means no final sign-off three years after the permit was issued (or filed, if never issued), and not expired, cancelled, withdrawn, revoked, disapproved, denied or suspended (the site’s “expired or cancelled” outcome). About a quarter of permits citywide end this way; often the work was done and nobody called for the final inspection. These permits are in the counts and not in the medians.

A permit’s neighborhood is the Analysis Neighborhood the city writes on the permit record (the official set of 41). Permits with none are counted citywide only; the page says how many. “Nearby” neighborhoods are the three nearest by the center of their permits. The site reloads the city’s data every night; permits filed since 1 January 2000 are included. The placement of a permit, its dates and its status are the city’s; the grouping and the words are this site’s. How to read these records.