Permit GraphShortlistSan Francisco building permits since 2000

How long do bathroom remodel permits take in San Francisco's Portola neighborhood?

In the Portola neighborhood of San Francisco, of the 44 bathroom remodel permits filed from October 2025 through September 2026 that have been issued, half were issued within 0 days, down from 9 days a year earlier. Of the 27 permits filed from October 2023 through September 2024 that have reached final sign-off, half did so within 146 days of being issued, down from 201 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 bathroom remodel permits take in San Francisco'sPortola neighborhoodMedian days from filing to permit issuedMedian days from issue to final sign-offToo recent to judge01002003004002017201820192020202120222023202420252026DaysSource: San Francisco Department of Building Inspection permit data via DataSF, analysis by Permit Graph(permitgraph.org), CC BY 4.0.permitgraph.org/neighborhoods/portola/bathroom · 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 202644 issued049 issued9
Permit issued to final sign-offOctober 2023 through September 202427 finished14635 finished201

“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 0 days to issue and 169 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-Q311761910too recent
2026-Q21612055791060too recent
2026-Q1101004651782040too recent
2025-Q4181515291362000too recent
2025-Q3181667182103370too recent
2025-Q2161410152121413200too recent
2025-Q1111036695822970too recent
2024-Q49994172173460too recent
2024-Q31313043111334110yes
2024-Q287225162583660yes
2024-Q14440yes
2023-Q466037261183490yes
2023-Q36676562024720yes
2023-Q2141328140121982992yes
2023-Q187922151564851yes
2022-Q4171517176122194333yes
2022-Q316155195131842852yes
2022-Q21413332112884133yes
2022-Q1750241yes
2021-Q410825272493950yes
2021-Q31615140131893592yes
2021-Q2181718272112204493yes
2021-Q11312011891175644yes
2020-Q4141398207112217821yes
2020-Q31081615171524792yes
2020-Q23321yes
2020-Q166721,26451904990yes
2019-Q42120683192894071yes
2019-Q312833282465210yes
2019-Q221198192182565902yes
2019-Q118188388162405281yes
2018-Q4111187092246610yes
2018-Q3121022491775420yes
2018-Q2151218197112865600yes
2018-Q11313444781522783yes
2017-Q4111021242103045381yes
2017-Q315155106111003044yes
2017-Q21211164971812473yes
2017-Q125235385211715962yes
2016-Q41614466791484452yes
2016-Q3212110201191646982yes
2016-Q214133154111653171yes
2016-Q118161638132215433yes
2015-Q41515229122583421yes
2015-Q322216246163234593yes
2015-Q212115141381853311yes
2015-Q1111123172285962yes
2014-Q41715083132048642yes
2014-Q31515155101334025yes
2014-Q2119313883041,0220yes
2014-Q1111114991374992yes
2013-Q41615026131002543yes
2013-Q31716012142063222yes
2013-Q213137377101818363yes
2013-Q1111101581593542yes
2012-Q49919281323511yes
2012-Q3111011291935650yes
2012-Q28869461103582yes
2012-Q11111041111052160yes
2011-Q410101691141880yes
2011-Q3101065591243630yes
2011-Q211111322101213221yes
2011-Q17703197632560yes
2010-Q41313024121182821yes
2010-Q3141307122244451yes
2010-Q21312316111703631yes
2010-Q11515143141164201yes
2009-Q4141319111001512yes
2009-Q3141301132035900yes
2009-Q2121253611891671yes
2009-Q166048261227700yes
2008-Q41190391201840yes
2008-Q319185302141722514yes
2008-Q212120117111982511yes
2008-Q188026471524521yes
2007-Q411110124101583970yes
2007-Q311110191191940yes
2007-Q212120081482422yes
2007-Q110100061292420yes
2006-Q4151400111362191yes
2006-Q31190062524121yes
2006-Q2161500101722561yes
2006-Q1880052113860yes
2005-Q4151500131712660yes
2005-Q39905981392450yes
2005-Q23320yes
2005-Q1980031yes
2004-Q49902462023121yes
2004-Q3131309581243822yes
2004-Q21010009911250yes
2004-Q1121200121563360yes
2003-Q487013051041790yes
2003-Q3101001581152082yes
2003-Q2990071533591yes
2003-Q1880061742530yes
2002-Q466011552042501yes
2002-Q3870071692990yes
2002-Q2660061182600yes
2002-Q1109045382794501yes
2001-Q43330yes
2001-Q388021161442060yes
2001-Q211110449853650yes
2001-Q11212038111432340yes
2000-Q43310yes
2000-Q3660740yes
2000-Q22210yes
2000-Q11010010040yes

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

107 of the 1,260 bathroom remodel permits filed since 2000 (8%) 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 Portola neighborhood

Shown apart, with their own page here: bathroom remodel (1,260 filed, 951 finished; contractors); kitchen remodel (823 filed, 589 finished; contractors); stairs (364 filed, 246 finished; contractors); deck (327 filed, 234 finished; contractors). Other types: 5,440 permits. All permits in San Francisco's Portola neighborhood

Nearby neighborhoods

McLaren Park, Visitacion Valley, Bayview Hunters Point; 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.