Cost to Build a Garage in San Francisco

Building a garage can add valuable storage space and protect your vehicles, but San Francisco’s small average lot size often limits the size of a new garage. The cost of building a garage in San Francisco averages $36,206, with most homeowners paying from $26,360 to $49,333. We explore some of the cost factors that affect how much you’ll pay to build a garage.

Garage Building Cost Factors 

The cost of building a garage in San Francisco, California, depends on several factors, including garage size and type, material, customizations, labor costs, and more. Take a look at some of the things that determine how much your new garage will cost. 

Size

You'll pay about $62 per square foot on average between labor and materials when working with a professional. However, you'll find prices as low as $37 per square foot for simple, attached garages and up to $148 per square foot for detached, high-end garages with all the bells and whistles.

Below, we've listed the average cost to build a garage by size:

Materials

The material you use to build your garage will affect its cost. A stick-built garage that matches your home’s aesthetics will be at the top of the price range, followed by sturdy materials like brick and cinderblock. Budget-friendly materials include metal, brick veneer, and prefab pole barn garages, but these garages may be less durable than pricier options.

Type

Building a multi-car garage will cost more than a one-car garage or a garage extension, and building a detached garage will cost more than one attached to your home. Smaller, one-car attached garages are common in San Francisco due to the city’s small average lot size, limiting the space available for additions like garages.

Permits

Building a garage requires a building permit from San Francisco’s Department of Building Inspection. For projects valued up to $50,000, total permit fees are $548 for the first $2,000, plus $34.66 for every additional $1,000 or fraction thereof. Ensure you’ve secured the necessary permits before beginning work to avoid citations, fees, or even having to remove the unpermitted work. 

Accessibility

If you plan on making your garage more accessible, you may need to hire a local ramp installation pro to install a ramp over the concrete foundation. This may require extra landscaping renovations.

Add-Ons

Expect to pay extra to customize your new garage with additional features. From the cost to install an automatic garage door opener to adding flooring, insulation, or even living space, any extra features will add to your total project cost. Here are some common add-ons and how much they can cost.

Garage Builder Costs

Hiring a garage builder in San Francisco, California, will make up about 50% to 70% of your total project cost. Building a garage isn’t a job to tackle as a DIY project. An experienced garage builder can answer your questions about building a garage, pull the necessary permits, and ensure your garage is structurally sound and built to code.  

Additional Pros to Consider Hiring

Depending on the details of your garage build, you may consider hiring some additional pros. If your garage builder doesn’t have an in-house structural engineer to review the building plans, hiring one can cost between $200 and $1,500, depending on the scope of work. 

If you need to run wiring for your automatic garage door, lights, and outlets, an electrician will charge $50 to $100 per hour. Hiring a drywall installer to finish the interior walls costs an average of $1 to $2.10 per square foot plus the cost of materials. 

Does Building a Garage Increase Home Value?

A garage is a worthwhile investment in your home, increasing its value and providing a high return on investment (ROI) of 60% to 85%. How much value a garage adds to your home depends on its size and features—a finished garage that also adds living space offers the highest ROI due to adding livable square footage to your home. 

The cost to convert a carport into a garage can also pay off when it comes time to sell—a garage is a more sought-after feature and can set your home apart from similar properties.

How Angi Gets Its Cost Data

Home is the most important place on earth, which is why Angi has helped more than 150 million homeowners transform their houses into homes they adore. To help homeowners with their next project, Angi provides readers with the most accurate cost data and upholds strict editorial standards. We survey real Angi customers about their project costs to develop the pricing data you see, so you can make the best decisions for you and your home. We pair this data with research from reputable sources, including the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, academic journals, market studies, and interviews with industry experts—all to ensure our prices reflect real-world projects. 

Want to help us improve our cost data? Send us a recent project quote to [email protected]. Quotes and personal information will not be shared publicly.