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How Much Does It Cost to Hire a Structural Engineer in San Francisco? [2026 Data]
Normal Range: $491 - $2,336
Hiring a structural engineer in San Francisco, CA costs $1,399 on average, or between $491 and $2,336, depending on the exact services you need from a pro.
How we get this data
Photo: ty / Adobe Stock Photography
Photo: ty / Adobe Stock Photography
Cost Insights
Expect to pay $150 to $300 per hour in structural engineer costs in San Francisco, depending on the engineer’s experience and your project’s complexity.
Given San Francisco’s high cost of living, structural engineering services cost 30% to 70% more here compared to the rest of the country.
Having a structural engineer inspect your home costs $400 to $2,000, depending on your issue.
If you have existing plans from an architect or designer, you’ll pay between $500 and $1,500 for a professional engineer (PE) stamp.
Average structural engineer costs in San Francisco range from $491 to $2,336, with most homeowners spending an average of $1,399. San Francisco’s cost of living is 65% above the national average, and as a result, professional structural engineering costs can be 30% to 70% higher compared to other parts of the U.S.
Given San Francisco’s seismic risk and the potential for earthquake-related damage, as well as the city’s steep hillside construction conditions, hiring a structural engineer is wise in many situations. The main factors impacting San Francisco homeowners’ structural engineer costs are project complexity, inspection type, and required drawings.
Structural Engineer Cost Factors
How much you’ll pay to hire a structural engineer in San Francisco, CA, depends on a variety of factors. Here’s a closer look at how your total breaks down.
Fee Structure
When hiring a structural engineer in San Francisco, you will pay per project, per hour, or per square foot. If your engineer charges by the project, they may either charge a flat fee or a percentage of the entire renovation cost or the cost to build your house. The type of billing depends on the professional and the exact scope of work requested.
A structural engineer’s fee typically includes necessary manhours, on-site design consultation with an engineer or architect, evaluation of your property’s structural integrity, and a findings report. Their fee does not include trip charges, general contractor fees, permitting fees, or actual project costs such as materials, labor, or post-construction cleanup fees.
| Price Structure | Average Cost |
|---|---|
| Per project (fee) | $2,000–$10,000 |
| Per project (%) | 1%–10% |
| Per hour | $150–$300 |
| Per square foot | $1.50–$10 |
Project Complexity
The cost of a structural engineer will also vary based on the complexity of your project. If you’re just building an add-on to your existing home, your engineer will have minimal work to do to ensure the addition is safe.
If you’re instead altering your roof structure, replacing standard beams with more supportive steel I-beams to open up your space, or removing load-bearing walls, your engineer will have more work to do and will charge more accordingly. Custom new construction projects are the most involved work for a structural engineer and will typically be the most expensive. Costs can also increase if you’re hiring an engineer for complex projects like assessing your foundation, your home’s structural integrity, or soil issues on your property following an earthquake.
Type of Inspection
When working with a structural engineer, an inspection is the first step—and may also be the only step, depending on why you’re hiring them. A structural engineer charges a flat fee for inspections, including checks during the sale of a home. The cost of a structural report sits at $850, but prices can range from $500 to $1,200, depending on the size and complexity of your home. Homes set on hilly San Francisco streets are more complicated to build (and inspect), potentially driving your costs up.
Your structural engineer inspection cost will likely exceed $2,000 if you’re having a professional investigate suspected foundation issues, including foundation cracks, bowing foundation walls, wavy rooflines, or sagging or squeaky floors.
Structural engineers in San Francisco are often hired to assess a home’s structural integrity as a safeguard against earthquakes. Structural damage inspections allow your engineer to recommend necessary structural repairs to restore your home’s safety.
These are the average costs associated with common types of structural engineering inspections.
| Type of Inspection | Average Cost |
|---|---|
| Beams/joists/trusses | $400–$1,500 |
| Buying or selling a home | $500–$1,200 |
| Foundation damage | $600–$1,500 |
| Home remodel | $800–$2,000 |
| Load-bearing walls | $400–$1,200 |
| New construction | $600–$1,500 |
| Storm damage | $500–$1,300 |
Engineer Plans
Engineer plans are the drawings that detail your construction project, and in the case of new construction, they’re the plans that an architect and builder will work off of to construct your home safely.
The engineer plans themselves, and the process to produce them, will cost you $500 to $8,000, depending on the scope of the project. The cost can be much higher for more complex, large-scale projects, sometimes reaching 45% of the engineering budget.
It’s a good idea to budget an additional $300 to $700 for revisions in case you want to make changes after the first round of drafting. Additional revisions after that point will cost about the same amount.
Prices for plans in San Francisco are often higher than in other parts of the country due to the city’s steep hillside construction, difficult urban access, and seismic/shaky soil conditions. Here are average prices for standard drawings that San Francisco homeowners might request from a structural engineer.
| Drawing Type | Average Cost |
|---|---|
| Commercial construction | $10,000–$100,000 |
| Home add-on or bump-out | $3,000–$8,000 |
| Major home renovation | $4,000–$12,000 |
| New construction | $6,000–$30,000 |
| Outbuilding construction | $1,500–$5,000 |
Additional Structural Engineer Costs
San Francisco homeowners should consider additional costs when hiring a structural engineer. Here’s a look at some other expenses that can impact your project.
PE Stamp
In most cases, a professional engineer (PE) stamp is bundled into the total project cost, which includes drawings, designs, calculations, and permit-ready plans. However, if you have existing plans from an architect or designer and just need a PE stamp from a licensed structural engineer for obtaining project permits, expect to pay between $500 and $1,500 for them to review your plans.
How much you’ll pay depends on the level of review and calculations required, whether any revisions or updates are needed, your engineer’s rate, and your project’s complexity. The more involved the engineer needs to be, the higher the cost for their stamp.
Permits
You don’t need a permit to hire a structural engineer, but you’ll need one to carry out your construction plans after their work is complete. In the city of San Francisco, permit fees are calculated based on the estimated cost of your project and the building departments involved.
For example, San Francisco building permits for new construction with a total project valuation up to $2,000 have a Plan Review Fee of $182 for the first $500 plus $10 for each additional $100 (or fraction) up to $2,000. Permit Issuance Fees are $161 for the first $500 plus $5.13 for each additional $100 up to $2,000. Fees increase as the cost of your project exceeds $2,000.
If you’re obtaining permits for a commercial construction project, fees may reach several thousand dollars, depending on your scope.
Taxes
Sales tax in San Francisco is 8.625%, but it’s important to note that this tax doesn’t apply to professional services, like hiring a structural engineer. However, if your engineer is providing any building materials or tangible property improvements, you’ll be charged sales tax for that portion of your project. It’s wise to ask your structural engineer if they’ll invoice you strictly for professional services, so you can avoid surprises on your final bill.
Can a Structural Engineer Add Value to Your Home?
Hiring a structural engineer doesn’t have a specific return on investment (ROI) itself—instead, your returns will depend on the type of project you’re completing after they’ve completed their services. For example, if you hire a structural engineer in San Francisco because you’re building a home addition, you may see an ROI of 20% to 50% on your project. If you’re hiring a structural engineer for a pre-purchase home inspection or for post-storm soil inspection, your ROI will be less significant.
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.
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