Summary
- San Francisco HVAC contractors that post a diagnostic fee charge $59 to $89, at or below the national median of $89.95, and San Francisco movers advertise $120 to $175 an hour for two movers.
- We found these and the other prices on this page on the websites of 72 San Francisco electricians, plumbers, HVAC contractors, carpenters, roofers and movers in October 2026, as part of the US Home Services Price Transparency Report 2026.
*Marketit research | October 2026*
San Francisco HVAC contractors that post a diagnostic fee charge $59 to $89, at or below the national median of $89.95, and San Francisco movers advertise $120 to $175 an hour for two movers. We found these and the other prices on this page on the websites of 72 San Francisco electricians, plumbers, HVAC contractors, carpenters, roofers and movers in October 2026, as part of the US Home Services Price Transparency Report 2026.
For each trade you'll find what San Francisco businesses advertise, the national figures from the same study, what Bay Area tradespeople earn according to federal data, and the California rules that affect the bill.
San Francisco prices at a glance
| Job | What San Francisco businesses advertise | US median in the study |
|---|---|---|
| HVAC diagnostic | $59 to $89 (4 businesses) | $89.95 (37 businesses) |
| New furnace, starting price | From $2,000 and from $4,700 (2 businesses) | $4,200 (5 businesses) |
| HVAC labor, per hour | $190 plus parts and tax (1 business) | No national median |
| Plumber dispatch fee | $149 (1 business) | $97 service call (22 businesses) |
| EV charger installation, starting price | From $449 (1 business) | $449 to $900 (4 businesses) |
| Two movers and a truck, per hour | $120 to $175 (3 businesses) | $142.50 (46 businesses) |
| New roof, per square foot | $7.50 to $21 by material (1 business) | No national median |
Most San Francisco figures come from one to four businesses, so treat them as examples of what local firms charge rather than a typical San Francisco price. The national medians come from all 25 metros in the study. All of them are advertised prices, not final bills.
How many San Francisco businesses post prices
13 of the 72 San Francisco businesses we checked list a price on their website (18.1%), against 13.8% across all 25 metros. San Francisco is one of the five Pacific Coast metros, where one in five businesses lists a price, compared with one in eight elsewhere.
| Trade | Businesses checked | With a price |
|---|---|---|
| HVAC contractors | 12 | 5 |
| Moving companies | 12 | 4 |
| Electricians | 12 | 2 |
| Plumbers | 12 | 1 |
| Roofers | 12 | 1 |
| Carpenters | 12 | 0 |
With about 12 businesses per trade, read these as counts rather than rates.
What San Francisco tradespeople earn
Bay Area tradespeople earn far more than the national median. Electricians and carpenters earn 47% more and roofers 34% more, according to federal wage data.
| Trade | SF-area median wage | US median wage | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Electricians | $44.63 an hour | $30.38 an hour | +47% |
| Plumbers | $37.44 an hour | $30.67 an hour | +22% |
| HVAC mechanics and installers | $37.73 an hour | $29.33 an hour | +29% |
| Carpenters | $42.89 an hour | $29.12 an hour | +47% |
| Roofers | $35.74 an hour | $26.65 an hour | +34% |
The figures are Bureau of Labor Statistics data for May 2025 for the San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont metro area. They show what workers are paid, not what customers are charged. A business's rate also has to cover travel, vehicles, insurance and overhead.
HVAC contractors in San Francisco
Five of the 12 San Francisco HVAC contractors list prices. Four post a diagnostic fee: $59 at two of them (one credits it to the repair), from $70 for an AC repair visit at a third and $89 at the fourth. The fifth charges $190 an hour with a one-hour minimum, plus parts and tax. Two give starting prices for new equipment: a furnace from $2,000 at one, and a furnace from $4,700 and an air conditioner from $5,490 at the other.
The median diagnostic fee across the study is $89.95, so San Francisco's posted fees sit at or below it, even though local HVAC wages are 29% above the national median. Nationally, new furnaces start at a median of $4,200, and HomeAdvisor's furnace guide puts a replacement at $2,823 to $6,897. More in our HVAC price guide.
Movers in San Francisco
Four of the 12 San Francisco moving companies list rates. One charges $175 an hour for two movers and a truck and $270 for four. Another charges $160 an hour for a two-man team. A third prices each mover at $60 to $75 an hour, so $120 to $150 for two. The fourth advertises rates from $119 an hour.
Nationally, the median is $142.50 an hour for two movers and a truck and $249 for four. San Francisco's posted two-mover rates run from $22.50 below to $32.50 above the national median.
Moves within California are regulated by the state's Bureau of Household Goods and Services. Movers need a permit from the bureau, and its Maximum Rate Tariff 4 sets the maximum rates for moves within the state: a mover can charge less, but not more (BHGS). More in our moving price guide.
Electricians in San Francisco
Two of the 12 San Francisco electricians list prices. One installs home EV chargers from $449. The other posts starting prices of $100 for a breaker, $150 for a panel repair, $1,000 for a panel upgrade and $1,200 for a new panel installation.
The $449 is the lowest of the four EV charger starting prices in the study, which run up to $900, and below the $554 to $1,380 that HomeAdvisor's EV charger guide gives for a Level 2 installation. The pages don't always say whether the charger itself is included. Seven US electricians post a starting price for a panel upgrade, with a median of $2,500. More in our electrician price guide.
Plumbers in San Francisco
One of the 12 San Francisco plumbers lists a price: a $149 dispatch fee.
That's $52 above the national median of $97 for a service call or trip fee, and inside the $50 to $300 that HomeAdvisor's plumber guide gives for a trip fee. Across the study, plumbers charge a median of $147.50 to clear a single drain. Bay Area plumbers earn a median $37.44 an hour, 22% above the national median. More in our plumber price guide.
Roofers in San Francisco
One of the 12 San Francisco roofers lists prices, by the square foot for a new roof: from $7.50 for an overlay, $9 for a tear-off, $10 for a TPO flat-roof membrane, $14 for tile and $21 for metal. On a 2,000-square-foot roof, the tear-off rate works out to $18,000 before extras.
Roofers are the trade least likely to post a price nationally (7.5%). For repairs, HomeAdvisor's roof repair guide puts a typical job at $395 to $1,968, with an average of $1,174.
Carpenters in San Francisco
None of the 12 San Francisco carpenters we checked list a price. Bay Area carpenters earn a median $42.89 an hour, 47% above the national median.
Sales tax on San Francisco home repairs
California doesn't charge sales tax on the labor to install or repair things in your home. Contractors are treated as the buyers of the materials they use: "Construction contractors are generally the consumers of the materials they use," according to the state's tax guide for contractors (CDTFA). They pay sales tax when they buy materials and build it into their price. One San Francisco HVAC contractor that bills by the hour adds tax on parts.
Checking a San Francisco contractor
California's Contractors State License Board licenses general contractors and specialty trades, including electrical, plumbing, HVAC and roofing contractors. Since January 2025, a license is required for any job of $1,000 or more in labor and materials combined, up from $500 (CSLB). CSLB's Check a License tool shows whether a license is active and which trades it covers (CSLB).
How the figures were collected
San Francisco prices come from the websites of 72 San Francisco businesses, the top Google Maps results with their own website for each of six trades. The sites were read in October 2026 and coded with an AI-assisted process against a written codebook. National medians come from all 1,782 businesses in the study, each counted once at its lowest price for a job. Wage figures are Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics for May 2025, via O*NET OnLine. Full method and limitations: US Home Services Price Transparency Report 2026.