Forest Hill Extension, San Francisco Real Estate & Homes for Sale
Forest Hill Extension is the San Francisco neighborhood south of Dewey Boulevard, between Forest Hill and Portola Drive, rising onto Edgehill Mountain. Nearly all parcels are single-family houses, and it holds every block of the city’s Edgehill Mountain Slope Protection Area, so hillside projects can trigger added DBI review.
Explore Forest Hill Extension, San Francisco real estate and homes for sale with this local guide. Contact Diamond to discuss your criteria and current property-search options.
| County | San Francisco (City and County) |
|---|---|
| Local government | San Francisco Planning; DBI slope protection review |
| Housing | Mostly single-family houses from a 1912 residence-park development |
| Hazards to check | Mapped landslide zone along Edgehill Way; no liquefaction |
| Getting around | Forest Hill Muni Metro station at Laguna Honda and Dewey |
| Local rules | Edgehill Mountain Slope Protection Area; Family and Senior Housing SUD |
Forest Hill Extension is the neighborhood south of Dewey Boulevard, between Forest Hill and Portola Drive, that rises east onto Edgehill Mountain. It is subdistrict 4J in the MLS’s District 4 , sometimes also called Laguna Honda.
San Francisco Planning’s residence parks study groups it with Forest Hill as a single 1912 development, but the two differ in ways that matter to an owner: the Extension holds every block of the city’s Edgehill Mountain Slope Protection Area, and its houses run a little later and smaller.
Forest Hill Extension homes for sale
Forest Hill Extension market report
Where the Extension sits
Dewey Boulevard is the northern line, and Wikipedia’s Forest Hill article describes the area south of it as Laguna Honda or the Forest Hill Extension.
Its neighbors are Forest Hill to the north, West Portal to the west along Ulloa Street, St. Francis Wood across Portola Drive to the southwest, and Miraloma Park and Sherwood Forest to the east and southeast. The Laguna Honda Hospital campus nearby is listed by Planning as eligible for the National and California Registers.
Edgehill Mountain and the slope protection area
This is the Extension’s defining rule. DBI’s slope protection page names an Edgehill Mountain Slope Protection Area made up of Assessor blocks 2875, 2876, 2923, 2933, 2934, 2935, 2936A and 2936B.
Check the parcel’s current mapped hazards and ask DBI which slope-protection, geotechnical, grading, shoring and independent-review requirements apply to the actual project. Older checklists and numerical triggers may differ from the current amended Building Code; allow for any required engineer-stamped documents and review fees before pricing an addition.
Ask DBI which current slope-protection documents, professional stamps and independent review the proposed work requires. Confirm any committee review and fees under the amended code before relying on an archived checklist.
Planning’s landslide layer also shows a mapped zone along Edgehill Way. Its liquefaction layer shows none in the Extension. See our San Francisco hazard maps page for how to check a parcel.
The houses, in Assessor figures
Compare the particular property’s permitted living area, actual lot size, construction history and ownership documents; a neighborhood statistic is not a substitute for those records.
Planning maps the Family and Senior Housing Opportunity SUD here as well, which can allow two to four units on a qualifying RH lot; on Edgehill blocks, a project of that size could also trigger slope protection review.
Historic status
Planning’s eligible Forest Hill Historic District, period of significance 1912–1939, is mapped mostly to the north. Check whether a particular Extension house near Dewey Boulevard falls inside its outline before planning major exterior work.
Outside that district, Planning’s Register layers show no historic district covering the Extension. Individual older houses can still be evaluated as historic resources when a project is proposed.
Getting around
Forest Hill station sits at Laguna Honda and Dewey boulevards, at the Extension’s northern edge, with K, L and M service in the Twin Peaks Tunnel. West Portal station is where Ulloa Street meets West Portal Avenue.
The 36 Teresita and 52 Excelsior buses start at Forest Hill station, per route lists from 2022. On Edgehill’s upper streets, the walk down to either station can be steep, so test it before you buy.
Selling a home in Forest Hill Extension
Buyers here sort houses first by ground: a level lot on Ulloa or Merced is a different purchase from a view lot on Edgehill Way. Prepare the records that answer those questions before listing.
- Slope status. Confirm whether the lot is on an Edgehill block, in a mapped landslide zone or both, and disclose it.
- Engineering file. Gather any geotechnical, foundation, retaining-wall or drainage reports and the permits that went with them.
- Additions. Show permits for any added rooms or decks; a buyer planning more will ask what review the last project needed.
- Title. Check the recorded restrictions and whether any adjoining parcel conveys with the house.
- City requirements. See our San Francisco selling requirements guide for the 3R report and other sale rules.
Diamond may refer you to partners we work with, such as engineers and inspectors; you’re free to choose any provider. Our Natural Hazard Disclosure report guide explains what buyers will receive.
Questions people ask
Is Forest Hill Extension part of Forest Hill?
Historically, yes: Planning’s residence parks study groups Forest Hill and Forest Hill Extension together as a 1912 development. The MLS and the Assessor treat them as separate subdistricts, 4C and 4J.
What is the Edgehill Mountain Slope Protection Area?
It is a set of eight Assessor blocks where larger building, addition and grading projects need a stamped slope checklist and may get third-party or Structural Advisory Committee review. All eight blocks are in Forest Hill Extension.
Which Muni station is closest?
Forest Hill station, at Laguna Honda and Dewey boulevards, for most of the neighborhood; West Portal station for blocks toward the western end of the neighborhood’s stretch of Ulloa Street.
Can I add a unit to a house in Forest Hill Extension?
Possibly. The lots are mostly RH-1(D) inside the city’s Family and Senior Housing Opportunity SUD, but slope protection, historic review and recorded restrictions can all apply. Check the specific lot with Planning and DBI.
Are houses in the Extension older or newer than in Forest Hill?
Construction eras and later alterations vary by property. Confirm the particular building’s original records, permits and final inspections.
Planning a sale in Forest Hill Extension? Request a home valuation, or read how we sell San Francisco homes. The San Francisco guide covers the citywide picture.
Costs to plan for when buying in Forest Hill Extension
Transfer tax. San Francisco is a combined city and county, so there is one transfer tax, charged at a single rate on the whole price by tier: $3.40 per $500 from just over $250,000 to under $1 million, $3.75 per $500 from $1 million to under $5 million, and $11.25 per $500 from $5 million to under $10 million (sf.gov: Transfer tax). On our arithmetic, a $2,200,000 house owes $16,500. It is due at recording with a Transfer Tax Affidavit; see our San Francisco transfer tax guide.
Property tax. The Proposition 13 base is 1% of assessed value plus voter-approved debt rates (BOE Publication 29). Installments are due November 1 and February 1 and become delinquent after December 10 and April 10 (Rev. & Tax. Code §2617, §2618, §2704, §2705). A purchase also brings a supplemental bill (sf.gov), and city bills carry parcel taxes such as the School Parcel Tax of 2020 (SF Treasurer). See our San Francisco property tax guide.
A second parcel. A separately offered vacant lot needs its own legal-lot and development review. If a house is sold with an adjoining lot, each parcel has its own tax bill and assessed value, so confirm both before closing.
Slope review. On the Edgehill Mountain blocks, the applicant pays for any third-party or Structural Advisory Committee review, so budget for it before planning a large addition.
Permits, ADUs and remodels in Forest Hill Extension
San Francisco Planning reviews zoning, design and ADU applications, and the Department of Building Inspection issues building permits and runs the slope protection review described above.
Planning offers a Local ADU Program and a State ADU Program, which can’t be combined. The Local Program allows converted, attached and detached ADUs, and on lots with four or fewer legal units, one ADU plus one detached ADU; it can waive some Planning Code rules for existing buildings, but a unit built with waivers may need a Costa-Hawkins Regulatory Agreement that puts it under rent control. The State Program skips rear yard and exposure rules and allows junior ADUs of up to 500 square feet inside a single-family house, with owner occupancy required when the JADU shares sanitation with the main residence (SF Planning: Accessory dwelling units). State law provides a ministerial path, when its statutory conditions are met, for one ADU plus one junior ADU within an existing single-family home (Government Code §66323). ADUs can’t be used as short-term rentals.
On an Edgehill block, a detached ADU or garage conversion that needs shoring, underpinning or more than 50 cubic yards of grading can also trigger slope review, so ask DBI early. Our SB 9 lot split guide covers the separate state route for adding a unit or splitting a lot.
Luxury homes and estates in Forest Hill Extension
The Extension’s higher-end houses are mostly the view houses on Edgehill Mountain and the larger houses on level streets near Forest Hill station. RH-1(D) is the one-family detached district; the eight Edgehill blocks form the Edgehill Mountain Slope Protection Area, so significant additions and new houses there go through DBI’s slope checklist. Houses near Dewey Boulevard may fall inside the outline of Planning’s eligible Forest Hill Historic District. Our Forest Hill guide covers the older tract to the north.
For a high-value purchase, the checks that matter most are the engineering file (geotechnical, retaining wall and drainage reports), permits for past additions, recorded restrictions on title and whether an adjoining parcel conveys. Our hillside geotechnical report guide explains the review. Price earthquake coverage early (earthquake insurance guide) and see insuring a high-value home in California. Before you write an offer, compare the house with its Report of Residential Building Record (3R), which a San Francisco seller must obtain and deliver to the buyer (sf.gov: Request a 3R report); a finished lower floor or added suite missing from that record is a pricing question, not just paperwork.
Some owners prefer a discreet sale. Ask Diamond Real Estate Group which permitted private-marketing options fit your property, goals and the applicable MLS rules. Availability of any particular listing is not guaranteed. Related reading: how we find off-market deals. See our San Francisco luxury homes page.
Forest Hill Extension real estate: questions people ask
Where can I see Forest Hill Extension homes for sale?
Current Forest Hill Extension homes for sale are in the listings at the top of this page, from MLS subdistrict 4J. Almost all are single-family houses.
Is Forest Hill Extension in San Francisco County?
Yes. It is in the consolidated City and County of San Francisco, which handles zoning, permits, property tax and the transfer tax.
Who handles permits in Forest Hill Extension?
San Francisco Planning reviews zoning and ADUs, and the Department of Building Inspection issues building permits and decides the level of slope review on Edgehill Mountain blocks.
Does Forest Hill Extension have a transfer tax?
Yes, San Francisco’s tiered transfer tax, at one rate on the whole price, due when the deed is recorded (sf.gov).
For a taxable transfer, the applicable tier’s rate is charged on each$500 or fractional part of the taxable consideration/value; exemptions and special rules can affect the result. Confirm the calculation with escrow.
Assessment records are a starting point for checking a property, not a certification of legal use or a live listing inventory. Verify current permits, recorded ownership documents and any affordability restrictions.
Sources for this section
- City and County of San Francisco, Transfer tax: https://www.sf.gov/transfer-tax
- California State Board of Equalization, Publication 29: https://www.boe.ca.gov/proptaxes/pdf/pub29.pdf
- California Revenue and Taxation Code §§2617, 2618, 2704, 2705: https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/codes_displaySection.xhtml?lawCode=RTC§ionNum=2617. (and sections 2618, 2704, 2705 at the same address)
- City and County of San Francisco, Learn about supplemental assessments: https://www.sf.gov/information–learn-about-supplemental-assessments
- SF Treasurer & Tax Collector, Parcel tax exemptions and special assessments: https://sftreasurer.org/property/parcel-tax-exemptions-and-special-assessments
- San Francisco Planning, Accessory dwelling units: https://sfplanning.org/accessory-dwelling-units
- California Government Code §66323 (via California Public Law): https://california.public.law/codes/government_code_section_66323
- Department of Building Inspection / City and County of San Francisco, Request a Report of Residential Building Record (3R): https://www.sf.gov/request3r
Sources & notes
- SF.gov / Department of Building Inspection: Comply with slope protection requirements for your building project
- DataSF / SF Assessor-Recorder: Assessor Historical Secured Property Tax Rolls, 2025 closed roll (parcel counts by class, build years, median lot and building area, zoning codes and street lists for subdistricts 4A-4T; queried October 2026)
- San Francisco Planning: PlanningData map service (zoning districts, height districts, special use districts, landmarks, National and California Register historic districts, Article 10 districts, seismic hazard zones; queried October 2026)
- San Francisco Planning: Residence Parks Historic Context Statement
- Wikipedia: Forest Hill, San Francisco
- Wikipedia: Twin Peaks Tunnel
- Wikipedia: List of San Francisco Municipal Railway lines (route termini; page states service as of July 2022)
- San Francisco Planning Code (via GoCodebook): Sec. 249.94, Family and Senior Housing Opportunity Special Use District
- California Geological Survey: Seismic Hazards Program
- San Francisco Association of REALTORS: MLS district map (2001 edition, via Reineck & Reineck)
Last reviewed October 2026 by Matthew Martinez.
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