St. Francis Wood, San Francisco Real Estate & Homes for Sale
St. Francis Wood is a planned residence park on San Francisco’s west side, opened in 1912 on an Olmsted Brothers street plan, under city rules through SF Planning plus a homes association. The whole tract is on the National Register of Historic Places, which limits SB 9 for contributing houses, and some pockets carry mapped landslide zones.
Explore St. Francis Wood, 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 | City and County of San Francisco — SF Planning; St. Francis Homes Association |
| Housing | 612 detached single-family houses; nearly all RH-1(D); no commercial buildings |
| Hazards to check | Landslide zones near Terrace Dr, Santa Paula Ave and Portola/Miraloma drives |
| Getting around | West Portal station a walk north; K Ingleside and M Ocean View nearby |
| Local rules | National Register district (not Article 10); SB 9 excludes contributing homes |
St. Francis Wood is a planned residence park on San Francisco’s west side, opened for sale by the Mason-McDuffie Company in October 1912 on a street plan by the Olmsted Brothers. It lies between Portola Drive, Junipero Serra Boulevard and Monterey Boulevard and is subdistrict 4G in the MLS’s District 4 .
The whole tract is also listed on the National Register of Historic Places. That status, a homes association, wide lots and steep pockets of ground shape most of what a buyer or seller needs to know.
St. Francis Wood homes for sale
St. Francis Wood market report
Streets, gates and fountains
St. Francis Boulevard is the spine. According to the St. Francis Homes Association’s history, it has an elaborate gateway and two fountains and runs through the original 283-lot “horseshoe” section.
The rest of the tract follows curving streets, most with Spanish saint names: Santa Ana, Santa Clara, Santa Paula and Yerba Buena avenues; San Anselmo and San Pablo avenues; San Andreas, San Benito, San Buenaventura, San Fernando, San Lorenzo, San Rafael and Santa Monica ways; Terrace Drive; and the lower part of Miraloma Drive. Houses on Portola Drive, Junipero Serra Boulevard and Monterey Boulevard form the edges.
Across those edges are West Portal and Forest Hill Extension to the north, Monterey Heights to the east (the two share San Jacinto Way and Yerba Buena Avenue) and Balboa Terrace to the south.
How the residence park was built
The Residential Development Company bought 725 acres of the old Rancho San Miguel from Adolph Sutro’s estate, and Mason-McDuffie bought 175 of them for St. Francis Wood. Sales opened on October 12, 1912, with utilities promised by March 1913 and wires and pipes placed underground.
John Galen Howard, the first supervising architect, designed the lampposts, brick-diamond sidewalks, entry pillars, main gate and first fountain. Henry Gutterson, supervising architect through 1954 by the association’s account, designed the monumental upper fountain at the St. Francis Boulevard terminal and many houses; the association’s architecture page says all plans had to be submitted to him for approval.
Building came slowly, then fast. Italian Renaissance designs came first, followed by period revivals: Italian villas, English manors, Dutch and Spanish Colonial, French Norman and thatched-roof cottages.
Planning’s records name Masten & Hurd and Charles F. Strothoff among the architects alongside Gutterson.
St. Francis Wood in parcel numbers
Compare the particular property’s lot dimensions, permitted living area, construction history and ownership form using current records. Assessment classifications do not certify legal use or current listing availability.
The 23 vacant residential parcels are worth a note. If a house is offered with an adjoining parcel, confirm that the second lot conveys in the contract and check how it is taxed and titled.
The homes association and the CC&Rs
The St. Francis Homes Association, at 101 Santa Clara Avenue, describes four primary parks, more than 1,200 significant trees, seven miles of parkways, two tennis courts and a children’s playground, plus the 1917 upper fountain. Its site has a members’ area and lists a 24-hour emergency contact.
The association’s public pages do not describe current dues or the current design-review process. Ask for both in writing, along with any approvals pending for the house, and read the recorded CC&Rs in the preliminary title report.
The founding CC&Rs carry a history the association addresses directly. Its history page says the 1912 documents included a clause, Clause 13, that excluded certain ethnic groups from owning or leasing property. In 1948 the U.S. Supreme Court ruled in Shelley v. Kraemer that courts could not enforce racially restrictive covenants, and after the 1968 Fair Housing Act the association recorded an extension of the CC&Rs declaring the clause invalid.
Older recorded documents can still contain the original wording. Under Government Code section 12956.2, an owner, buyer, title company or agent may record a Restrictive Covenant Modification, reviewed by county counsel, that removes unlawful language from every affected property. This is general information, not legal advice; talk to a California real estate attorney about the documents on your lot.
What the historic district listing changes
Planning’s records show the St. Francis Wood Historic District listed on both the National and California Registers, with a period of significance from 1912 to 1954. It counts 591 properties: 529 contributors and 62 non-contributors. Wikipedia dates the National Register listing to June 30, 2022. It is not an Article 10 city historic district.
Contributor status is the practical question. California’s SB 9 two-unit law does not apply to a contributing structure in a historic district on the State Historic Resources Inventory (Government Code section 65852.21(a)(5)). The city’s Family and Senior Housing Opportunity SUD, which Planning maps over St. Francis Wood, bars demolishing buildings listed in or eligible for either Register, including contributors. Exterior projects on contributors should expect historic-resource review.
A non-contributing house may have more room to change, but confirm its status with Planning before assuming so. Our SB 9 lot split guide covers the state rules in more detail.
Zoning, slopes and getting around
Nearly every parcel is RH-1(D), one-family detached, in the Assessor’s zoning field. Planning’s landslide layer shows mapped earthquake-induced landslide polygons within St. Francis Wood: one around Terrace Drive, Santa Paula Avenue and Yerba Buena Avenue, another near Portola Drive, Miraloma Drive and San Pablo Avenue, and others along the Monterey Heights edge near San Jacinto Way. The liquefaction layer shows no mapped zone here.
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. Related: Natural Hazard Disclosure report guide.
For transit, West Portal station is a walk north across Portola Drive, and the K Ingleside and M Ocean View pass St. Francis Circle at the tract’s northwest corner on their way south from West Portal Avenue. Check SFMTA for current service.
Selling a home in St. Francis Wood
Buyers here compare houses on things a listing photo rarely shows: the original architect, how much period detail survives, the lot’s usable garden, the street’s slope and whether the house is a contributor. A well-documented history lets them price those differences.
- Architect and permit file: original plans, the architect’s name if known, and permits for later work.
- Historic status: contributor or non-contributor, from Planning’s property records.
- Association items: dues statement, any design approvals and the recorded CC&Rs.
- Ground: whether the lot is in a mapped landslide zone, and any geotechnical or drainage reports.
- Separate lots: any adjoining vacant parcel and how it is titled.
City sale requirements still apply; see the San Francisco selling requirements guide. For marketing a large house, our San Francisco luxury homes page and luxury selling guide explain the approach. The market report on this page shows current 4G figures.
Questions people ask
Who designed St. Francis Wood?
The Olmsted Brothers laid out the curving street plan for the Mason-McDuffie Company. John Galen Howard designed the gate, pillars, lampposts and first fountain, and Henry Gutterson designed the upper fountain and many houses.
Does St. Francis Wood have an HOA?
Yes, the St. Francis Homes Association. Its public site describes the parks, trees and fountains; ask the association for current dues and review requirements for a specific house.
Is St. Francis Wood on the National Register?
Yes. Planning’s records show the district listed on the National and California Registers, and Wikipedia gives a listing date of June 30, 2022.
Can I build an ADU or second unit in St. Francis Wood?
It depends on the lot. SB 9 excludes contributing structures in listed historic districts, and the city’s housing SUD bars demolishing contributors, but ADU and non-contributor options may remain. Ask Planning and an attorney before you buy for that purpose.
How big are lots in St. Francis Wood?
Verify the particular property’s current records and dimensions; a neighborhood statistic is not a substitute for a parcel-specific answer.
Are there landslide zones in St. Francis Wood?
Planning’s map shows several mapped landslide polygons on the steeper ground, including near Terrace Drive and near Portola and Miraloma drives. Check the specific parcel.
Considering a sale or purchase in St. Francis Wood? Request a home valuation based on comparable contributor and non-contributor sales. The San Francisco guide covers the rest of the city.
Costs to plan for when buying in St. Francis Wood
San Francisco charges one documentary transfer tax, and its rate climbs with the price. Per $500 of consideration it is $3.40 above $250,000 and below $1 million; $3.75 from $1 million to under $5 million; $11.25 from $5 million to under $10 million; $27.50 from $10 million to under $25 million; and $30.00 at $25 million or more. It is due when the deed records, with a Transfer Tax Affidavit (SF.gov: Transfer tax). Read our San Francisco transfer tax guide before you set a price near a tier line.
Beyond the base tax rate, every San Francisco bill carries citywide parcel taxes, such as the School Parcel Tax of 2020, the SFUSD Facilities District, SFUSD Teacher Support and the City College parcel tax, some with a senior exemption and some without (Treasurer: parcel taxes and special assessments). A reassessable ownership change may alter assessed value, and and one or more supplemental bills follow (SF.gov: supplemental assessments); ask your lender whether its impound account pays them. See San Francisco property tax and the supplemental tax bill guide.
St. Francis Wood adds one more line: the St. Francis Homes Association. Its public pages don’t state current dues, so ask the association for the amount and any pending assessments in writing, and read the recorded CC&Rs in the title report. Our HOA documents guide lists what to request.
Permits, ADUs and remodels in St. Francis Wood
Expect up to three reviews on a St. Francis Wood project. The Department of Building Inspection approves plans, issues permits, inspects work and keeps building records, from 49 South Van Ness Avenue (SF.gov: DBI). SF Planning handles zoning and historic-resource review, and its Property Information Map shows a parcel’s zoning (nearly all RH-1(D) here), its historic-district status and its permit history. The homes association’s own design review comes on top; ask what it requires before you hire an architect.
A second unit may still be possible where SB 9 is not. SF Planning describes a ministerial State ADU Program that allows converted, attached, detached and junior ADUs on single-family lots, and a Local Program that can waive some Planning Code requirements in existing buildings; the two can’t be combined, and Local Program ADUs fall under the City’s rent control law (SF Planning: Accessory Dwelling Units). On a contributing house, design the unit so it doesn’t alter the street-facing character, and ask Planning early. DBI holds pre-application meetings, and Planning’s Zoning Administrator issues Letters of Determination for a formal answer.
See buying a home with an ADU and buying a historic home.
Pull the records before you write an offer. DBI keeps plans, permit applications and job cards and provides copies on request (SF.gov: DBI), which on a 1920s house can include the original drawings. The 3R report a seller provides shows the authorized use and building permit history, but not plumbing, electrical or commercial permits, which need a separate request for public building records. It costs $379 per residential building on a lot and takes seven to ten business days (SF.gov: 3R report). Pair it with the association’s approval file for the same work.
Luxury homes and estates in St. Francis Wood
St. Francis Wood was laid out as a residence park for detached houses on lots wider than the city’s older 25-foot frontages. Nearly every parcel is RH-1(D), the one-family detached district and the tract is a National and California Register historic district with 529 contributing properties. That combination, rather than any single feature, is what defines high-end property here. Check a parcel’s zoning and contributor status on the Property Information Map.
On a high-value purchase, focus the due diligence on four things: contributor status and what it means for additions; the homes association’s approval record and dues; any adjoining vacant parcel and how it is titled; and ground, since several mapped landslide polygons cross the steeper streets. The City’s transfer tax rate rises sharply above $5 million (SF.gov: Transfer tax), and a large period house needs insurance quotes early; see insuring a high-value home and earthquake insurance.
Many owners here prefer a quiet 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: private sales. See San Francisco luxury homes for the wider market. We don’t promise any particular house is available.
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
- SF.gov: Transfer tax — https://www.sf.gov/transfer-tax
- SF Office of the Treasurer & Tax Collector: Parcel tax exemptions and special assessments — https://sftreasurer.org/property/parcel-tax-exemptions-and-special-assessments
- SF.gov: Learn about supplemental assessments — https://www.sf.gov/information–learn-about-supplemental-assessments
- SF.gov: Department of Building Inspection — https://www.sf.gov/departments–department-building-inspection
- SF Planning: Property Information Map — https://sfplanninggis.org/pim/
- SF Planning: Accessory Dwelling Units — https://sfplanning.org/accessory-dwelling-units
- SF.gov: Request a Report of Residential Building Record (3R report) — https://www.sf.gov/request3r
Sources & notes
- St. Francis Homes Association: St. Francis Wood home page
- St. Francis Homes Association: History
- St. Francis Homes Association: Architecture & Landscape
- 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)
- Wikipedia: St. Francis Wood, San Francisco
- San Francisco Planning: Residence Parks Historic Context Statement
- California Government Code section 12956.2 (Restrictive Covenant Modification), via California Public Law
- California Government Code section 65852.21 (SB 9 two-unit projects), via California Public Law
- San Francisco Planning Code (via GoCodebook): Sec. 249.94, Family and Senior Housing Opportunity Special Use District
- SF.gov / Department of Building Inspection: Comply with slope protection requirements for your building project
- 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.
Send a property inquiry
Matthew Martinez
Your inquiry is processed through our iHomefinder service. Review the form’s contact choices before submitting. Privacy Policy · Terms of Use.
What is your property in St. Francis Wood worth?
Planning a sale or weighing your next move? Request a broker market analysis based on the property, relevant comparable sales and the local setting.
