What's a typical OpEx load in San Francisco?

20–35% of base rent for institutional Class A. Premium buildings with concierge, gym, and amenity programming sit at the top of that range.

Service charge and operating expenses in San Francisco typically add 20–35% on top of base rent for institutional Class A buildings.

OpEx and service charge typically add 20–35% to base rent.
Cleaning, security, MEP maintenance, and lobby concierge are the largest line items.
Pass-through structures vary materially by region — translate via the Lease Term Translator.
Always negotiate caps on controllable OpEx in the LOI.

San Francisco office service charge and operating expenses

Service charge and operating expenses in San Francisco typically add 20–35% on top of base rent for institutional Class A buildings.

TL;DR

OpEx and service charge typically add 20–35% to base rent.
Cleaning, security, MEP maintenance, and lobby concierge are the largest line items.
Pass-through structures vary materially by region — translate via the Lease Term Translator.
Always negotiate caps on controllable OpEx in the LOI.

What sits in OpEx

In San Francisco, the standard Class A service charge covers cleaning, security, lobby and reception, MEP maintenance, lift servicing, lobby HVAC, exterior cleaning, and shared-amenity costs. Property taxes and insurance are often passed through separately.

Caps and protection

Negotiate annual caps on controllable OpEx (typically 3–5% over a base year). Uncontrollable categories (utilities, taxes) are usually uncapped but should still be itemised. Audit rights matter — secure them.

Key facts

city	San Francisco
country	United States
region	Americas
classARentLocal	78 USD/sqft/yr
classARentUsd	$78/sqft/yr
vacancy	31.5%
typicalLeaseYears	7
typicalRentFreeMonths	22
submarkets	6
primeYieldPct	6.5%

Frequently asked questions

What's a typical OpEx load in San Francisco?: 20–35% of base rent for institutional Class A. Premium buildings with concierge, gym, and amenity programming sit at the top of that range.

Editorial provenance

Reviewed by Miriam Hollander — Lead market analyst. Last updated 2026-04-15. See our methodology and editorial standards.

Primary sources for this page

CBRE Marketview reports — CBRE
JLL Office Insight — JLL
Cushman & Wakefield Marketbeat — Cushman & Wakefield
Savills World Research — Savills
Colliers Global Office Outlook — Colliers

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