San Francisco Building Permits

San Francisco's Department of Building Inspection oversees all construction permitting for the city and county, processing approximately 50,000 permit applications each year. DBI operates from its headquarters at 49 South Van Ness Avenue, which houses the Permit Center, Plan Check, and Inspection Services divisions. San Francisco's permit process is notably more complex than other California cities due to historic preservation requirements, seismic safety codes, and density considerations. Approximately 40% of the city falls within historic districts or contains historically significant structures, requiring additional review.

San Francisco permits typically require multiple department approvals beyond DBI. Projects may need sign-off from Planning (zoning compliance), Fire (life safety), DPW (sidewalk/curb work), and PUC (water/sewer). The permit intake process begins at the Permit Center, where applications are screened for completeness. Most residential projects then enter the plan review queue, which operates on a first-in-first-out basis. Over-the-counter permits are available for minor work like water heater replacements and basic electrical upgrades. The city offers Neighborhood Express permits for qualifying residential projects, reducing approval time to 2-4 weeks.

Permit timelines in San Francisco are generally longer than other Bay Area cities. Simple over-the-counter permits can be obtained within 1-2 days. Standard residential alterations typically take 8-16 weeks for plan review. Projects requiring Planning Department review or historic preservation analysis may take 4-8 months. New construction and major additions often require 6-12 months for full approval. The city has made efforts to streamline ADU permitting, targeting 60-day approval for code-compliant applications.

San Francisco launched its Digital Permit Services initiative in 2024, expanding online submission capabilities and reducing in-person visits. The city also adopted revised ADU regulations aligning with state requirements under AB 1033 and SB 1211, allowing ADU sales as condominiums. New soft-story retrofit deadlines were extended for qualifying buildings, with penalties increasing for non-compliance starting in 2025.