The short version
File through the SF Permit Center (49 South Van Ness). Expect two review tracks: the Department of Building Inspection (DBI) for code, and often Planning for zoning and design. Simple permits (water heaters, electrical, boiler work) move fast; additions and structural work take weeks to months. Start at sf.gov.
What needs a permit in San Francisco
Nearly everything beyond cosmetic finishes. SF is strict: electrical, plumbing, mechanical, roofing, windows, additions, ADUs, change of use, and most remodels. The city also regulates facades, historic resources, and storefronts in many districts. When in doubt, run our free permit checker — and assume SF wants a permit.
What you'll need to submit
- Permit application — filed under the correct permit type (there are many; picking wrong routes you to the wrong reviewers)
- Plans — architectural, structural as needed, fully dimensioned
- Planning review materials — site context, elevations, sometimes neighborhood notification
- Structural calculations — seismic is taken seriously in SF; expect scrutiny
- Title 24 energy documentation
- Licensed contractor — CSLB license verified; SF also tracks local business registration
- Authorization letter — if an agent files on your behalf (this is what we do daily)
The process, step by step
- Pick the right permit type. SF's categories are granular — misfiling is the #1 rookie stall.
- Pre-check planning. If your project touches zoning, exterior changes, or use, get planning's read before finalizing plans.
- Submit a complete package. DBI routes to structural, mechanical, electrical, and planning reviewers in parallel — one missing sheet holds all of them.
- Work the corrections. Respond to every department's comments completely. SF reviewers remember incomplete resubmittals.
- Issuance, inspections, sign-off. Schedule inspections stage by stage; final sign-off closes the permit.
Same-day filing, SF included. We file San Francisco permits same-day through our standard process — signed authorization letter, verified license, complete package, filed under the right permit type.
Common San Francisco gotchas
- Planning review is the long pole. Design review, historic districts, and neighborhood notification can dwarf building review time.
- Seismic scrutiny. Structural work gets hard questions — have your engineer ready.
- OT and inspections for fire work. Fire protection permits run through SFD with their own overtime/inspection process — a world unto itself.
- Don't start work early. SF enforcement is active and penalties are real.
- New OTC addressing rule (Oct 2026). For over-the-counter permits creating a new address, DBI now requires the new address applied for first — staff checks the SF Planning Information Map at submittal. Not in the system? You get routed to the Key Programs Queue and the add/change address fee is $759. Verify the address in PIM before you go.
From our permit vault — San Francisco
- Permit formats we see: fire permits run FIRE-YY-NNNN (e.g. FIRE-26-1693); building permits are 12-digit (202407227019); applications carry BPA#YYYY-MMDD-#### numbers.
- What approval looks like: a one-page DBI fire jobcard (OpenGov template) plus the red-stamped plan set — or a multi-page building JOB CARD with the full inspection grid. Know which one you're getting.
- Online filing is the norm: OpenGov portal with tracking URLs on every card, express plan review with round-result letters and Bluebeam markups — plus over-the-counter issuance for eligible permits.
- Current fire-alarm fees (DBI schedule eff. 9/1/2025): Electrical Category 4 — up to 2,500 sf $461; 2,501–5,000 sf $680; 5,001–10,000 sf $1,251; 10,001–30,000 sf $2,067. SFFD inspection billed separately.
- Jobsite rule, enforced: post the permit and the approved plans packet on site with the address visible from the road — miss it and the inspection fails, plus a reinspection fee.
Drawn from 15+ years of issued SF permits in our archive. Fee schedules change — figures above are from the newest adopted schedule we verified.
We file SF permits same-day.
Right permit type, complete package, verified license, filed today. You never visit Van Ness.
Based on publicly available City and County of San Francisco information and our filing experience. Processes change — confirm current requirements at sf.gov. Not legal advice. Includes anonymized patterns from 15+ years of issued permits in our archive.