You are viewing the permanent link for the record currently in effect, published 2026-09-19.
San Francisco building permits
VerifiedSan Francisco, California — as published 2026-09-19.
Verified 2026-09-19 · Source
Codes adopted
Permit types & fees
Building Permit
VerifiedA San Francisco building permit is reviewed by the Department of Building Inspection at 49 South Van Ness Avenue. There are three routes in, and which one you get depends on how much plan review your project needs rather than on what you ask for.
Verified 2026-09-19 · Source
Requirements
- "Most building permit applications require architectural plans."
- OVER-THE-COUNTER IS DEFINED BY REVIEW TIME, NOT BY PROJECT TYPE: "You can get OTC review for projects that need less than 1 hour of plan review."
- "We review complex projects in-house, accepting them for electronic plan review (EPR) or with paper plans."
Required documents
- Optional
- Optional
Fee schedule
| Fee type | Amount | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Building Permit Fee (Plan Review Fee + Permit Issuance Fee) | Valuation-banded; see notes. | Table 1A-A states plainly: "The Building Permit Fee is the Plan Review Fee plus the Permit Issuance Fee." Budgeting from one of the two columns understates the bill. Show full citationHideTable 1A-A states plainly: "The Building Permit Fee is the Plan Review Fee plus the Permit Issuance Fee." Budgeting from one of the two columns understates the bill. Bands as printed: $1 to $2,000 - plan review "$181 for the first $500 plus $8.60 for each additional $100 or fraction thereof", issuance "$206 for the first $500 plus $4 for each additional $100 or fraction thereof". $2,001 to $50,000 - plan review "$310 for the first $2,000 plus $28.35 for each additional $1,000 or fraction thereof", issuance "$266 for the first $2,000 plus $8.56 for each additional $1,000". $50,001 to $200,000 - plan review "$1,617 for the first $50,000 plus $15.60 for each additional $1000 or fraction thereof", issuance "$677 for the first $50,000 plus $4.83 for each additional $1000". |
| State valuation surcharge | $4.00 per $100,000 project valuation, minimum $1.00 | DBI describes a state-mandated fee assessed "at the rate of $4.00 per $100,000 project valuation, and requires a minimum fee of $1.00 from every applicable permit". Show full citationHideDBI describes a state-mandated fee assessed "at the rate of $4.00 per $100,000 project valuation, and requires a minimum fee of $1.00 from every applicable permit". This is the same statewide charge other California jurisdictions in this corpus print as $1.00 per $25,000 - identical rate, different arithmetic. |
Sources & verification
Verified against official sources. Last reviewed 2026-09-19.
Fee schedules
Codes & ordinances
Department & other records
Fees, timelines, and adopted codes are researched from each jurisdiction's published records — see how we verify. Requirements change and vary by project, so always confirm the current details with the San Francisco building department before you submit. PermitBase is an independent reference and is not affiliated with any government agency.