Permit Submission
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If you need a permit for a small business, you may qualify for expedited review under Proposition H. Visit our Prop H Website for more information.
During the health crisis, DBI has changed our processes for accepting permits. Please see below for information on how to submit your permit application.
In-Person Services
The San Francisco Permit Center at 49 South Van Ness is open during the following hours:
- 7:30 a.m. – 4:00 p.m. Monday, Tuesday, Thursday & Friday
- 9:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m. Wednesday
The following Over-the-Counter (OTC) services will be available during Permit Center hours:
- OTC without Plans
- OTC with Plans – same day sign-up or appointment required
- OTC Plan Review
- Trades Permits (new!)
- SF Public Works Permits – Street Space & Sidewalk Repair (new!)
- SF Planning Consultations – Including Design Review (new!)
Who can obtain a building permit
For more information, please visit our OTC permits page.
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In-Person Over-the-Counter Plan Recheck Instructions
San Francisco Building Permit applicants who have made all necessary corrections to their submitted plans and just need a recheck for code compliance should follow this process.
These customers have already submitted a building permit application, received initial review and required revisions from a DBI plan checker, and have updated their plans to meet code as directed.
Recheck Instructions
- Plan to continue to work with the plan checker who did the first review.
- When you have completed the necessary revisions, contact your plan checker in advance to check their availability for a time and day when you can return so they can conduct a recheck at the counter.
- On that day, go to the Permit Center at 49 South Van Ness with your application form, plans and revised sheets (if needed).
- Customers will be allowed to queue for a recheck as early as 8:00 AM for a plan reviewer's morning shift, and 11:30 AM for a plan checker's afternoon shift.
- To ensure staff availability, just two customers are allowed to queue for a plan checker at any one time. If two people are already in line ahead of you, you will need to wait onsite to get into the queue or return at a later date.
Please note that supervisors conducting Over-the-Counter without Plans reviews at the Permit Center in the morning are not available for rechecks. Please coordinate with your original plan checker for them to conduct your recheck.
- In-House Review (Intake) Permits
To begin the process for submitting an in-house review permit application, email DBI staff with information about your project. For more information on what to do, go here.
- Permits for 100% Affordable Housing and Development Agreement projects
We accept permit applications for 100% Affordable Housing and Development Agreements online here.
- Trades (Electrical, Plumbing, Boiler-to-Operate), Reroofing & Kitchen/Bath Remodelling Permits
All trades, reroofing and kitchen/bath remodelling permits can be submitted online or by emailing DBI. For more information, go here.
- Emergency Permits
We accept permit applications for emergency projects. For more information, go here.
If you already submitted a permit application, please read the information below:
- Previously Submitted Permit Applications
If you previously submitted a permit application for an in-house review project online, you will remain in the queue for electronic review permit processing. If your project was identified as an Over-the-Counter project, you should make an appointment to submit your application in paper (see OTC information). For more information, go here.
- Submitting Revisions and Addenda
We are accepting revisions and addenda for previously submitted permits. For more information, go here.
- Revision Drop-Off for Hardcopy Building Permits Requested by Planning Department
If you have an existing Form 1, 2 or 3 Building Permit Application that was originally submitted in hardcopy, you may submit revised plans directly to the Planning Department without an appointment. Customers should come to the 49 South Van Ness Main Entrance to drop-off the plans at the 2nd Floor (Stations No. 39, 43 or 47) between 7:30 am and 3:30 pm.
Revision Drop-Off Instructions
- Provide two sets of revised plans
- Write the Building Permit Application Number along the side edge of each set of plans
- Date the plans with the resubmittal date
Revised plans will be routed to the Planning Department within two days of drop-off, and your assigned Planner will review the plans within approximately one week of the plans being routed to Planning. If you choose to proceed with Planning Department review of your revisions in hardcopy, you will be removed from the electronic plan review queue.
If you have an existing Form 8 Building Permit Application that requires revisions, you may continue review of this permit with assigned staff on the 2nd Floor Permit Center, unless your permit has been identified for intake (due to required neighborhood notification, entitlement or pending enforcement).
In all instances, Permit Center staff will require you to sign-in through the Permit Center’s queue management system.
Once your permit application has been reviewed and approved, you will need to do the following:
- Pay for Your Permit
When we are ready to issue your permit, you will receive an invoice to complete the payment process. For more information, go here.
- Pick Up Your Permit
Customers can drop in between 9:30 a.m. and 3:30 p.m. to pick up permits after you have been informed that your permit is ready for pick-up. For more information, go here.