Track permits through our  Online Permit Tracking System

12.23.20 DBI Interim Director's Letter to Our Customers

10.15.20 DBI Interim Director's Letter to Our Customers

9.3.20 DBI Interim Director's Letter to Our Customers

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. ​

 

• Over-the Counter (OTC) Permits

All OTC permits can be submitted in paper through our limited in-person services including: 

• OTC without plans 
• OTC with plans 
• Permits requiring Fire Department review only

• In-Person Over-the-Counter Plan Recheck Instructions

  Welcome back! This information is for San Francisco Building Permit applicants who have made all necessary corrections to their submitted plans and just need a recheck for code compliance.

  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

1. Plan to continue to work with the plan checker who did the first review.
2. 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.
3. On that day, go to the Permit Center at 49 South Van Ness with your application form, plans and revised sheets (if needed).
   1. 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.
   2. 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, visit: www.sfdbi.org/inhousereview

• Permits for 100% Affordable Housing and Development Agreement projects

We accept permit applications for 100% Affordable Housing and Development Agreements online at https://sf.gov/apply-building-permit

• Trades (Electrical, Plumbing, Boiler-to-Operate) Permits

All trades permits can be submitted online or by emailing DBI. For more information, visit www.sfdbi.org/tradespermit

• Emergency Permits

We accept permit applications for emergency projects.  For more information, visit www.sfdbi.org/emergencypermits

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, please visit www.sfdbi.org/previouslysubmittedpermits

• Submitting Revisions and Addenda

We are accepting revisions and addenda for previously submitted permits. For more information, visit www.sfdbi.org/revisionaddenda

• 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.
Here are instructions for dropping off your revised plans:
• 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, visit www.sfdbi.org/payment

• 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, visit www.sfdbi.org/permitpickup