CheckMyDesigner

Check your San Francisco architect or engineer before you sign.

Have they done a project like yours in San Francisco? See their past permits, how long each took to get approved, and their license record — straight from public records.

For example “Jordan Lee”, C-34567 or S 5123.

See what's in a report

CheckMyDesigner

Professional Background Report

Report no.
No. CMD-26-0418
Date
Nov 4, 2026

Subject

Jordan Example

Architect · Example Studio Architecture · San Francisco, CA

License active

1.License

BoardCalifornia Architects Board
License no.C-12345
Issued / expiresMar 15, 2009 / Jun 30, 2027
Disciplinary actionsNone found

2.Permit history summary

27permits
  • Home remodel41%
  • ADU22%
  • Addition15%
  • Other22%
Permits by type of work
1516171819202122232425
Permits filed per year, 2015–2025

3.Recent permits

FiledWorkTime to issueStatus
Aug 12, 2025Rear addition, 2nd floor4 monthsIssued
Nov 3, 2024Foundation replacementWithin 1 monthFinal
Feb 19, 2024Convert garage to ADU11 monthsFinal
Jun 7, 2023Kitchen remodel, new beamWithin 1 monthFinal

+ 23 more permits listed in Appendix A

Sources: data.sf.gov (3pee-9qhc, i98e-djp9); California Architects Board. Retrieved 2026-11-04. Facts only — no rating or recommendation.

SAMPLE — illustrative dataPage 1 of 4

What's in a report

One page per architect or engineer, built from public records. Every row links back to the record it came from. Examples below use sample data.

License and board actions

License type, number and status from the state board, and any public disciplinary action from the California Architects Board or BPELSG.

You can check this on the state's own site too. We put it next to everything else.

Jordan Example, Architect
License active
License
C-12345, expires Jun 30, 2027
Board actions
None found (checked Nov 5, 2026)

Their San Francisco permit history

Every San Francisco building permit where they are named as architect or engineer: how many, what kind of project, and how recent. Revisions to an earlier permit are not counted twice.

The city publishes these records one permit at a time. We gather them by person.

Permits filed per year

Their experience and speed, by project type

How many permits they have had for each kind of project, such as a remodel, an addition or an ADU, so you can see whether they have done work like yours before. And how long those permits took from filing to permit, next to the city's typical time for the same kind of review in the same year.

This comparison isn't published anywhere else. We calculate it from the city's records.

Time to get a permit
Project typeTheirsCity
Home remodel4 months5 months
Addition11 months10 months
ADU7 months8 months

Typical time from filing to permit. City: permits with the same kind of review, filed the same year.

Your permit depends on who stamps the drawings

For many projects, California cities check that a licensed professional is legally responsible for the design. That rule is in state law.

What the law says

  • Structural work needs a stamp

    If any part of the design goes beyond conventional wood framing, the building official must require plans for that part from a licensed architect or engineer, stamped and signed. Removing a bearing wall, adding steel beams, a hillside foundation or a seismic retrofit usually triggers this.

    B&P Code §5537§6737.1

  • “Architect” is a protected title

    Someone without a California license may not practice architecture or call themselves an architect or an “architectural designer”.

    B&P Code §5536

  • A licensed architect gives you a written contract

    Before work starts, a licensed architect must sign a written contract with you that includes their license number and a notice that architects are regulated by the California Architects Board.

    B&P Code §5536.22

What it can cost you

  • Rejected at plan check

    Without a required stamp, the city sends your plans back, and you pay a licensed professional to redo them.

  • Months of delay

    Each round of corrections adds weeks. Your contractor, your financing and your move-in date slip with it.

  • Work stopped mid-construction

    If structural work doesn't match engineered plans, the job stops, sometimes until finished walls are opened up.

  • Problems you can't see

    An undersized beam or a missing shear wall may not show for years. In San Francisco, the real test is the next earthquake.

  • Fewer protections

    If your designer has no license, there's no board to discipline them or keep a public record.

Questions to ask before you sign

Bring these to your meeting, then compare their answers with the public record. Examples below use sample data.

  1. Who will stamp the drawings, and what is their license number?

    Look up that number. The report shows whether the license is current and what type it is.

    License activeArchitectC-12345
  2. Have you done a project like mine in San Francisco?

    The report counts their San Francisco permits by project type.

    Home remodel · 9Addition · 5ADU · 3
  3. How long did your recent permits take?

    Compare their answer with their typical time and the city's, for the same kind of review.

    Theirs
    4 months
    City
    5 months
  4. Who does the structural engineering?

    Structural drawings are often stamped by a separate engineer. Search them too.

    ArchitectC-12345
    Structural engineerS 4771

Independent and sourced

We report facts from public records. We don't rate or recommend anyone.

Permit records cover San Francisco for now. License and board-action checks cover all of California, wherever your project is.

Public sources: DataSF building permits (i98e-djp9) · DataSF permit contacts (3pee-9qhc) · California Architects Board · BPELSG

Common questions

Check a name before you sign

Have the proposal in front of you? Search the name or license number on it.

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