CheckMyDesignerGuides for San Francisco homeowners
Plain answers to the questions that come up before a remodel or addition. Each guide links to the law or official page it relies on.
Building permits
Whether your project needs a permit, and what San Francisco’s rules say.
- When do you need a building permit in San Francisco?Which home projects need a San Francisco building permit, the short list of jobs that don’t, and how to check before you start.
- Do you need a permit to remodel a bathroom or kitchen in San Francisco?Why San Francisco requires a permit even for like-for-like kitchen and bathroom remodels, and when you also need drawings.
- What happens if you build or remodel without a permit in San Francisco?How San Francisco finds work done without a permit, what it costs when it does, and how to make the work legal.
- Selling or buying a house with unpermitted work in CaliforniaWhat California sellers must disclose, what a San Francisco 3R Report shows, and your options before closing.
Hiring an architect or designer
Who may draw your plans, and what to check before you sign.
- Questions to ask an architect before you signWhat to ask before you sign a design contract, why each answer matters, and how to check it.
- Architect vs draftsman vs building designer in CaliforniaWho may draw your plans in California, which homes are exempt, and who must stamp the rest.
- When do you actually need an architect in California?Which projects a designer without a license may draw in California, which need a licensed architect or engineer, and who to hire first.
Structural engineers
When your project needs one, and what to check before you hire.
- What does a structural engineer do on a home remodel?What a structural engineer draws and calculates for a home remodel, and which San Francisco projects need stamped structural drawings.
- How much does a residential structural engineer cost in San Francisco?What a residential structural engineer’s fee depends on, national price ranges, and what California requires in the written contract.
- Architect vs. structural engineer: who do you need for your remodel?How an architect and a structural engineer split the permit drawings, and who to hire first in San Francisco.
Already have someone in mind?
Search by name or license number. You’ll see their California license status, any public board actions and the San Francisco permits they’ve been named on.
Or check with the state boards: architect license lookup · engineer license lookup