When do you need a building permit in San Francisco (and California)?

In San Francisco, the cutoff between permit-required work and exempt work is defined in SFBC Section 106A.2 and summarized on SF.gov’s construction permit guide. Use the table below to check common residential projects before you hire a crew.

An exemption in SFBC Section 106A.2 only waives the building permit. It does not authorize work that violates the Planning Code, historic district rules, or state energy and fire codes, and it does not cover electrical, plumbing, or mechanical permits.

Across California, the statewide baseline for one- and two-family homes is California Residential Code (CRC) Section R105.2. Cities and counties can amend the state code for local conditions, and San Francisco keeps its own exempt list in SFBC Section 106A.2.

If you read a national remodeling blog or even a general California checklist, several items listed as exempt statewide actually require a permit in San Francisco:

• Fences: Statewide, CRC Section R105.2 exempts fences up to 7 feet tall. In San Francisco, SFBC Section 106A.2 exempts fences up to 6 feet high only at the rear and side lot lines at the rear of the property, and other fences only up to 3 feet.
• Bathroom flooring: Statewide, CRC Section R105.2 exempts tiling, carpeting, and finish flooring across the house. San Francisco’s SFBC Section 106A.2 exempts floor coverings only in areas other than bathrooms.
• Kitchen cabinets and countertops: Statewide, CRC Section R105.2 lists cabinets and countertops as exempt finish work. San Francisco leaves cabinets and countertops off its exempt list in SFBC Section 106A.2 and requires a kitchen or bath remodel permit even for in-kind replacements. See our guide on whether you need a permit for a bathroom or kitchen remodel in San Francisco for a line-by-line breakdown.

Skip the permit on a project that needs one and you risk a Stop Work Order and an investigation fee of nine times the permit issuance fee plus the original permit fee (SF.gov notice of violation, SFBC Section 110A, Table 1A-K). We cover those penalties in detail in what happens if you build without a permit in San Francisco.

San Francisco divides building permit applications into two review tracks based on complexity (SF.gov building permit review processes).

Over-the-counter (OTC) review handles straightforward residential projects using Form 3/8 (SF.gov OTC permits). Simple no-plans jobs, such as in-kind window replacements, non-structural reroofing, and in-kind, non-structural kitchen or bath work in a house or duplex (R-3) or in a unit of an apartment building built before 1991 (R-2), must be submitted online through PermitSF (SF.gov check if your permit needs plans). OTC projects that require drawings are submitted in person at the Permit Center at 49 South Van Ness. SF.gov estimates 2 to 8 hours for that step (SF.gov interior remodel OTC guide).

In-house review applies when a project is too complex to review in a single counter visit, requires neighborhood notification under the Planning Code, adds a dwelling unit, or substantially expands the building envelope (SF.gov building permit review processes). You submit PDF drawings electronically for Bluebeam plan check, and staff across Planning, DBI building inspection, structural engineers, and the Fire Department review them in sequence.

DBI requires construction drawings whenever your project changes a floor plan, removes or relocates a wall, alters structural framing, converts a basement or garage, adds bedrooms or bathrooms, or modifies stairs, decks, or exterior walls (SF.gov check if your permit needs plans).

Under California B&P Code §5537 and B&P Code §6737.1, an unlicensed building designer or homeowner may prepare plans for single-family wood-frame houses and wood-frame buildings of up to four units that do not exceed two stories plus a basement, as long as the design stays within conventional wood-frame construction tables.

Whenever any portion of the work departs from conventional wood framing, such as removing a bearing wall for a long-span steel beam, cutting a wide garage opening, or underpinning a foundation, the local building official must require plans and calculations signed and stamped by a California-licensed architect or registered civil or structural engineer (B&P Code §5537(b), §6737.1(b)). San Francisco also mandates licensed design on steep hillside parcels in the Edgehill Mountain and Northwest Mt. Sutro Slope Protection Areas (SFBC Section 106A.3.2 Exception 2). Read our guides on architect vs. building designer in California and when you actually need an architect before choosing who draws your set.

If your scope sits near a code boundary, verify before demolition starts rather than relying on a contractor’s verbal assurance:

1. Confirm whether your scope needs a permit and whether it requires architectural drawings using DBI’s project permit guide and plans checklist.
2. Check your property’s existing permit history and authorized unit count in the SF.gov Permit and Complaint Tracking System so you know whether past work was properly signed off.
3. If your project needs plans, verify the California license status and San Francisco permit track record of your architect or structural engineer before signing a design contract.
4. When in doubt about a borderline repair, ask DBI Technical Services or the Public Information Counter at 49 South Van Ness before starting work.