San Francisco Building Permit Search & History Reports

San Francisco's Department of Building Inspection (DBI) is the permit authority for all construction, renovation, and demolition within city limits. DataSF publishes the Building Permits dataset (i98e-djp9) with over 400,000 records from 1980 to present — searchable by address, permit number, permit type, and contractor. San Francisco has two distinct permit tracks: Building permits (DBI) and Planning permits (SF Planning Department). A project often requires both — Planning approval before DBI issues the building permit. San Francisco's Mandatory Soft Story Retrofit program required seismic upgrades for thousands of wood-frame residential buildings by 2020; permit records show compliance status. The city's ADU ordinance is one of the most permissive in California, allowing ADUs in virtually every residential zone. For in-law units and basement conversions in older buildings, permit history is critical — the distinction between a legally-permitted unit and an unpermitted in-law unit has major financing, insurance, and resale implications.

Records available

What's included in a San Francisco permit search.

DBI-issued building permits from 1980–present via DataSF: residential remodels, ADU/in-law conversions, soft story retrofits, new construction, commercial tenant improvements, demolition, mechanical, electrical, plumbing. Includes permit type, filing/issue/completion dates, declared cost, contractor, and current status.

Source: SF Department of Building Inspection (DBI) https://sfdbi.org

Permit type and scope of work Full description of the work covered by each permit
Issue date, final date, current status Track open vs. finaled vs. expired permits
Contractor name & license Where recorded — required for CA permits
Original PDF document (Premium tier) Certified copy from SF Department of Building Inspection (DBI)

Coverage limits

What this search does not include.

SF Planning Department permits (separate agency, separate records); counties outside San Francisco (the city/county is a single jurisdiction, but San Mateo, Marin, and Alameda counties are separate); permits still in active plan review.

Outside San Francisco, CA jurisdiction Adjacent counties and municipalities use separate systems
Pending / in-review permits Not yet issued — not in the public records database
Unpermitted work Not in the records — flagged via history gaps, not direct data
Voided / expired (cleared) records San Francisco may clear old records from public view after a retention period

Common questions

Frequently asked about San Francisco permits.

What is the difference between a DBI permit and an SF Planning permit?

DBI issues building permits for construction work — structural changes, electrical, plumbing, mechanical. SF Planning Department issues entitlements and conditional use permits for zoning changes, variance approvals, and historic preservation. Many projects require both: Planning approval first, then DBI issues the building permit. Our search covers DBI records only.

Is the in-law unit (ADU) legal? How can I tell from permit records?

Search DBI records for the unit's address and look for an ADU or 'dwelling unit addition' permit in a legal status (issued, complete). An in-law unit without a DBI permit, or with only an open/expired permit, is unpermitted — which affects financing (FHA/VA loans), insurance, and the ability to legally rent it. Our lookup shows the full permit history.

What is the Mandatory Soft Story Retrofit?

San Francisco's Mandatory Soft Story Retrofit program (SF Admin Code Sections 4.43–4.46) required seismic upgrades for wood-frame residential buildings with soft stories (typically garages at ground level) by deadlines between 2017–2020 depending on building size. A DBI permit showing 'soft story retrofit' or 'seismic upgrade' indicates compliance. Buildings that missed deadlines face escalating fines.

How far back do SF DBI records go?

DataSF's Building Permits dataset has records back to approximately 1980 for most permit types. Pre-1980 records for older Victorian and Edwardian buildings are archived at DBI — contact them directly for historical research. Data quality and completeness improve after 2000.

Can I get the original DBI permit document?

DBI issues physical permit cards and digital records. For older buildings, original permit cards from the 1950s–1980s are archived at 49 South Van Ness Ave. Our Premium tier retrieves available permit documents directly from DBI records.

San Francisco Building Permit Search & History Reports

What's included in a San Francisco permit search.

What this search does not include.

Frequently asked about San Francisco permits.

Get permit data for San Francisco, CA.