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Permits & plan-check · San Francisco · San Francisco DBI (Department of Building Inspection)

San Francisco ADU permits — what plan-check really looks like

Every San Francisco ADU permit runs through San Francisco DBI (Department of Building Inspection). This is the realistic, project-manager view of that process — submittal package, plan-check rounds, the comments that come back most often, fees that hit before construction, and what separates a first-pass approval from a five-month round trip.

City-specific deep dives

San Francisco DBI (Department of Building Inspection) submittal package

A clean first submittal in San Francisco includes: site plan with setbacks and FAR calculation, architectural set (floor plans, elevations, sections, roof plan), Title 24 energy compliance, structural calcs and details, MEP plans, and the ADU-specific application packet. Missing any one of these adds two to four weeks of plan-check delay — not because plan-check is slow, but because the package goes back to the design team.

First-pass comments — the predictable ones

San Francisco plan-checkers consistently flag the same items: setback dimensioning, fire-separation details where the ADU is close to the main house, parking math (or its waiver), egress window sizing, Title 24 documentation gaps, and missing structural connection details. A disciplined design set anticipates these. Most second-pass turnarounds are avoidable.

Fees, school fees, and utility connections

Plan-check fee, building permit, mechanical/electrical/plumbing permits, school district impact fee (if applicable), water capacity fee, and sewer capacity fee. In San Francisco, these collectively land between $14,000 and $28,000 depending on ADU size and existing utilities. We model this at feasibility so the homeowner sees a real total, not just construction cost.

How long it actually takes in this jurisdiction

San Francisco DBI (Department of Building Inspection) plan-check averages 3–5 months from submittal to permit issuance in 2026 — assuming a clean package and responsive comments. Hillside, coastal, HPOZ, or special review overlays add 4–10 weeks. We tell the homeowner the realistic window at feasibility, then track it weekly.

San Francisco · Permits & plan-check

Questions San Francisco homeowners ask about permits

Direct answers, San Francisco-specific.

  1. Can I build a detached ADU in San Francisco?
    Rarely — SF's small lots and rear-yard rules usually push ADU work toward ground-floor conversion of garage or storage space. We confirm options at feasibility.
  2. What's the SF soft-story retrofit list?
    A city list of multi-unit wood-frame buildings with a soft ground floor that must be retrofitted for seismic. If your building is on it, retrofit must be addressed alongside any ADU work.
  3. Does San Francisco have unique requirements that affect permits?
    Yes — San Francisco DBI (Department of Building Inspection) sets the local rules, and San Francisco has its own plan-check rhythm. The realistic numbers above reflect 2026 San Francisco conditions, not statewide averages.

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