Comply with slope protection requirements for your building project

Check your construction location. You may need to provide additional reports when applying for building permits.

What to do

1. Check the affected areas

Check for specific assessor’s block numbers required to have a Structural Advisory Committee review:

  • Edgehill Mountain Slope Protection Area (2875, 2876, 2923, 2933, 2934, 2935, 2936A and 2936B)
  • Northwest Mt. Sutro Slope Protection Area (1850, 1851, 2635, 2636, 2638, 2674, 2675, 2676, 2677, and 2686)

Check if any portion of the property lies within the “Earthquake Induced Landslide Zones” in the California Seismic Hazard Zone Map. 

Also check if the property exceeds an average slope of 4 horizontal to 1 vertical (4H:1V) based on the Topographic Map of San Francisco: 4H:1V Slope.

 

2. Check proposed construction activities

You must comply with slope protection requirements if proposed construction involves any of the following:

  • Construction of a new building or structure having over 1,000 square feet of new projected roof area
  • Horizontal and/or vertical addition totaling over 500 square feet of new projected roof area
  • Shoring
  • Underpinning
  • Grading of over 50 cubic yards of earth materials (including excavation and/or fill)
  • Any other construction activity that may have a substantial impact on the slope stability

3. Hire a civil, structural, or geotechnical engineer or architect to fill out the Slope Protection Checklist

An engineer or architect licensed in California must complete and stamp the checklist.

4. Submit the checklist and other documents when you apply for a building permit

Attach the following:

During plan review

With the help of the internal Slope and Seismic Protection Act committee, the plan reviewer will assign your project to a tier indicating the level and scope of review that is required.

Depending on the amount of slope impact, the project may be required to have third party heightened design review or a Structural Advisory Committee.

Special cases

Third party heightened design review

Third party heightened design review

If third party heightened design review is required, DBI will select a panel of experts to participate. These experts will be a combination of geotechnical engineer, structural engineer, and/or Certified Engineering Geologist. As much as feasible, they will be gathered from a list of experts recommended by the Structural Engineers Association of Northern California.

You will contract and pay them for their services. They will report directly to DBI with their findings.

Structural Advisory Committee review

Structural Advisory Committee review

The Structural Advisory Committee conducts heightened technical review in a public forum format. A panel of experts will be convened from a list of experts recommended by the Structural Engineers Association of Northern California, when possible. Any interested parties may also give recommendations for candidates for the committee.

These experts will include at a minimum:

  • Geotechnical engineer
  • Structural engineer
  • Certified engineering geologist
  • Licensed architect

You will contract and pay them for their services. The committee will report directly to DBI with their findings.

See SF Building Code Section 105A.6 for details about the Structural Advisory Committee.

More information

For full details, refer to Information Sheet S-19.

Get help

Related

Get a building permit with In-House Review

You must have a building permit to do construction. Follow these steps for In-House Review permit applications.

Last updated October 19, 2022

Department

Department of Building Inspection