RESOURCE COLLECTION
Fees for the Department of Building Inspection
Fees for permits, inspections, and penalties for DBI.
For all payments, we accept cash, check, Visa, MasterCard and money-orders payable to City and County of San Francisco Department of Building Inspection or CCSF-DBI.
Fees published in the online SF Building Code
You can refer to all the fee tables in the official published SF Building Code.
We have also separated the fees by subject below.
Documents
Building permits
PDF table of plan review and permit issuance fees for new construction, based on total valuation of a project.
You can also refer to an online version of the building permit fees in the SF Building Code (Table 1A-A).
PDF table of plan review and permit issuance fees for alterations, based on total valuation of a project.
You can also refer to an online version of the building permit fees in the SF Building Code (Table 1A-A).
PDF table of plan review and permit issuance fees for projects with no plans, based on total valuation of a project.
You can also refer to an online version of the building permit fees in the SF Building Code (Table 1A-A).
Other permits
PDF table of permit issuance fees for plumbing and mechanical permits.
You can also refer to an online version of the plumbing and mechanical permit fees in the SF Building Code (Table 1A-C).
PDF table of permit issuance fees for electrical permits.
You can also refer to an online version of the eletrical permit fees in the SF Building Code (Table 1A-E).
PDF table of permit issuance fees for other permits including bleachers, chimney and flue, garage door, house moving, re-roofing, and subsidewalk construction.
You can also refer to an online version of the permit fees in the SF Building Code (Table 1A-F).
PDF table of permit issuance fees for signs.
You can also refer to an online version of the sign permit fees in the SF Building Code (Table 1A-H).
Inspections
Code enforcement
PDF table of fees related to code enforcement, including penalties, hearings, and assessments.
You can also refer to an online version of the fees in the SF Building Code (Table 1A-K).
PDF table of fees related to renting out a home, apartment building, or hotel. These special assessment fees will help recover the costs of providing code enforcement services by the DBI. Code enforcement services include responding to public complaints, agency referrals alleging housing/building code violations, as well as help cover the costs of on-site inspections and reinspections to address and correct code violations.
Passed unanimously by the Board of Supervisors, ordinance 105-09 became effective July 27, 2009 and provides the City with resources required to provide and preserve safe, functional and code-compliant structures.
You can refer to an online version of the fees in the SF Building Code (Table 1A-P).
Public information
Administration
PDF table of miscellaneous DBI fees, including other permit processing fees, building numbers, permit extensions, product approvals, CA Building Standards Commission fee, and vacant building fees.
You can also refer to an online version of the fees in the SF Building Code (Section 110A, Table 1A-J).
PDF table of standard hourly rates for plan review, inspections, and administration at the Department of Building Inspection.
You can also refer to an online version of the rates in the SF Building Code (Section 110A, Table 1A-D).
Specific program fees
Building valuation
2024 Valuation Threshold
The Valuation Threshold for Alterations, Structural Repairs or Additions to Existing Buildings: In accordance with the 2022 California Building Code definition of valuation threshold, the 2024 valuation threshold is $200,399 and will be updated again in January 2025.
See more information at the State Division of the State Architect.
Use the cost schedule to calculate a building's valuation for building permits in San Francisco.
A valuation based on this table represents the valuation at the completion of all construction work authorized by a building permit. Permit fees are based on a percentage of this valuation.
These valuations are not to be used as accurate guides to the actual cost of construction; for actual construction cost estimates for any project, please consult a contractor, a design professional or a cost estimator.
Development Impact Fees
See more information about Development Impact Fees for new construction.
State mandated fees
On January 1, 2009, DBI began collecting a new State-mandated fee on every applicable permit. The new fee will be assessed at the rate of $4.00 per $100,000 project valuation, and requires a minimum fee of $1.00 from every applicable permit. Consider this additional fee when calculating your permit fee estimation.
Refer to the Building Standards Commission website for more information.
Ordinance 159-15
Per Ordinance 159-15 amending the Building Code to amend various sections and fee schedule tables to adjust fees or permits, inspections and other actions passed by the Board of Supervisors on September 8, 2015, and signed by Mayor Edwin Lee on September 17, 2015, the following fees for the Department of Building Inspection are effective on Monday, October 19, 2015.
For all payments, we accept cash, check, Visa, MasterCard and money-orders payable to City and County of San Francisco Department of Building Inspection or CCSF-DBI.