San Francisco building permits & contractor rules
10,030 trade leads available now
Top trades: Painting, Flooring, Drywall interiors
☆ Add San Francisco to favorites| Permit office | Department of Building Inspection (DBI), San Francisco Permit Center |
|---|---|
| Address | 49 South Van Ness Avenue, 2nd floor, San Francisco, CA 94103 |
| Hours | Mon 9:00 am–5:00 pm; Tue–Fri 8:00 am–5:00 pm (plan review queues close 4:30 pm); closed public holidays |
| Phone | 628-652-3200 (DBI Customer Service); 628-652-3240 (Permit Services) |
| Online permits | PermitSF portal / permit tracking |
| Fee schedule | Fees for the Department of Building Inspection |
| Our data source | DataSF: Building Permits |
Contractor licensing
- State: a current California contractor license and classification (CSLB pocket card); unlicensed people can pull permits only if exempt (e.g. owner-builder disclosures). (source)
- City: a current San Francisco Business Registration Certificate; to file online, register with DBI as a licensed contractor (takes at least 1 week). (source)
Bonding & insurance
- Proof of current workers' compensation coverage is required to issue a permit (state law requires a coverage-or-exemption declaration). (source)
Notable local rules
- Local Hiring Policy for Construction (Admin. Code Ch. 82): on covered City public works, 30% of project work hours per trade by SF residents and 50% of apprentice hours by SF residents. (source)
- First Source Hiring (Admin. Code Ch. 83): public contracts over $350,000, and private projects with more than 10 residential units or 25,000 sq ft of commercial space. (source)
Last checked Oct 2026. Lead count generated Oct 14, 2026 18:40 UTC from our live database. This page is for information only and is not legal advice. Requirements change: always verify with the city and state agencies linked here before bidding or starting work.