Sewerage Facilities Charge (SFC) clearance — Bureau of Engineering: Los Angeles restaurant guide

LA Public Works — Bureau of Engineering

What it is

A one-time buy-in to the City sewer system charged when a building permit creates or increases sewage flow — including a change of use to restaurant, tenant improvements that add fixtures/seats, and new buildings. It is collected by BOE before the permit is issued.

When a restaurant needs it

Change of use to restaurant, added seating/fixtures, or new construction (and outdoor dining seats under Al Fresco).

How to apply

BOE calculates the SFC from City sewage generation factors for your occupancy when it clears the LADBS permit; pay online in the BOE Customer Portal or at a district office.

Documents you’ll need

Building permit application
Seat count / fixture count and square footage
Prior use of the space

Fee

Rates: $344 per 100 gallons per day of average flow, $159 per pound per day of BOD, $147 per pound per day of suspended solids (BOE S-permit fee page); the City's Al Fresco table shows the result for restaurant seats — $165 per seat (full service) or $138 per seat (limited service)

Processing time

Calculated during permit clearance

Renewal

None (one-time)

Who files

Paid by the owner/applicant during BOE clearance of the building permit.

Good to know

Budget for this on a change of use — at $165 per full-service seat a 100-seat room is about $16,500 before the building permit issues. Sites served by the County Sanitation Districts pay only 15% of the City SFC.

Official source

BOE Permit Manual — S-permit standard and associated fees (SFC rates) · LAMC 64.11.3 — basis for Sewerage Facilities Charge

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Last reviewed 2026-10-06. Guidance only, not legal advice.