Permit guides › San Francisco › SF-CR-02

DBI Building Permit (tenant improvement / alteration): San Francisco restaurant guide

SF Department of Building Inspection

What it is

Authorizes the kitchen build-out, walls, finishes, restrooms, hood and any structural work; Planning, Fire, Public Health and SFPUC all sign off on the same application before DBI issues it.

When a restaurant needs it

Any alteration beyond paint and furniture — essentially every restaurant build-out.

How to apply

Projects each department can review in under one hour go over-the-counter at the Permit Center (49 South Van Ness, 2nd floor); larger scopes, change of use in NC districts and anything needing neighborhood notice file for In-House Review through the PermitSF online portal with electronic plan review in Bluebeam.

Documents you’ll need

Building permit application form with your role in the project
Architect/engineer plan set per DBI submittal standards (with the Back Check page)
DPH program routing checklist
SFPUC Fixture Count / water use form
Title 24 energy and accessibility details
Contractor license and workers' comp info

Fee

Valuation-based per SF Building Code Tables 1A-A/1A-B (plan review + permit issuance) plus a state fee of $4 per $100,000 of valuation — see DBI's fee page

Processing time

Over-the-counter can issue the same day; in-house review is assigned in order of arrival (DBI posts the current intake date) and then cycles through department comments

Renewal

Permit stays active while inspections progress; closed out by the Certificate of Final Completion

Who files

Plans are prepared by a California-licensed architect or engineer; the permit is pulled by a CSLB-licensed contractor registered with DBI (or a qualifying owner).

Good to know

DBI will not start review until the filing fee is paid. A 'retail-to-retail' swap can be OTC, but a commercial use-category change in an NC district goes in-house. Technical questions: TechQ@sfgov.org.

Official source

DBI — OTC vs in-house review · DBI — get a building permit with In-House Review

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