Permit guides › San Francisco › SF-TR-03

Trade permits — electrical, plumbing/mechanical (commercial kitchen, hood, gas piping): San Francisco restaurant guide

SF Department of Building Inspection

What it is

Separate DBI permits for electrical work and for plumbing/mechanical work including the kitchen hood and exhaust, gas piping, grease interceptor and water heater; pulled by the licensed trade contractors.

When a restaurant needs it

Any electrical, gas, water, drainage, hood or HVAC work.

How to apply

DBI-registered C-10 electrical contractors pull instant online electrical permits; plumbing and mechanical permits are issued through the PermitSF portal (commercial kitchens are a named fee category); inspections are scheduled online.

Documents you’ll need

Mechanical plans for the Type I hood and exhaust
Plumbing plans: gas piping, grease interceptor, water heater, fixtures
Electrical load calculations and panel schedule
Contractor license (C-10, C-36, C-20) and DBI registration

Fee

Plumbing/mechanical issuance and inspection: commercial kitchens (restaurants) with 5 or fewer outlets $543, 6 or more outlets $1,525; fire sprinklers in commercial buildings $348 per floor; additional inspections $303.75 per 45 minutes (Table 1A-C, effective September 1, 2025). Electrical per Table 1A-E; online permits add up to 2.5%

Processing time

Online trade permits issue immediately; hood/mechanical plans may be reviewed with the building permit

Renewal

Closed out by final inspections

Who files

Pulled by the CSLB-licensed electrical, plumbing and mechanical contractors doing the work.

Good to know

Gas piping is permitted under the plumbing permit; the plumber's pressure test is witnessed at the DBI rough inspection before PG&E will set or unlock the meter.

Official source

DBI Table 1A-C — plumbing/mechanical fees (Sept 2025) · DBI — electrical permits & inspection scheduling

Get your personalized San Francisco permit plan

Answer a few questions about your space and get every permit in order, with a timeline, a cost range, walkthroughs, and every application filled in for you to sign with Open.

Build my free plan

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