Where to search San Francisco permits
| Tool | Search by | What it shows |
|---|---|---|
| Permit / Complaint Tracking System | Address, permit number, applicant, map, keyword | Building, electrical, plumbing and boiler permits, status, complaints |
| Building Permits (DataSF) | Any column | Every building permit, its status, dates and estimated cost |
| Request public building records | Address | Copies of permits, job cards and certificates of final completion |
| Our San Francisco firm list | Contractor name | Each firm's permits, CSLB status, share complete and days to complete |
How to look up permits on a San Francisco address
- Open the tracking system and choose the search by site address.
- Enter the street number and street name.
- Open each permit and read its description, status and dates.
- Run the same address for electrical and plumbing permits; they are separate from the building permit.
- The same system shows complaints filed against the address.
What the statuses mean
DataSF's building permit file (counted 23 October 2026) mostly uses: complete, issued, expired, cancelled, filed, withdrawn, reinstated, approved, suspend, disapproved and revoked. Our pages count "complete" as finished and time it from issue to DBI's completed date. Expired, suspended and revoked permits count against the firm; cancelled, withdrawn and disapproved ones were never worked and are left out (San Francisco about page; methodology).
| Trade | Permits | Firms | Complete (a year or more old) | Usual days to complete |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Roofing | 9,537 | 1,072 | 87.3% | 36 |
| Windows | 4,050 | 1,358 | 85.9% | 159 |
| Remodel | 5,126 | 1,925 | 81.9% | 180 |
| Deck and stairs | 1,701 | 1,014 | 83.4% | 237 |
| Foundation | 781 | 401 | 82.8% | 191 |
| Addition | 674 | 509 | 52.2% | 621 |
A re-roof is usually complete in 36 days, so one still "issued" a year later is worth asking about. Additions run long: only 52.2% were complete, usually after 621 days.
Older records and job cards
DBI's Request public building records page lists building permits "issued from 1906 to now", job cards from 1933, certificates of final completion from 1945, electrical permits from 1986, plumbing from 1976 and mechanical from 2008. Copies cost "$0.10 per page", you can submit "six requests per person, per company, per day", and you apply online or at the Records Management Division, 49 South Van Ness Avenue, Suite 400. Plans are viewed in person and copies need the owner's and design professional's permission. The same division produces the Report of Residential Building Records (3R) (Records Management at DBI, read 23 October 2026).
What our San Francisco data adds
DBI lists one permit at a time. Ours joins the same building permits to the contractor and its CSLB license, so a firm's whole record is on one page: the San Francisco permit statistics, and the compare lists for roofers, window installers and remodelers. The CSLB check is in the San Francisco contractor license lookup; which jobs need a permit is in Do I need a permit?
See every San Francisco remodeler by share complete →
How we know this
Search options, record years, fees and limits are quoted from DBI's tracking system and SF.gov's records pages, read 23 October 2026; the status list is a count of DataSF's Building Permits file that day. Our counts are DBI building permits on one- and two-family homes, October 2023 to September 2026. Electrical, plumbing and mechanical permits carry no contractor in the City's data, so those trades are not ranked.
Numbers come from San Francisco DBI building permits on one- and two-family homes, with the contractor from the city's permit contacts file, data through October 16, 2026. Nobody paid to be on this page and nobody can.
Questions
- How do I find out if a permit was pulled on my house in San Francisco?
Search the address on DBI's Permit / Complaint Tracking System. It covers building, electrical, plumbing and boiler permits and complaints, with records online back to the 1980s.
- Are San Francisco building permits public record?
Yes. DBI's tracking system is public, the City publishes building permits on DataSF, and DBI's Records Management Division sells copies of permits from 1906 onward at $0.10 a page.
- Can I search San Francisco permits by contractor?
DBI's system searches by applicant information, which is the closest it gets. Our San Francisco pages list 24,197 permits on one- and two-family homes from October 2023 to September 2026 under 7,361 firms, matched to CSLB by license number.
- How do I get the permit history or job card for an old San Francisco house?
Request it from DBI's Records Management Division, online or at 49 South Van Ness Avenue, Suite 400. DBI holds building permits from 1906, job cards from 1933 and certificates of final completion from 1945, and allows six requests per person per day.
- How long do San Francisco permits take to be marked complete?
In our file the usual re-roof was complete in 36 days, a window job in 159 and a remodel in 180.
Build your own list
Every firm with that kind of permit on record. Pick what you value. The list moves.
Related guides
- San Francisco contractor license lookup: which license, where to search, and what the permits show
- Home improvement costs in San Francisco, CA (2026): what 10 kinds of jobs were filed at
- Wheaton, IL building permit search: the open permit data and FOIA requests
- Home improvement costs in Greensboro, NC (2026): what 8 kinds of jobs were filed at
- Somerville demolition review and local historic districts: the 75-year rule, the Historic Permit, and what it means for windows, roofs and additions
For one city
- Hiring a remodeling contractor in San Francisco: the CSLB license, the DBI permit, and what 5,000 remodel permits show
- Hiring a roofer in San Francisco: the C-39 license, the reroofing permit, and what 9,500 roofing permits show
- Do I need a deck permit in San Francisco? The 30-inch and 3-foot lines, OTC vs 311 notice, and the fee
- Permit / Complaint Tracking System — San Francisco DBI (2026-10-23)
- Building Permits — DataSF (2026-10-23)
- Request public building records — SF.gov (2026-10-23)
- Records Management at DBI — SF.gov (2026-10-23)