Building Inspections

Permit Fees

The fees for obtaining building permits are collected in two stages. Processing fees are collected at the time of submittal. Processing fees include Building Division Plan Check Fees and Planning Review Fees of Building Permits. Issuance fees include the Building, Electrical, Mechanical, and Plumbing Permit Fees, and a State Fee. Other fees may include a Planning Division surcharge on new structures, Site and Encroachment Permit Fees by the Department of Public Works, and Environmental Health Services Review Fee of Building Permits. School Fees are collected by the local school district prior to issuance of a permit. When the work is started prior to issuance of a Building Permit, an investigation fee shall be collected which is equal to the Building Permit Fee.

• Fee Ordinance and Schedule Effective 1/1/2010

Scheduling an Inspection

Inspection requests should be made on the 24-Hour Inspection Request Line at (415) 473-6560. Requests made prior to 4:00 p.m. can normally be scheduled for the following business day. Weekends, County Holidays and scheduled staff training sessions will delay inspections to the next available business day. The recorder operates 24 hours a day with minimal shut downs in the morning between 7:00 a.m. and 8:00 a.m. All instructions for scheduling the inspection are recited to the caller in the recorder's message. Be sure to have the permit number and project address available when you call.

The recorder will not make or take specific time appointments for inspections. Callers must contact the individual inspector between 8:15 a.m. and 9:00 a.m. on the day of the inspection to confirm or request a specific time.

Other factors to consider when calling for inspections are as follows:

• The site must be accessible to the inspector to perform the inspection.
• If the site is secured by a locked gate, a key or combination should be provided to the inspector.
• If the site is protected by a dog, the dog should be locked up or the owner should be on site to control the dog.
• If the site is difficult to find, the builder should call the inspector with specific directions to the site.
• All buildings and construction sites are required by Code to be identified by an address number visible from the street, posted either at the entrance to the site or on the building.
• The approved plans (including approved revisions), specifications, and jobsite inspection card must be on the site at the time of inspection.

Verification of a structure's setback from property lines is required during construction when the structure (i.e., new, addition, etc.,) is located up to or within 1 foot of the minimum required setback for conventionally-zoned properties (R-1, R-A, A-2, etc.), and when the structure is located within 5 feet of a property line for planned-district zoned properties (RSP, RMP, ARP, etc.). Verification of setbacks can occur by two methods:

Surveyor Verification:
The surveyor/engineer shall conduct a survey of the front, side, and rear property lines, as well as, the installed project foundation forms. The surveyor or engineer would then verify that the proposed project foundation complies with the approved setback distances from adjacent property lines as shown on the approved building permit plans. The project land surveyor or civil engineer would submit the certification in accordance with "Building Setback Certification" below.

OR

County Inspector Verification:
The surveyor/engineer shall conduct a survey of the front, side, and rear property lines and install property line survey hubs with connecting colored line in locations that can be readily used by the County Building Inspection staff to verify building setbacks prior to approval of the foundation inspection. If new survey hubs are installed, the project land surveyor or civil engineer must submit written confirmation that the staking of property lines has been properly completed and submit the certification in accordance with #1.A shown on this form. The requirement for new survey hubs may be waived if proper survey hubs already exist at the project site and can be used to definitively measure building setbacks. It is recommended that the surveyor or civil engineer set the required setback and/or property lines with clearly marked stakes or colored line. The project land surveyor or civil engineer would submit the certification in accordance with #1.B shown on this form. The applicant must then call the Building and Safety Division’s general phone line (415-473-6550) for a “manual inspection request” in order to place the inspection into the system.

Property Line Certification

The following certification formats shall be submitted by the project land surveyor or civil engineer to document compliance with each verification requirement. All certifications shall be submitted on the surveyor/engineer's letterhead and wet stamped.

1A. For construction on lots where existing property line survey hubs are not clearly evident, use the following certification:

On __(date)__, I installed new property line survey hubs for ___(address)___ and have physically delineated the property line(s) for purposes of allowing the Building and Safety Inspection staff to verify building setbacks in the field. Attached is the "Corner Record" identifying the corner hubs and tags that will be filed with the County Surveyor.

1B. For construction on lots where existing property line survey hubs are existing and evident, use the following certification:

On __(date)__, I surveyed the property line(s) for ___(address)___, and using existing survey hubs, I have physically delineated the property line(s) for purposes of allowing the Building and Safety Inspection staff to verify building setbacks in the field. Therefore, I am requesting that the requirement for new survey hubs be waived.

Building Setback Certification

On __(date)__, I measured the following setbacks for the structure located at ___(address)___ and determined that the structure meets or exceeds the minimum setbacks that are approved on the Building Permit plans.

Verification of a structure's height is required during construction for new construction when the structure is within two (2) feet of the maximum allowed structure height permitted by the governing zoning district. Confirmation of the structure's height may be required for the finish floor and/or finished roof elevations. Roof elevation certification shall include within the calculation proposed roof materials on top of roof framing (shingle, tile, etc.). Certification shall be submitted in the format shown below.

Floor Elevation Certification

On __(date)__, I surveyed the finished floor elevation(s) for the structure at __(address)__ and determined that the elevation(s) does/do not exceed the elevation(s) shown on the Building Permit, based on the benchmark that is identified on the Building Permit. The field-verified elevation(s) is/are:

Roof Elevation Certification

On __(date)__, I surveyed the finish highest finished roof elevation(s) for the structure at __(address)__ and determined that the elevation(s) conform(s) to the approved elevation(s) shown on the Building Permit, based on the benchmark that is identified on the Building Permit and the addition of the roofing materials on top of roof framing (shingle, tile, etc.). The field-verified roof elevation(s) is/are:

Verification of a structure's floor area is required during construction for new construction when the floor area ratio is within 2% of the maximum floor area ratio permitted by the governing zoning district. Certification shall be submitted in the format shown below and shall include within the calculation the additional proposed exterior siding finish (stucco, wood, etc.).

Floor Area Certification

On __(date)__, I measured the floor area for the structure at ___(address)___ and determined that the floor area does/do not exceed the area shown on the Building Permit based on framing and calculating the additional proposed exterior siding finish (stucco, wood, etc.). The following floor areas were measured: