San Francisco Building
Façade Inspection Services

In 2016, The City of San Francsico (SF) created Chapter 5F in the San Francisco Building Code as an amendment to the California Building Code, which provides requirements for inspecting and maintaining existing building facades.

The San Francisco Department of Building Inspection (DBI) issued Administration Bulletin (AB) 110 to accompany the inspection and maintenance ordinance described in Chapter 5F. AB 110 outlines the inspection and maintenance procedures for historic buildings.

The purpose of the ordinance is to identify damage and deterioration of building facades which can create a public safety hazard should façade elements were to fail and fall to the sidewalk below.

SF has mandated that all buildings five or more stories high be inspected for damage and deterioration. Such inspections shall be performed every ten years, with the first round of inspections between 2021 and 2027, depending on the original construction date of the building.

 

The following table identifies the inspection schedule/deadlines for the four compliance tiers specified by DBI.

Compliance Tier
Building Construction Completion Date
Inspection Report Due Date
1
Before 1910
December 31, 2021
2
Between 1910 and 1925
December 31, 2023
3
Between 1926 and 1970
December 31, 2025
4
Between 1971 and 1997
December 31, 2027
Supplemental
After 1997 (15+ stories only)
Within six months of notification

Inspections of buildings permitted after 1998 shall begin thirty years after the Certificate of Final Completion, unless the building is fifteen stories or taller, in which case, the inspection shall be performed within six months of notification by DBI.


The façade inspection must be performed by a California licensed architect or engineer. For historic buildings, the inspector shall have experience and expertise in inspecting and maintaining such buildings. Following the inspection, the inspector shall prepare a written report documenting the condition of each exterior façade for submission to DBI for approval.

The condition of each façade must be categorized as requiring one of the following

  1. Requires Repair and/or Stabilization Following Temporary Mitigation of Unsafe Conditions
  2. Requires Repair and/or Stabilization
  3. Ordinary Maintenance

Our Services

As a qualified licensed structural engineering firm, Murphy Burr Curry can provide inspections of existing building facades per the Façade Ordinance of the San Francisco Building Code, Chapter 5F, and Administrative Bulletin AB 110.

A typical façade inspection will include the following:

  • Document review, including building elevations, service history, previous reports, and repairs (documents to be provided by the owner).
  • Interior leak survey based on information provided by owner.
  • Perform a general inspection of all facades, as can be observed from grade and adjacent buildings.
  • Perform a detailed inspection of at least 25% of each façade. The detailed inspection will require close-up access to the facades from balconies, fire escapes, scaffolding, swing stage, cherry picker, or other means. The equipment required for this work is to be provided by the owner.
  • Non-destructive evaluation of damaged identified.
  • Prepare report to the owner and DBI.

If unsafe conditions are identified during the inspection, the owner must submit a repair or protection plan to DBI within seventy-two hours. As part of our services, MBC will assist in determining required stabilization measures and prioritize specific repairs.  Façade repairs identified in the inspection report shall be submitted to DBI for permitting prior to implementing the repairs. Such repair drawings can be prepared upon request by MBC. If you are interested in having MBC perform the façade inspection of your property, please contact us at: info@mbcse.com


For additional information regarding the DBI Façade Inspection and Maintenance Program, please visit:https://www.sf.gov/reports/june-2024/dbi-facade-inspection-and-maintenance-program