5 Building Codes: Update on Permitting Processes Construction activity has continued throughout the pandemic and may be on the up-tick as contractors, architects and building managers prepare for increased occupancy and consider retrofits that ensure safe and healthy workplaces. BOMA members are eager to have projects move expeditiously through the City’s permitting and other processes. BOMA San Francisco’s Codes & Regulations Committee is at the forefront in sharing members’ concerns about permitting with the City’s Department of Building Inspection (DBI) and other relevant departments and providing input on our association and industry. (See Q&A below with DBI.) Codes & Regulations Committee Chair James Kilroy says there is a backlog of permit applications in the system that are waiting to be processed. BOMA members relied on convenient over-the-counter (OTC) permitting services at DBI prior to March 2020. Most procedures then moved online, with activities like plan checking done electronically. These revamped procedures sometimes delayed projects, as building professionals could not meet face-to-face with staff and get feedback and guidance right away. Codes committee members look forward to having OTC permitting live again. As restrictions are eased and tenants return, TI work will be needed, especially in lobbies and cafeterias, as well as mechanical upgrades. Data centers are also a growth area. The Codes & Regulations Committee’s mission is to provide members with information regarding codes, building permit procedures and policies. It is the primary committee connecting BOMA San Francisco with the San Francisco Building and Planning Departments, the Building Inspection Commission, the Access Appeals Commission, the City’s Code Advisory Committees, and other bodies representing building codes and code enforcement at the state and local level. If you’d like to participate in the committee’s activities, see the Get Involved section on the BOMA SF website or email James Kilroy at jkilroy@425marketst.com. And be sure to attend the annual Codes Seminar in the fall.
San Francisco’s Department of Building Inspection provided an update for BOMA members. Q: BOMA members have experienced delays in the City’s permitting process during the pandemic. How can they work with DBI to expedite approval with SF for new permits and revisions to DBI existing permits? A: To comply with public health directives, DBI suspended in-person Over-the-Counter with plans service at the start of the Covid shutdown last March. Since then, we have relied on a drop-off system with staff, instead of the applicant, circulating the plans to the various permitting offices. This isn’t an ideal situation for anyone— not the customer, the contractor or our staff. The good news is that since May 10, DBI has expanded in-person service for people seeking “Over-the-Counter with plans” permits. Customers can schedule an appointment with DBI or drop in the same day to submit their permit application and personally circulate the plans to the various plan reviewers from DBI and other City permitting
Q&A
departments stationed at the Permit Center. This saves everyone a lot of time. There really is no substitute for meeting in-person with our Over-the-Counter customers to review their plans — this is how our Permit Center was always intended to operate. The expanded service gives greater control to the applicant and allows applicants to engage with plan reviewers, answer questions and address code issues directly instead of waiting for written comments.
As for how BOMA members can expedite the process, we strongly encourage customers to submit well-designed projects with plans that clearly adhere to state and local building codes and regulations. Plans that are missing information, feature elements that don’t appear to conform to code, or fail to include a required element will prevent or delay permit issuance. Applicants should consider engaging a design team well-versed in local building regulations, which can go beyond state regulations and often vary greatly between municipalities. (Continued on page 6)
