San Francisco soft-story retrofits: verify compliance before buying

Check San Francisco mandatory soft-story scope, property status, retrofit permits, and final-completion evidence before buying a multifamily building.

Jurisdiction: City and County of San Francisco, California

Sources checked October 23, 2026. Confirm current requirements with the local permitting authority before acting.

Quick answer

For a San Francisco multifamily purchase, check the mandatory soft-story property record, then reconcile it with the building’s permits and final-completion documents. A visible steel frame or issued permit alone does not establish completed compliance. Confirm unresolved status with the Department of Building Inspection (DBI) and have a qualified design professional evaluate the actual building.

Which buildings need a closer look?

The municipal program covers Type V wood-frame buildings with at least five dwelling units and either three or more stories, or two stories above a basement or underfloor area extending partly above ground. The original new-building permit application must predate January 1, 1978, or DBI must determine that original construction predates that date. Mixed-use buildings can qualify.

Screening, documented exemptions, and engineering evaluation determine the next step. Do not infer exemption from a listing’s unit count or appearance. The code’s unit definition includes space occupied as a dwelling even when residential use is unapproved.

Sources: San Francisco Existing Building Code: mandatory wood-frame retrofit program

Start with the property record

Search the City’s soft-story list by address and match the block and lot. DataSF describes a weekly status update; check its data date rather than treating the map as a live inspection record. Record the displayed tier and status, then ask DBI about discrepancies or missing records.

Keep a dated evidence folder. An address variation, adjacent parcel, or missing entry should trigger a question rather than a conclusion that the building is cleared.

Sources: DataSF: Map of Soft-Story Properties and compliance status

Separate an issued permit from finished work

DBI’s AB-106 says completed mandatory work receives a Certificate of Final Completion (CFC) after final inspection, required special-inspection documents are approved, and approval conditions are satisfied. Ask for that certificate and the linked permit record; compare their address, scope, and dates.

If the seller provides only drawings, invoices, or an issued permit, list the missing completion evidence explicitly. Ask DBI which inspections or conditions remain. A contractor’s description and the City’s completion record answer different questions.

Sources: SF DBI AB-106: screening, inspections, and final completion

For unfinished work, build an actual permit scope

DBI’s permitting instructions call for prepared plans, application and role forms, review, and any related permits. The job card is required before construction starts. Confirm current submission instructions with DBI; an over-the-counter review route is not a guaranteed approval date.

Ask the design professional and bidders to separate structural work from demolition, utilities, access, inspections, and finish restoration. Identify occupied areas and parking affected by construction. Compare written exclusions before combining estimates, and avoid counting shared restoration twice.

Sources: SF DBI: Get a building permit to do a Soft Story retrofit

Buyer checklist before removing contingencies

Request the screening or exemption determination, approved retrofit plans, permit history, inspection records, and CFC where applicable.
Have a California-licensed architect or civil/structural engineer reconcile existing conditions with the approved scope and identify unresolved engineering questions.
Ask DBI to explain any open enforcement record and what written evidence establishes compliance for this building.
For a condominium, request association retrofit records, assessment information, and the allocation of remaining work; do not assume an individual unit’s remodel addresses the building.
Document who will complete unresolved work and obtain transaction-specific advice before relying on a closing arrangement.

Sources: SF DBI AB-106: screening, inspections, and final completion

Historical deadlines and remaining uncertainty

The code publishes historical tier deadlines, including September 15, 2021 for Tier IV completion. Buying now does not itself create a new grace period. Ask DBI which notice, deadline, or approved determination applies to an unresolved property.

Program compliance reduces targeted seismic risk; it does not guarantee earthquake performance or settle every building-condition question. This guide organizes due diligence, not a structural certification or legal opinion. It supplies no universal retrofit price, tenant charge, or promised permit timeline.

Sources: San Francisco Existing Building Code: mandatory wood-frame retrofit program; SF DBI AB-106: screening, inspections, and final completion