San Francisco Building Codes

The San Francisco Building Codes are amendments to the California Building Standards Codes (California Code of Regulations, Title 24) and must be used in conjunction with these state codes.

Print copies of both the current San Francisco and California Building Codes are available at the Government Information Center (GIC).

The current San Francisco Building codes are published online by American Legal Publishers. However, the major parts of the California Building Codes that must be used with them are not available online.

The most current version of these codes is the 2007 Triennial Edition (effective January 1, 2008).

A noteworthy compilation of California building regulations and statutes for access compliance is available online via the Division of the State Architect at www.dsa.dgs.ca.gov/Access/ud_accessmanual.htm.

Also available at the GIC:

• Building laws going back to 1903 (in General Orders and Ordinances of the Board of Supervisors and other publications).
• A rare article titled, The History and Legal Basis of Building Code Development, Adoption and Enforcement As It Applies To San Francisco (available in a GIC vertical file).

California Building Codes that are available online at the California Building Standards Web site include:

• CA Building Standards Administrative Code (Part 1)
• CA Energy Code (Part 6)
• CA Elevator Safety Construction Code (Part 7)
• CA Historical Building Code (Part 8)
• CA Reference Standards Code (Part 12)

The following major parts of the California Building Codes are not available online:

• CA Building Code (Title 24, Part 2)
• CA Electrical Code (Part 3)
• CA Mechanical Code (Part 4)
• CA Plumbing Code (Part 5)
• CA Fire Code (Part 9)
• CA Code for Building Conservation (Part 10)