Permits Guide · San Francisco

SF Over-the-Counter Permits: When You Can Skip Plan Check

By Solid Bay Construction SF | Updated 2026

Full plan check — the standard DBI review process — can take weeks to months depending on project complexity and current department backlog. But San Francisco's over-the-counter (OTC) permit process allows certain smaller-scope projects to be reviewed and issued the same day, which can meaningfully change your project timeline if your scope qualifies.

What Typically Qualifies for OTC Review

• Like-for-like water heater replacement
• Straightforward electrical panel upgrades that don't involve a service size increase requiring utility coordination
• Non-structural interior work, such as a kitchen or bathroom remodel that doesn't move plumbing fixtures or touch structural walls
• Re-roofing that doesn't change the roofline
• Simple, code-compliant deck repairs or in-kind replacement

What Requires Full Plan Check Instead

• Any structural work — wall removal, new framing, foundation changes
• Additions of any kind
• ADU construction
• Projects requiring Planning Department review
• Work in a designated historic district or on a landmark building

Why This Matters for Project Planning

Structuring a project to qualify for OTC review where possible — for example, sequencing a straightforward panel upgrade as its own permit rather than bundling it into a larger structural permit — can get parts of a project moving faster while the more complex plan-check components are still in review. This isn't always possible or advisable depending on scope, but it's worth discussing with your contractor or permit expeditor early.

A Practical Example

A homeowner doing a kitchen remodel that includes a new electrical subpanel but no structural changes might be able to pull the electrical work as a same-day OTC permit, while a separate structural permit for a small footprint change to the kitchen goes through full plan check in parallel — rather than waiting for the slower permit to clear before any work can begin.