In San Francisco, how many entrances a ground floor opens onto the street is decided by the Planning Code's street frontage controls, not the accessibility chapter. Planning Code Section 145.1(c)(5) requires street-facing ground-level spaces housing non-residential active uses, in the building types it names, to open directly onto the street rather than solely into lobbies and interior spaces of the buildings. California Building Code Section 11B-206.4.1 then makes every one of those doors comply, and Section 3202.2 keeps the level change off the sidewalk. What is left is drawn inside the 25 feet of ground-floor depth Section 145.1(c)(3) reserves for active uses.
Key numbers
| Figure | What it governs | Section |
|---|---|---|
| 40 feet or 25 percent of frontage, whichever is larger | Lobby still an active use | Planning 145.1(c)(2)(C) |
| First 25 feet of depth | Ground floor reserved for active uses | Planning 145.1(c)(3) |
| 8 feet | Encroachment prohibited below this height | Building 3202.2 |
| 12 inches | Maximum projection for steps | Building 3202.2.1 |
| 3 feet | Minimum guard height for steps | Building 3202.2.1 |
| 1:12 | Maximum ramp running slope | Building 11B-405.2 |
| 30 inches | Maximum rise per ramp run | Building 11B-405.6 |
| 72 inches | Minimum bottom landing length | Building 11B-405.7.3.1 |
Which spaces must open onto the street
San Francisco Planning Code Section 145.1(c)(5) names the building types it reaches - "in hotels, office buildings, shopping centers, and other large buildings" - and requires the street-facing ground-level spaces housing non-residential active uses in them to "open directly onto the street, rather than solely into lobbies and interior spaces of the buildings."
That is a building-type test and a direction, not a number; applying it to a building is the design professional's call with the jurisdiction.
How much frontage a lobby can absorb
The obvious consolidation is priced in the definition of active use. San Francisco Planning Code Section 145.1(c)(2)(C) reads: "Building lobbies are considered active uses, so long as they do not exceed 40 feet or 25 percent of building frontage, whichever is larger." Past the larger of the two, the lobby stops counting as an active use.
Where the floor meets the sidewalk
Section 145.1(c)(5) opens with an elevation standard that names no building types, so its scope is wider than the sentence following it. It reaches "The floors of street-fronting interior spaces housing non-residential active uses and lobbies" and requires them to be "as close as possible to the level of the adjacent sidewalk at the principal entrance to these spaces."
It names one reference point per space, and "as close as possible" is a standard, not a statement that floor and sidewalk finish level. Section 145.1(c)(6)(B)(iii) measures its visibility zone "above the adjacent sidewalk level, following the slope if applicable."
Every entrance, and every tenancy
California Building Code Section 11B-206.4 puts entrance doors, doorways and gates on an accessible route. Section 11B-206.4.1 settles how many: "All entrances shall comply with Section 11B-404." Both Exceptions printed under 11B-206.4 read "Reserved."
Section 11B-206.4.5 follows the frontage as it is divided into tenancies:
All entrances to each tenancy in a facility shall comply with Section 11B-404.
Section 11B-206.2.1 adds: "Where more than one route is provided, all routes must be accessible."
What San Francisco amends, and what it does not
Both Building Code sections above are state text, and San Francisco does not rewrite them. The San Francisco Building Code's Chapter 11B page carries the line "No San Francisco Building Code Amendments" and prints no text for the provisions quoted here. Its Chapter 32 page lists two items, and no section numbered 3202 is among them. California Building Code Section 3201.3 adds that the chapter "shall not be construed to permit the violation of other laws or ordinances" regulating public property.
Where the cheaper lane is, and what it costs
The cheaper lane and its price are printed together. California Building Code Section 3202.2.1 lets steps run out over the sidewalk: "Steps shall not project more than 12 inches (305 mm) and shall be guarded by approved devices not less than 3 feet (914 mm) in height, or shall be located between columns or pilasters." One subsection above, Section 3202.2 states that "Encroachments into the public right-of-way above grade and below 8 feet (2438 mm) in height shall be prohibited except as provided for in Sections 3202.2.1 through 3202.2.3", and the three it names are steps, architectural features and awnings - no ramp on that printed list. It ends on the door: "Doors and windows shall not open or project into the public right-of-way." So the 12 inches buys a stair, not the route and not the swing.
What this looks like on the drawing
Two drawings carry it. On the ground-floor plan, San Francisco Planning Code Section 145.1(c)(3) has already spoken for the depth: active uses must be "within the first 25 feet of building depth on the ground floor".
On the entrance section, Chapter 11B supplies geometry. Section 11B-405.2 requires that "Ramp runs shall have a running slope not steeper than 1:12", and Section 11B-405.6 states that "The rise for any ramp run shall be 30 inches (762 mm) maximum" - two printed figures that together describe 30 feet of run for a full 30-inch rise, before landings. Section 11B-405.7.3.1 sizes the lower one: "Bottom landings shall extend 72 inches (1829 mm) minimum in the direction of ramp run."
Currency
Our copy of the San Francisco Planning Code is the 2026-08 edition, updated 2026-09-23. Section 145.1 last moved on 2026-03-16, when Ord. 10-26 amended subsection (c)(1); subsection (c)(6) was rewritten by Ord. 124-25 effective 2025-09-01. Both are inside the last 24 months, as is Ord. 115-25, effective 2025-08-17, which amended (c)(7) and (d), divisions not read here. The amendment history read here records no entry for (c)(3) or (c)(5), so the date those two last moved is not established.
The California Building Code sections are the 2025 edition, updated 2026-10-24; Title 24 carries no ordinance history line. The San Francisco amendment pages are the Building Inspection Commission Codes, 2026-08 edition, updated 2026-10-23. None of this claims what is in force today.
Frequently asked questions
Does only one entrance have to be accessible?
Not in what Chapter 11B prints. Section 11B-206.4.1 reads "All entrances shall comply with Section 11B-404," and Section 11B-206.4.5 extends it to every entrance to each tenancy in a facility.
Is an accessible entrance route the same as building egress?
Section 145.1(c)(3) opens "With the exception of space allowed for parking and loading access, building egress, and access to mechanical systems". Whether an accessible entrance route falls inside that carve-out is the design professional's determination with the Planning Department.
Can a vestibule move the problem outside?
Section 3202.4 conditions it "Where allowed by the applicable governing authority" and bounds it: vestibules and storm enclosures "shall not be erected for a period of time exceeding 7 months in any 1 year", and may not encroach more than 3 feet, nor more than a quarter of the sidewalk's width, beyond the street lot line.
Sources
- San Francisco Planning Code Section 145.1 - Street Frontages: https://gocodebook.com/library/us/ca/san-francisco-planning/article-1.2-dimensions-areas-and-open-spaces/sec.-145.-frontages-outdoor-activity-areas-walkup-facilities-and-ground-floor-uses-and-standa/sec.-145.1.-street-frontages-in-neighborhood-commercial-residential-commercial-commercial-and#145.1
- California Building Code Section 3202 - Encroachments: https://gocodebook.com/library/us/ca/ca-building-code/chapter-32-encroachments-into-the-public-right-of-way/section-3202-encroachments#3202.2
- California Building Code Section 3201 - General: https://gocodebook.com/library/us/ca/ca-building-code/chapter-32-encroachments-into-the-public-right-of-way/section-3201-general
- California Building Code Section 11B-206 - Accessible Routes: https://gocodebook.com/library/us/ca/ca-building-code/chapter-11b-accessibility-to-public-buildings-public-accommodations/section-11b-206-accessible-routes#11B-206
- California Building Code Section 11B-405 - Ramps: https://gocodebook.com/library/us/ca/ca-building-code/chapter-11b-accessibility-to-public-buildings-public-accommodations/section-11b-405-ramps#11B-405
- San Francisco Building Code Chapter 11B - Accessibility to Public Buildings, Public Accommodations: https://gocodebook.com/library/us/ca/san-francisco-building/chapter-11b-accessibility-to-public-buildings-public-accommodations-commercial-buildings-and
- San Francisco Building Code Chapter 32 - Encroachments into Public Right-of-Way: https://gocodebook.com/library/us/ca/san-francisco-building/chapter-32-encroachments-into-public-right-of-way
Related reading: NC-1 Zoning in San Francisco: What It Allows: https://gocodebook.com/blog/what-does-nc-1-zoning-mean-san-francisco
Code text quoted as published in GoCodebook's library on 2026-09-13 and re-checked against the library on 2026-11-05. This article does not replace permit review or professional judgment.