San Francisco Building Inspection Commission Codes § 89.120 Permits Required

(A) General. It shall be unlawful for any person toinstall, construct, alter, move, add to or replace any electrical installation regulated by this code, except as permitted in Section 89.121, without first obtaining a permit from the Department of Building Inspection.

(B) Nonliability of City and County of San Francisco. Permits issued under the provisions of this code shall contain or be construed to contain an agreement by the owner of the building, structure or premises, or the owner’s authorized agent, to save City and County of San Francisco officials and employees harmless from all costs, liability and damages resulting, whether directly or indirectly, from anything in connection with the work included in the permit, including equipment, methods of construction, inspections and approvals.

(C) Application For Permit. Permit applicants shall file with the Department of Building Inspection an application form furnished for that purpose. The permit application shall show a complete itemization of the proposed electrical installation and the correct address of the job site. Electrical permits may be issued to duly licensed contractors who have registered with the Central Permit Bureau by having their state contractor’s license verified by the Department of Building Inspection, or issued to a homeowner subject to Section 89.120(E). A separate permit shall be obtained for each separate building or structure.

See Section 110A, Table 1A-E – Electrical Permit Fees – of the Building Code for the applicable fees.

(D) Illegal Use of Permit. No person, firm, corporation, or state licensed contractor shall file an application for a permit to install any electrical wiring system unless such person, firm, corporation, or state licensed contractor shall perform such work. The Building Official or the Building Official’s authorized representative shall have the authority to cancel any permit upon finding that it is contrary to this section. The permittee shall be responsible for all work performed.

(E) Homeowner’s Permit. A permit for electrical work in or about a single-family dwelling may be issued by the Building Official to a homeowner, provided the work to be done will be performed by the homeowner. If the electrical work performed under the homeowner’s permit does not comply with the requirements of this code and if the corrections are not made as required by the Department of Building Inspection, then the deficiencies shall be corrected by a State licensed electrical contractor under a separate permit.

Note: LLC’s are not eligible for an Electrical Homeowner’s Permit

(F) Emergency Work. Emergency electrical work for the protection of persons or property shall have a permit obtained within one business day of commencing such work.

89.121 Add the following section:

89.121 Work Exempt from Permits. Electrical permits and fees shall not be required for the following:

• (A) Repair or replacement of Broken or Damaged luminaires where:

(1) the luminaire(s) are not installed to provide emergency illumination required by San Francisco Building Code, and

• (2) no change in existing wiring is involved, and

• (3) the luminaires weigh 22.68 Kg (50 pounds) or less.

• (B) Repair or replacement of a domestic appliance where no change in existing wiring is involved.

(C) Replacement of fuses, controls, motors of less than 2 horsepower, and switches and receptacles of not more than 20 amperes rating, where no change in existing wiring is involved.

(D) Replacement of circuit breakers, externally operated switches and fuse holders of the same type and rating as the defective unit or component, if not rated in excess of 100 amperes. Exception: Replacement of main service disconnecting means are subject to permit and inspection regardless of rating.

(E) Wiring for temporary theater stages and platforms, motion picture and television studio sets supplied from approved electrical outlets installed for the purpose.

(F) Replacement of component parts for electric signs or gas-tube lighting systems of the same size and rating.

(G) Installation of data/communications cable and/or outlets in R-3 occupancies and within individual residential units (3000 Square Feet or Less), provided they do not monitor or control electrical utilization equipment and/or life safety functions.

89.122 Add the following section: