San Francisco Building Inspection Commission Codes § 3107.1 General

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Except as otherwise provided herein, all signs placed upon or attached to any building, structure or property shall comply with this chapter and shall be installed under a valid sign permit.

The electrical portion of the sign shall be constructed in accordance with the requirements of the Electrical Code, and an electrical permit shall be obtained in accordance with that code.

Plans shall be filed with the application for a permit for any sign. When required, computations shall be provided.

3107.1.1 Exempt signs. The following signs are exempt from the requirements of this code:

1. Signs painted on structures. However, such signs must comply with the San Francisco Planning Code, and an application shall be filed with the Department.

2. Bulletin boards for public, charitable or religious institutions, when such boards are located on the premises of said institutions.

3. Real estate signs advertising the sale, rental or lease of the premises on which they are maintained, which do not exceed 15 square feet (1.39 m² ) in size, and which are mounted flush to the building.

4. Professional occupation signs denoting only the name and profession of an occupant in a commercial building, public institutional building or dwelling house, and not exceeding 3 square feet (0.278 m² ) in area for each occupant. 3107.1.2 Prohibitions. The following prohibitions apply to signs:

5. No signs shall be erected, relocated or maintained so as to block any exits or required windows. No sign shall be attached to a standpipe, gutter drain, stairway or fire escape, or interfere with the function or operation of any standpipe or fire escape. No roof sign shall be located within 6 feet (1.829 m) of a standpipe outlet.

6. No sign shall be increased in size, altered in shape or changed by the addition of other signs or advertising matter not specifically allowed by the provisions of this code and the San Francisco Planning Code.

7. No wall sign shall extend across or in front of any window or other exterior opening located above the first story of a building, except as approved by the Building Official.

8. No wall sign erected on a wall adjacent to and facing a street, public space or yard shall project above the parapet walls.

EXCEPTIONS:

1. On a building located on a corner lot, a wall sign may project a maximum of 7 feet (2.134 m) above the roof line on only one street.

2. On any frontage, signs not more than 10 feet (3.048 m) long for any 40-foot (12.19 m) frontage and occupying no more than 25 percent of the lot frontage may project a maximum of 7 feet (2.134 m) above the roof line.

3107.1.3 Permit number on sign. Every sign shall have the permit number clearly painted and maintained on its face or edge, and of such size and location as to be legible from the sidewalk level, ground level or an easily accessible location. Electric signs may have an approved metal tag attached to them instead of painted characters.

3107.1.4 Revocable permits. The permit for any sign over public property may be revoked. A permit granted under Chapter 1A and this chapter for a sign over public property shall not be construed to create any perpetual right but is a revocable license which may be terminated by revocation by the Board of Supervisors.

3107.1.5 Existing signs. This chapter shall not render unlawful the existence or maintenance of any sign erected or maintained by a lawful permit issued prior to the adoption of this ordinance.

EXCEPTION: Signs for which lawful permits were issued and which, due to a sidewalk narrowing or street widening project, no longer conform to the requirements of Section 3107.3 shall be altered to conform not later than 90 days following completion of such project.

3107.2 Definitions. For the purposes of this chapter, certain terms are defined as follows:

APPROVED PLASTIC is a plastic material found to be suitable functionally for the purpose for which it is intended and which complies with the requirements of Chapter 26. For outdoor signs, the approval of the plastic shall be based upon considerations of flame spread value only. For indoor signs, the approval shall be based upon flame spread and smoke density values.

AREA OF A SIGN is that area of exposed vertical surface which is included within a rectangle enclosing all the features of the sign. In cases of an irregular sign, it is the sum of the areas of the enclosing rectangles estimated to the nearest 5 square feet (0.465 m² ).

BUSINESS SIGN is a sign which directs attention to a business, commodity, service, industry or other activity which is sold, offered or conducted on the premises upon which such sign is located, or to which it is affixed. SIGN is any structure, part thereof, or device or inscription which is located upon, attached to or painted, projected or represented on the exterior of any building or structure, including an awning, canopy, marquee or similar appendage, or affixed to the glass on the outside or inside of a window so as to be seen from the outside of the building, and which displays or includes any numeral, letter, word, model, banner, emblem, insignia, symbol, device, light, trademark or other representation used as, or in the nature of, an announcement, advertisement or designation by or of any person, firm, group, organization, place, commodity, product, service, business, profession, enterprise or industry. A sign includes the support, uprights and framework of the display.