Existing Building Code — San Francisco County Municipal Code

EXISTING BUILDING CODE 2025 Edition [Includes legislation adopted by the Board of Supervisors through December 31, 2025.]

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or distributed by any means or stored in a database or retrieval system without prior written permission of the City and County of San Francisco. PUBLISHER’S NOTE The full 2025 San Francisco Existing Building Code consists of the 2025 California Existing Building Code, and as further amended by these San Francisco amendments. The San Francisco Existing Building Code amendments contained herein are designed to be used in conjunction with the 2025 California Existing Building Code. The San Francisco Existing Building Code amendments contained herein were adopted by the Board of Supervisors of the City and County of San Francisco on November 21, 2025, by Ordinance 230-25, effective December 22, 2025, and operative January 1, 2026.

2025 California Existing Building Code {'}'} + Complete San Francisco Existing Building Code 2025 San Francisco Amendments

Note that prior to the 2016 revision of the Building Inspection Commission Codes, San Francisco’s existing building requirements were published as Chapter 34 of the San Francisco Building Code. Supplements to this Code and complete copies of all seven Building Inspection Commission (BIC) Codes (Building, Electrical, Existing Building, Green Building, Housing, Mechanical, and Plumbing) can be ordered from: AMERICAN LEGAL PUBLISHING CORPORATION Cincinnati, Ohio 45202 800-445-5588 Fax: 513-763-3562 www.amlegal.com

PREFACE Text Format: The text in this publication is formatted to allow the user to quickly and easily determine the source of the included material. Language derived from the 2025 California Code that is unchanged by local amendment is printed in shaded text (see below). Language constituting San Francisco amendments to the California Code is printed in unformatted (or “plain”) text. In either case, bold and/or italic typefaces may be used as appropriate for emphasis, etc. See below for examples. To further simplify use of the San Francisco amendments with corresponding sections of the 2025 California Code, explanatory remarks appearing in italics are provided (in boxes at the beginning of affected provisions) indicating whether the San Francisco amendment to the California Code is adding, revising, or replacing a section or portion of a section. To summarize: Explanatory remarks are boxed and italicized. Unchanged language from the 2025 California Code is shaded, and may include bold and/or italicized formatting. San Francisco amendments are printed in unformatted (“plain”) text, and may include bold and/or italicized formatting. Marginal Markings: [ ← ] An arrow represents the location of language that has been deleted by San Francisco from the 2025 California Code. A solid line represents a change from the original published edition of the 202% San Francisco Existing Building Code. Historical Notations: Language which has been added, amended, or deleted from the 2025 publication of the San Francisco Existing Building Code is indicated with an historical notation, setting forth the ordinance number and date of adoption.

Chapter 1 — SCOPE AND ADMINISTRATION¶