The San Francisco architect handbook
Choosing an Architect in San Francisco, Chapter by Chapter
From the first question, do I need one, to the permit on the wall: how to pick the right architect and what the city will ask of your project.
Most San Francisco projects start long before the first drawing. Owners compare neighborhoods, talk to a real estate agent about what a remodel could add, and read up on what their block allows. This handbook picks up at the point where you need a professional to design the work.
Hiring well matters here more than in most cities. Older housing stock, tight lots and a public notice process shape almost every project. A good local guide to home renovation and the right architect will save you months, and the chapters below show what to ask and what to check.
Contents
Twelve Chapters in Four Parts
Read in order the first time. Each chapter ends with a link to the next one.
Part I
Before You Hire
Whether your project needs an architect, who else designs buildings and what to settle before the first call.
- 01Do You Need an Architect for Your San Francisco Project?What California law requires, what it leaves to you and how San Francisco projects usually answer the question.
- 02Architect, Designer, Engineer or Design-Build: Who Does WhatThe people who can design a San Francisco project, what each may legally do and how they work together.
- 03Setting Your Scope and Budget Before the First CallThe short project brief that makes every architect conversation more useful, and the costs owners forget.
Part II
Choosing an Architect
Finding candidates, checking a license and running interviews that show who fits your project.
- 04Building a Shortlist of San Francisco ArchitectsWhere to find candidates, how to read a portfolio and how to narrow the list to three or four interviews.
- 05Checking an Architect’s License and What It Tells YouHow to verify a California architect’s license, what the record shows and what else to confirm before you hire.
- 06Interview Questions That Separate Good Fits From Good PortfoliosThe questions to ask, the answers to listen for and how to compare three or four architects fairly.
Part III
Contract and Design
How fees work, what California requires in the contract and how the design grows from sketch to permit set.
- 07How Architects Charge: Fee Models, Phases and ExtrasPercentage, hourly and fixed fees compared, how payments follow the design phases and where extra costs come from.
- 08The Written Contract: What California Requires and What to AddThe eight items state law requires in every architect’s contract, the recommended extras and how to review a draft.
- 09From Sketch to Permit Set: The Design PhasesWhat happens in each phase of design, the decisions you make along the way and where San Francisco review fits in.
Part IV
Approvals and Permits
San Francisco Planning review, neighborhood notice, DBI permits and the special cases of ADUs and older buildings.
- 10San Francisco Planning Review and the 30-Day Neighborhood NoticeHow Planning reviews a residential project, when Section 311 notice applies and what Discretionary Review means.
- 11Building Permits at DBI: Over-the-Counter, In-House and Site PermitsThe three ways San Francisco reviews a building permit, which forms apply and what triggers in-house Planning review.
- 12ADUs and Older Buildings: Two San Francisco Special CasesHow the state and local ADU programs differ, and how a building’s age and historic status change design review.
Before chapter one
How Hiring an Architect Works in San Francisco
Five things that set a San Francisco project apart and explain why the order of this handbook matters.
The architect is the first hire, not the last
On most residential work the architect is the person who turns your goals into something the city can review. They measure the building, study what the zoning allows, draw the options and prepare the drawings that go to Planning and the Department of Building Inspection. Contractors usually price the job from those drawings, which is why the design stage comes first.
The license is a public record
Anyone who calls themselves an architect in California must be licensed by the California Architects Board, and the Board’s license lookup shows whether a license is current and whether there has been disciplinary action. Designers and drafters can legally prepare plans for some small wood-frame projects, so the question is not only who is licensed but what your project requires. Chapter 1 and Chapter 5 cover both.
California requires a written contract
Since 1996 state law has required an architect to have a written contract with the client before work starts, with a short list of mandatory items: the services, the fee and how it is paid, how changes are handled, how either side can end the agreement and who owns the drawings. Knowing that list before you sign makes negotiating much simpler. Chapter 8 walks through it.
Neighbors are part of the process
San Francisco Planning mails notice of many expansions to owners and occupants within 150 feet, posts a poster on the property and gives the public 30 days to comment or ask the Planning Commission for a Discretionary Review. An architect who knows how to present a project to neighbors, and who designs with the city’s residential guidelines in mind, can make that period calmer. Chapter 10 explains the steps.
Permits have more than one path
The Department of Building Inspection reviews small, simple work over the counter and larger work in-house through electronic plan review, with Planning, Fire, Public Works and the Public Utilities Commission reviewing their parts. Accessory dwelling units and older buildings have their own rules on top of that. The last two chapters show what that means for your schedule and for the architect you choose.
FAQ
Quick Answers Before You Start
Short answers here; the chapters go further.
Do I legally need an architect for a house in San Francisco?
Not always. California law lets unlicensed designers prepare plans for single-family wood-frame homes up to two stories and a basement, but the building official can require a licensed architect or engineer for parts that go beyond conventional framing. Chapter 1 explains how to tell.
How do I check an architect’s license?
Use the California Architects Board license lookup at cab.ca.gov. It shows whether the license is current and whether there has been disciplinary action. Chapter 5 covers what else to check.
How do architects charge?
Common arrangements are a percentage of construction cost, an hourly rate, a fixed fee per phase or a mix. What matters most is which services are included and how extra work is priced. Chapter 7 compares them.
Does the contract have to be in writing?
Yes, with a few narrow exceptions. California requires a written contract with specific items before the architect starts work. Chapter 8 lists them.
What is Section 311 notice?
It is San Francisco Planning’s neighborhood notice for many expansions and changes of use: a mailed notice to properties within 150 feet, a poster on site and a 30-day review period. Chapter 10 explains it.
Can a neighbor stop my project?
A neighbor can request a Discretionary Review during the notice period, which sends the project to the Planning Commission. The Commission says it uses this power only in exceptional and extraordinary circumstances. Chapter 10 has more.
What is an over-the-counter permit?
A permit the Department of Building Inspection and the other reviewing departments can each review in under an hour. Larger or more complex work goes to in-house electronic review. Chapter 11 compares the paths.
Is an ADU easier to permit than an addition?
Often. ADUs that meet the state standards get a 60-day ministerial review without neighborhood notice or Discretionary Review. Chapter 12 explains the state and local programs.