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Message from the Director
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 As we celebrate Building Safety Month this May, we are reminded of the importance in being ready for the next emergency. That's why we've been working hard to plan our annual Earthquake Safety Fair on June 11, 2019. This FREE fair will be held at the Bill Graham Civic Auditorium (99 Grove Street) from 10am to 4pm. It will feature an exhibitor hall of over 80 booths that consist of government agencies from SF Planning, the Rent Board, Assessor's Office, Department of Emergency Management and others along with general contractors, engineers, construction suppliers that provide construction services to San Franciscans.
In addition, we are offering five workshops that provide pertinent information for property owners who want to construct an accessory dwelling unit in their building or understand the remodeling process; as well as
as learn about the updates to the
amended Vacant Commercial Storefront
Ordinance
and information on how to make business entrances compliant with local
laws
for commercial property owners.
Today, we're announcing that we'll also have emergency hands-on training
, which include
compression on CPR and choking, controlling external bleeding and steps to take to prepare for an emergency and the 72-hours that follow.
If you haven't registered for the workshops, do so today. We still have space for exhibitors, contractors, engineers and other construction
related
service providers
, so
register before June 5, 2019. Visit
www.sfdbi.org/earthquakefair
for more information. I hope to see you on June 11!
Sincerely,
Tom C. Hui, S.E., C.B.O.
Director and Certified Building Official
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May is Building Safety Month
During the month of May, the Department of Building Inspection (DBI) joined the International Code Council and building safety departments throughout the United States in inviting its customers and the public to look at specific ways to ensure that the buildings they live in are habitable and safe.
Click the links below to read more about each week's themes and building safety tips.
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Spots Still Available at Earthquake Safety Fair's Five Workshops
Don't miss your chance to learn from our experts and have your program and emergency preparedness questions answered! Attendees can win FREE emergency go-bag kits filled with emergency essentials.
Register for one or all five of the workshops we're offering at the Earthquake Safety Fair by clicking on the links below. Each workshop has 125 seats available and registration is recommended to save your spot.
For more information on this year's event, visit
www.sfdbi.org/earthquakefair.
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File and Track Complaints Online
In Fiscal Year 2017-2018, DBI investigated 10,251 complaints, with 92% responded to within three business days. As
building and remodeling projects occur throughout the City, it is now easier to report unpermitted construction activity or housing maintenance issues for apartments and hotels online.
Filing a Complaint
To file a complaint, visit https://sfdbi.org/filing-complaint
.
When filing a complaint, please provide the following information:
- Name*
- Contact Information*
- Exact Property Address
- Exact/specific statement describing the problem or concern
* Please make a note if you wish to remain anonymous.
Failure to provide the information requested may prevent the Department from responding to your complaint or inquiry in a timely manner.
Once your complaint is in the system, it will be assigned to a district inspector for investigation. If the complaint is verified and violations exist, property owners are issued a Notice of Violation to correct any issues found.
Tracking your Complaint
You may track the progress of your complaint online through our Online Permit and Complaint Tracking System by searching
by Site Address (enter specific address you'd like to trac
k)
and click Complaints. This will generate a list of all complaints for that specific property. Click on a complaint number for more specific details on enforcement actions taken by
DBI.
In this same process, you can track permits and their
statuses
in the system for any San Francisco
address
.
Read more about what to expect during construction in your neighborhood
here
.]
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We continue to hire more staff to ensure we are providing the highest le
vels of effective and efficient customer services. Please give a big welcome to our newest hires.
Access our staff directory
here.
Shevann Harden Cheryl Lee
Inspection Services Inspection Services
David Delos Santos
Plan Review Services
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WHO WE ARE
DBI is the regulatory building safety agency responsible for overseeing the effective, efficient, fair and safe enforcement of building
, electrical, plumbing, disability access and housing codes for the City and County of San Francisco's more than 200,000 commercial and residential buildings.
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CODES CORNER
Read up on our most recent code updates:
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 LEGISLATIVE UPDATE
Stay up to date on the most recent proposed and passed legislation affecting DBI. Here are some listed below:
File No. 190237 - Amending the Plumbing Code to set placement and minimum size of Building Sewer or Drain (Traps).
File No. 181211 - Mayor Breed and Supervisor Brown's proposed Small Business Permit Streamlining
ordinance which amends the Health, Planning and Police Codes to allow more flexibility to commercial storefront businesses, while also expediting permit reviews and approvals. DBI role limited to inspections, where the ordinance states inspection approvals shall endeavor to be finalized within 20 business days from the date of receiving the application. DBI working with the Supervisor and Mayor's
staff on the language of this section, given the complexities often involved with final inspections.
File No. 181216 - Controls on residential demolition. Introduced by Supervisor Peskin on Dec. 11, amends the Planning and Building Codes to increase substantially penalties for violations, revises definitions for Alterations and Removal, imposes new Conditional Use reviews, requires pre-permit inspections of alleged dry rot.
No File Number Yet - Microenterprise Home Kitchens. Per State AB 626, City Departments meeting to discuss local ordinance elements needed to enable these home kitchens while requiring owners to comply with local codes.
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COMMUNITY OUTREACH
If you would like DB
to attend your association or organization's meeting to discuss the Accessible Business Entrance Program or any other DBI related topics, contact [email protected].
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EVENTS
Date: June 1, 2019
Time: 11am-3pm
Location: 50 Frida Kahlo Way
SF CA 94112
Date: June 11, 2019
Time: 10am-4pm
Location: Bill Graham Civic
Auditorium
99 Grove Street
SF CA 94102
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