Meet Borne Consulting: Facade, Section 604, and SB-721 Inspections Done Right
- Serina Calhoun
- Jul 28
- 2 min read
If you manage a building in San Francisco, there’s a good chance you’ve been hit with at least one compliance program that feels like a pop quiz you didn’t study for. The Facade Inspection & Maintenance Program is one of them. SB-721 / Section 604 for balconies, exterior stairs, and decks is another. Both are legit safety programs—and yes, they're enforced.
Which is why we want to introduce you to one of our favorite vendors: Borne Consulting.
Founded by licensed civil engineer Cade Osborne, PE, Borne has been helping Bay Area property managers and building owners stay compliant and mitigate safety hazards since founding the company in 2021. Translation: they’ve seen a wide variety of unsafe conditions at buildings, from loose trim, cracked chimneys, and balconies that are one earthquake away from becoming a liability.
“As a local resident, I take pride in helping make our city safer by keeping its buildings up to code,” Cade told us.
What Actually Happens During a Facade Inspection?
By law, buildings over five stories tall and with certain construction types need to have 100% of their facade visually inspected, plus 25% physically inspected up close every 10 years. That usually means rope access crews or swing-stage scaffolding, not just someone standing on the sidewalk with binoculars.
Borne Consulting’s inspection process is thorough but efficient. Here are a few things that they typically include:
• Visual examinations (both with and without magnification)
• Water damage surveys
• Sounding for delaminated materials (aka knocking on things to find hidden problems)
• Pushing and pulling on mounted elements
And it’s not just walls. Balconies, chimneys, window-mounted A/Cs, decorative details - most anything that’s stuck to the side of your building and might fall gets evaluated.
“If we find a hazard,” Cade said, “we immediately notify the client and the City. We recommend that our clients move fast to mitigate any safety hazards by installing netting, installing protective canopies, or restricting access.”
Why We Like Working With Them
Borne Consulting’s technical knowledge and client-first service shows up in everything their team does. They’re practical, responsive, and don’t waste your time.
“We try to make the inspection process as straightforward as possible,” Cade said.
And based on what we’ve heard from their repeat clients, it works.
If your building falls under the Facade Maintenance Program or SB-721, this isn’t something you want to kick down the road. The rules are already in place, and the city is enforcing them. Borne can help you figure out what’s required, what’s urgent, and what’s just annoying. Either way, you’ll want someone experienced in your corner.
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