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What to Know About San Francisco’s Facade Inspection Program

If you own a mid- or high-rise building in San Francisco, you’ve probably heard about the city’s Facade Inspection & Maintenance Program. It’s been around for a few years, but it still catches people by surprise, especially when they get a notice.


The program was first introduced by Mayor Ed Lee in 2014 to prevent debris (e.g., bricks, cornices, and decorative trim) from falling off buildings and injuring pedestrians, particularly during earthquakes. After two years of legislative wrangling, it was signed into law in 2016 and went into effect that June.


Facade Inspection being done by Rand Engineering & Architecture
Facade Inspection Underway: Image by Rand Engineering & Architecture

Here’s the short version:

If your building is five stories or taller, and made of Type I, II, III, or IV construction, you’re required to submit a facade inspection report every 10 years. Not sure how you’re supposed to remember a deadline that only rolls around once a decade? Yeah - that’s exactly why we built our Compliance Tracker.


What’s Your Building Type?

If you’re not sure which construction category you fall into, here’s a quick breakdown:

  • Type I & II: Fire-resistant throughout (steel or concrete walls, floors, ceilings, roof)

  • Type III: Non-combustible exterior, but wood interiors

  • Type IV: Heavy timber (rare in SF but not impossible)


You can confirm your building’s construction type by requesting Certificates of Final Completion (CFCs) from the city here: https://dbiweb02.sfgov.org/dbi_rep_req/


Compliance Deadlines by Year Built

  • Built before 1910 → Report was due Dec 31, 2021

  • 1910–1925 → Due Dec 31, 2023

  • 1926–1970 → Due Dec 31, 2025

  • 1971–1997 → Due Dec 31, 2027

  • Post-1998 → Exempt for now—but must submit 30 years after final completion


Glass replacement being done on a high-rise building.
Glazing replacement being done on a high-rise building; Image by Apex Rope Access Specialists

But Wait - There’s Glass!

After a series of windstorms in 2023 sent glass panels flying from more than 30 high-rise buildings downtown, the city introduced a new ordinance requiring inspections of exterior glass.


The inspections apply to buildings 15 stories or taller and built after 1998, and the reports were due within 6 months of receipt of a notice from the San Francisco Department of Building Inspection (DBI).


Despite this action, more glass failures happened in 2024, including incidents at Salesforce East, Millennium Tower, and even the Transamerica Pyramid. One bystander said it sounded like “meteor strikes.” Another described the chaos as “Final Destination in real life.” This isn’t just red tape - it’s public safety and your responsibility to comply.



And for the full text of requirements, read Administrative Bulletin AB-110 here: https://codelibrary.amlegal.com/codes/san_francisco/latest/sf_building/0-0-0-96476


Stay safe. Stay sharp. And stay off the city’s radar - in the best possible way.



Brought to you by Property Atlas - because you shouldn’t need a spreadsheet (or a psychic) to stay on top of building safety.

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