Building Code Quick Reference
San Francisco County · San Francisco Planning Code (SFPC)
Everything you need to know about building in San Francisco, California — setback distances, height limits, lot coverage, FAR, parking requirements, and the issues that San Francisco plan checkers flag most often. Use this as a quick reference before designing or submitting plans.
Values shown for the most common residential zone. See full zone table below for all zones.
Each zone in San Francisco has different development standards. The table below shows setbacks (the minimum distance your building must be from each property line), maximum height, number of stories, lot coverage percentage, and Floor Area Ratio (FAR) for each residential zone.
| Zone | Front | Side | Rear | Height | Stories | Coverage | FAR |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| RH-1 — Residential House, One Family | 0' | 0' | 15' | 40' | 3 | 75% | — |
| Front setback per block average. Side setback per code sec 134. Rear yard: 25% lot depth or 15', whichever is greater. | |||||||
| RH-2 — Residential House, Two Family | 0' | 0' | 15' | 40' | 3 | 75% | — |
| Two units permitted. Front/side setbacks per block context. | |||||||
| RH-3 — Residential House, Three Family | 0' | 0' | 15' | 40' | 3 | 75% | — |
| Three units permitted. | |||||||
Parking is one of the most common plan check flags. San Francisco requires the following parking ratios for residential projects — make sure your site plan accounts for these before submitting.
Covered/enclosed required
Waived near transit
Standard residential
SF eliminated minimum parking requirements in 2018. Parking is optional but if provided, must meet design standards.
→ Use our Parking Calculator to calculate your exact requirement.
Beyond zoning, San Francisco has general building requirements that apply to all residential construction. These are commonly referenced during plan check.
These are the issues that San Francisco plan reviewers flag most frequently on residential submissions. Addressing these before you submit can save one or more correction cycles (each adding 2–4 weeks to your timeline).
Check San Francisco's planning department website for their zoning map, or search your address on our parcel search tool. Your zone code (R1, R2, etc.) determines which row in the table above applies to your property. You can also call San Francisco's planning counter for a quick zoning verification.
Initial plan review in San Francisco typically takes 4–8 weeks. If corrections are required (which is common), each resubmission adds another 2–4 weeks. Running a pre-submission plan check can eliminate the most common correction items and save one or more review cycles.
Yes. Under California state law, San Francisco must approve ADUs that meet state standards — no discretionary review required. Detached ADUs can be up to 1,200 sqft with only 4' rear and side setbacks. Use our San Francisco ADU Eligibility Checker to see what you can build on your lot.
The top reasons are setback violations (measuring from the wrong reference point), height calculation errors (using the wrong grade measurement method), lot coverage exceeding the zone limit, insufficient parking, and missing energy code (Title 24) compliance. See the "Common Plan Check Flags" section above for San Francisco-specific issues.
The zoning standards above apply to standard residential projects. Specific overlays (historic districts, hillside areas, coastal zones) may have additional restrictions. Commercial and mixed-use zones have different standards. Always verify your specific zone and any applicable overlays with San Francisco's planning department.
Enter your project dimensions and we'll compare them against San Francisco's building codes. Catch setback violations, height issues, and parking shortfalls before they become correction letters.
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