Pre-Submission Review · Free
San Francisco, California
ADUs are California's fastest-growing housing type — but every city has different rules for setbacks, size limits, and parking. Under state law (AB 68, AB 881), your city must approve a compliant ADU ministerially, but you still need to meet local zoning requirements for the primary structure and overall site. A single code miss can delay your permit by weeks.
California has some of the most permissive ADU laws in the country. Under AB 68 and AB 881, cities must approve ADUs that meet state standards — no discretionary review, no public hearings. But each city still has its own zoning code that determines setbacks, height limits, and lot coverage for the primary structure and site.
Common issues that delay ADU permits in San Francisco:
Use the form above to check your ADU project against San Francisco's specific codes before you submit. Our tool checks setbacks, height, lot coverage, FAR, and parking requirements — the items that cause 80% of plan check rejections.
Fill in the form above with your lot size, setbacks, building height, and other dimensions — the same numbers on your architectural plans.
Your project is compared against San Francisco's specific zoning requirements — setbacks, height limits, lot coverage, parking ratios, and FAR limits for your zone.
Critical violations, warnings, and advisory items — ranked by what a San Francisco plan checker will flag first. Fix issues before you submit and save weeks of correction cycles.
| Zone | Front | Side | Rear | Height | Coverage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| RH-1 — Residential House, One Family | 0' | 0' | 15' | 40' | 75% |
| RH-2 — Residential House, Two Family | 0' | 0' | 15' | 40' | 75% |
| RH-3 — Residential House, Three Family | 0' | 0' | 15' | 40' | 75% |
San Francisco requires a 0' front setback, 0' side setback, and 15' rear setback in the most common residential zone. Specific requirements vary by zone — enter your zone code above for exact numbers.
Initial plan review in San Francisco typically takes 4-8 weeks. If corrections are required, each resubmission adds another 2-4 weeks. Running a pre-check before submitting can eliminate the most common correction items and save one or more review cycles.
The most common residential zone in San Francisco allows a maximum height of 40 feet. Height measurement methods vary — some cities measure to the highest ridge, others to the midpoint of the roof. Check the specific zone requirements for your property.
Yes. Create a free account to run unlimited plan checks against San Francisco's building codes. The tool checks setbacks, height limits, lot coverage, parking requirements, and flags common issues that San Francisco plan reviewers look for.
The most frequently flagged items in San Francisco include: Front setback must match block average — not a fixed number; Rear yard calculation: 25% of lot depth or 15', whichever greater; Light exposure plane analysis missing or incorrect. Our tool checks for all of these automatically.