Posted: July 5, 2026. Last updated: August 23, 2026. Sources: San Francisco Department of Building Inspection.
The summary: On May 5, 2025, the San Francisco Department of Building Inspection (DBI) announced that its permitting system would automatically route In-House Review applications to the appropriate review teams after the initial completeness check. DBI said the former staff-led process using the G-20 Information Sheet would continue for Over-the-Counter (OTC) permits, while it published routing tables to show how In-House applications move through review. DBI expects the change to reduce delays and improve consistency, but the tables do not guarantee a particular project’s review path or permit timeline.
What DBI announced
DBI’s May 5, 2025 announcement says that its system automatically routes In-House Review applications based on the initial completeness-check results. The agency describes the change as a way to move applications through review with fewer delays and more consistent handoffs.
The announcement identifies two related changes:
1. In-House routing is automated after completeness review. DBI says staff previously routed In-House applications manually using G-20. The system now uses the completeness-check result to send an In-House application to the appropriate review teams.
2. Routing tables are public. DBI published the Permit & Addenda Routing Tables online. The document says its completeness-check routing tables are the foundation of the automated In-House Review system and can help identify the permitting departments that may evaluate a project.
DBI’s announcement says the manual G-20 process continues for OTC permits. That does not mean every kitchen or bathroom project qualifies for OTC issuance, or that an OTC filing will receive a particular turnaround time; confirm the route and requirements for your scope with DBI.
How the routing tables and G-20 differ
The two documents are related, but they are not interchangeable:
- DBI Routing Tables: These tables map permit and addenda categories to potential DBI divisions and City departments. They are a planning reference for the automated In-House Review path, not a live tracker of your application or a promise that every listed review will apply.
- G-20 Information Sheet: DBI’s information-sheet index describes G-20 as Interim Criteria — Building Permit Application Routing to City Agencies. DBI’s May 2025 announcement says staff used it for the prior manual In-House process and continue to use that manual process for OTC permits.
Use both documents to ask better questions about a likely review path. Neither document replaces DBI’s project-specific determination, and neither can tell you when a reviewer will finish.
What it means for San Francisco homeowners
Projects that may need In-House Review: This update is most relevant if your work does not qualify for OTC issuance and needs review before a permit is issued. Depending on scope, that can include:
- ADUs, including detached, attached, and interior conversions
- Whole-home remodels, additions, and other larger alterations
- Projects with structural, fire, specialty-engineering, Planning, variance, or Conditional Use questions
For an In-House project, the routing tables can help you understand which departments may be involved before you file. They cannot establish your final routing, show your real-time status, or guarantee that a particular review will be avoided.
Kitchen or bathroom work that may qualify for OTC: DBI says the G-20-based manual process continues for OTC permits. Confirm your work’s eligibility and submittal requirements before assuming it will be handled OTC; a project that adds structural, fire, utility, Planning, or other review needs may follow a different path.
Everyone planning a larger project: The public routing tables are useful for setting expectations with an architect or contractor. Treat them as a starting point for identifying likely review teams, then confirm the actual route with DBI for your address and scope.
Do you need to do anything different?
If your project is currently in in-house review:
The routing tables can help you understand which departments may be relevant, but they do not display what is currently pending or predict the remaining timeline. Ask DBI for your project’s status and any outstanding correction items rather than inferring status from the table alone.
If you're planning an ADU or major remodel:
Review the routing tables during scope design with your architect or contractor. They can help you identify questions to resolve early — such as possible fire, Planning, or specialty review — but do not substitute for DBI’s current project-specific requirements.
If you're doing a standard kitchen/bath remodel (OTC track):
Check with DBI whether your scope qualifies for OTC issuance. The May 2025 announcement says the manual G-20 process continues for OTC permits, but the route depends on the actual work proposed.
If you're a contractor or architect who files many San Francisco permits:
Bookmark the routing tables as a client-communication reference. Use them to explain potential review teams, while making clear that DBI determines the final path and timing for each application.
Related permit-process updates
For broader context on San Francisco permit-process changes, see the PermitSF 100-day legislation update and the Planning, DBI, and Permit Center merger update. Those policy updates are separate from the routing tables and should not be used to predict an individual permit’s review time.
Sources
- DBI: Faster Routing Now in Place for In-House Permit Applications (May 5, 2025)
- DBI Permit & Addenda Routing Tables
- DBI G-20 Information Sheet
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