Legal
Terms of Service
Effective date: June 1, 2025 · Governing law: California
Informational guidance only — not professional advice
Permit Compass provides general information about San Francisco building permit requirements based on publicly available data. Nothing on this platform constitutes legal advice, architectural advice, engineering advice, or any other form of licensed professional advice. Always consult a licensed architect, contractor, or attorney before beginning construction work or submitting permit applications to the City and County of San Francisco.
1. Acceptance of Terms
By accessing or using Permit Compass ("the Service"), you agree to be bound by these Terms of Service. If you do not agree, do not use the Service. These terms apply to all visitors, users, and purchasers.
2. Nature of the Service
Permit Compass is an informational tool that helps homeowners and builders understand which San Francisco building permits may be required for a described construction project. The Service:
- References publicly available SF.gov permit data, DBI bulletins, and SF Planning guidelines.
- Generates permit roadmaps and pre-populated form data based on answers you provide.
- Links you to official City agency portals for application submission.
The Service does not submit applications on your behalf, guarantee permit approval, represent the City of San Francisco, or provide legal, engineering, architectural, or contractor services. Permit requirements change frequently; always verify current requirements directly with the Department of Building Inspection (DBI) and SF Planning before submitting any application.
3. Disclaimer of Warranties
THE SERVICE IS PROVIDED "AS IS" AND "AS AVAILABLE" WITHOUT WARRANTY OF ANY KIND, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY, FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE, OR NON-INFRINGEMENT. We do not warrant that permit recommendations are complete, accurate, current, or applicable to your specific project. Building codes, zoning rules, and agency requirements change regularly, and individual properties may have site-specific constraints not captured by this tool.
4. Limitation of Liability
TO THE MAXIMUM EXTENT PERMITTED BY CALIFORNIA LAW, SF PERMIT COMPASS AND ITS OPERATORS SHALL NOT BE LIABLE FOR ANY INDIRECT, INCIDENTAL, SPECIAL, CONSEQUENTIAL, OR PUNITIVE DAMAGES ARISING FROM YOUR USE OF THE SERVICE, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO PERMIT DENIAL, STOP-WORK ORDERS, FINES, CONSTRUCTION DELAYS, OR PROFESSIONAL FEES INCURRED IN RELIANCE ON INFORMATION PROVIDED BY THE SERVICE. Our total liability for direct damages shall not exceed the amount you paid for the Service in the twelve months preceding the claim.
5. Acceptable Use
You agree not to:
- Use the Service for any unlawful purpose or in violation of any applicable law.
- Submit false or misleading project information to generate permit guidance.
- Reproduce, resell, or redistribute downloaded permit plans or forms without authorization.
- Attempt to reverse-engineer, scrape, or interfere with the Service.
6. Purchased Documents
Upon purchasing a permit plan package, you receive a personal, non-transferable license to use the downloaded documents solely for your described project. Documents are watermarked and intended for a single end user. You may not resell or redistribute downloaded materials. Access links expire twelve (12) months from the date of purchase.
7. Intellectual Property
All content, software, and materials comprising the Service — except publicly available City of San Francisco forms, which are government works — are the property of Permit Compass and are protected by copyright and other intellectual property laws.
8. Third-Party Links & Services
The Service contains links to third-party websites (sf.gov, DBI, SF Planning, etc.). We have no control over and are not responsible for the content, accuracy, or availability of those sites. Payment processing is handled by Stripe, Inc. under their own terms of service and privacy policy.
9. Changes to Terms
We may update these Terms at any time by posting a revised version with a new effective date. Continued use of the Service after changes are posted constitutes acceptance of the revised Terms.
10. Governing Law & Disputes
These Terms are governed by the laws of the State of California, without regard to conflict-of-law principles. Any dispute arising from or relating to these Terms or the Service shall be resolved through binding arbitration in San Francisco County, California, except that either party may seek injunctive or other equitable relief in court.
11. Contact
Questions about these Terms? support@permitcompass.com