Service
Register with the City as a licensed contractor
Registered contractors can file solar and Boiler Permit to Operate permits online.
Department of Building InspectionWhat to know
Electrical, plumbing and mechanical permits
Apply for no-plans electrical, plumbing and mechanical permits by registering an account and authorizing your contractor license through the PermitSF portal.
Email or mail your application
Gather these documents to register as a licensed contractor.
What to know
Electrical, plumbing and mechanical permits
Apply for no-plans electrical, plumbing and mechanical permits by registering an account and authorizing your contractor license through the PermitSF portal.
Email or mail your application
Gather these documents to register as a licensed contractor.
What to do
1. Get a copy of your California Contractor License documents
You must go to the California Contractors State License Board website to get your documents.
Electrical contractors
- C46 license to obtain any of the electrical work for electrical for solar system offered online
Plumbing contractors
- C4 license to obtain a Boiler Permit To Operate
2. Get a valid San Francisco Business Registration Certificate
You must send us a copy of your valid San Francisco Business Registration Certificate. You may include a temporary Business Tax Certificate instead of a San Francisco Business Registration Certificate.
3. Get a copy of your worker’s compensation certification
You may have to email your insurer to get this document.
4. Fill out the contractor agreement form
5. Scan or take a picture of your valid driver’s license
We need a copy of your valid driver’s license to register.
6. Send us these documents
Gather items 1 to 5 and send them to us in one email:
- Contractors licenses
- San Francisco Business Registration Certificate
- Worker's compensation certificate
- Completed contractor agreement form
- Your driver's license
It takes us longer to process incomplete packets.
7. Wait for our email
It will take at least 1 week to process your application. We will check your license and documents for completeness.
Once we have received all required documentation, we will email you your username and password.
Special cases
If you do not qualify to register online
Follow the in-person instructions when applying for:
Additional fees for some online permits
For Boiler permits, we will apply a convenience fee of up to 2.5% (with a minimum of $2.00) for all online permit filings. This fee is in addition to all current DBI Fees.
Contact us
Additional info
We’re here to help. If you have questions or need assistance with permits, inspections or other DBI services, contact us at dbicustomerservice@sfgov.org.