NO. AB-035 : | |
DATE : | January 19, 2011 (updated 01/01/2023 for code references) (supersedes Administrative Bulletin AB-035 issued September 18, 2002) |
SUBJECT : | General Administrative Procedures |
TITLE : | Procedure for Assigning Street Numbers (Addresses) |
PURPOSE : | To establish a procedure for assigning and/or changing street numbers (addresses) to new buildings, tenant space street entrances, new parcels, vacant lots, and any other street addressing need of the City and County of San Francisco. |
REFERENCE : | Current edition of the San Francisco Building Code - Section 107A.10, Building Numbers and Fees - Table 1A-J, Miscellaneous Fees |
DISCUSSION : | Every project sponsor shall obtain an official street number prior to the submittal of a building permit application when the work consists of a new building or a new street entrance to a new tenant space or dwelling unit in an existing building. Every residential property owner shall request in writing and receive approval from the Building Official for a change in a street number assignment. The following procedures shall apply to the assignment and/or change of street numbers. |
Entrances to be Numbered
All primary entrances from the street to all buildings and all direct entrances from the street to separate tenant spaces or dwelling units shall be numbered. Only the building number officially assigned by the Building Official may be displayed on the building.
The numbers shall be placed on the front of the building adjacent to the entrance so as to be easily seen from the street. The street numbers assigned shall be placed on the building in a place and manner acceptable to the Building Official in accordance with Section 107A.10 of the San Francisco Building Code.
[Historical Note: The following procedures for assigning street numbers are long term provisions of San Francisco codes. These procedures have been brought forward from the 1909 San Francisco Building Code through subsequent editions of that code.]
Method of Numbering
Market Street shall be the starting point for the numbers of all buildings fronting on the streets beginning thereon and running therefrom in any direction. On Webster, Fillmore, Steiner, Pierce, Scott, Divisadero, Broderick, Baker and Lyon Streets, and Central Avenue, and streets in the Sunnyside, Lakeview, Railroad Homestead and City Land Association tracts, the numbering shall begin at their southerly ends and proceed toward the north.
On all streets having a northerly and southerly course, diverging less than 45 degrees from a northerly and southerly course and not otherwise provided for, the numbering shall begin at their northerly ends and proceed toward the south. On all streets having an easterly and westerly course, or diverging less than 45 degrees from an easterly and westerly course, the numbering shall begin at their easterly ends and proceed toward the west, except that on streets lying south of Cesar Chavez [Army Street] and running from Mission in an easterly or southerly direction, and also on [Bernal Avenue], Montezuma and Aztec Streets, Esmeralda Avenue, [and on streets in Gift Maps 1 and 2], the numbering shall start at their westerly ends and proceed toward the east. On all intermediate subdivision streets, the numbering shall commence where the streets begin and proceed in the same direction as the numbering on the principal streets between which they lie.
[Note: Street and place names which are shown in brackets no longer exist or have been renamed.]
Even and Odd Numbers
On all streets the numbers on the right hand side, starting from the point of beginning, shall be even numbers, and the numbers on the left hand side shall be odd numbers; except that on all streets having a northerly and southerly course, and lying west of Central Avenue and Presidio Avenue but not including Central Avenue, the numbers on the right hand side, starting from the point of beginning, shall be odd numbers and the numbers on the left hand side shall be even numbers.
Allotment of Numbers
One hundred numbers, or as many thereof as may be necessary, shall be allotted to the property frontage in each block between two main streets. The number 100 shall be the first number on the right hand side, and the number 101 the first number on the left hand side of the second block of all streets, except those lying west of Central Avenue and Presidio Avenue, but not including Central Avenue. The succeeding hundreds shall be allotted in a similar manner consecutively in each succeeding block, except that on Mission, Natoma, Howard, Folsom, Harrison, Bryant, Jackson, Pacific, Broadway, Vallejo, Green, Union, Francisco, Bay and Webster Streets, and on Central Avenue, 100 numbers shall be allotted to the first two blocks. One hundred numbers shall also be allotted on Divisadero Street between Waller and Page Streets. When a block exceeds 850 feet in length, 200 numbers shall be allotted to it.
For the purpose of preserving uniformity in the numbering along Market Street, so that the numbers on both sides of the street shall conform as nearly as possible, 50 even numbers shall be allotted to each of the following apportionments of frontage along the northerly side of Market Street: between the westerly line of Spear Street, proceeding northerly, and the easterly line of Drumm Street; between Battery and Montgomery Streets; between Kearny and Stockton Streets; between Powell and Taylor Streets; and between Jones Street and [Marshall Square].
Fifty odd numbers shall be allotted to each of the following apportionments of frontage along the southerly side of Market Street: between Embarcadero and Spear Street; between Twelfth and Valencia Streets; between Guerrero and Dolores Streets; and between Church and Sanchez Streets.
When any street fails in its course to traverse certain blocks, 100 numbers shall be allotted to each block not traversed, in the same manner as if the street were continuous. When any street is intersected on its opposite sides by different streets, the hundreds on one side shall be made to correspond as closely as possible to the hundreds on the opposite side by allotting only 25 numbers, even or odd as the case may require, to the side which the blocks are shorter.
One number shall be allowed for each one-fiftieth (1/50) of the frontage of each block between two main streets, except in blocks having a frontage of less than 400 feet where the allowance shall be made on the basis of one number to every eight feet of frontage.
Renumbering
Any Property Owner may request a change to an existing street number assignment. Approval of the request for change to an existing street number assignment shall not be denied if such request can reasonably be granted. A request in writing must be made to the Building Official requesting a change to the existing street number assignment. Proof of property ownership must be submitted if requested by the Building Official and any other information as needed for determination of request approval.
If a property is tenant-occupied, the property owner must also submit documentation acceptable to the Building Official that all tenants have been notified of the proposed street number change request.
Nothing in this bulletin shall authorize the renumbering of any block which is now uniformly numbered in accordance with any previous law, unless such renumbering is made necessary by the construction or alterations of buildings whereby the number of entrances to buildings on such blocks has been so increased as to prevent consecutive numbering.
Responsibilities
Building Official
The Building Official shall notify all applicable Federal, State, County, City and local agencies requesting and/or requiring notification of new and/or changed street number assignments. The Building Official shall also provide the property owner with an approved and issued street number assignment permit.
Property Owner/Project Sponsor
The property owner/project sponsor must notify all private entities and tenants of the issued street number assignment. The property owner must properly identify the affected building(s) as provided in Section 107A.10 of the San Francisco Building Code within 60 days of the issued street number assignment but no sooner than 10 days to allow for proper notification to others.
Notice to be Given
Whenever any violation of the provisions of this bulletin relating to the numbering of buildings exists, notice thereof shall be given to the owner, or if they cannot be found, to the occupant of the premises where the violation occurs. If, after two weeks, the cause of complaint has not been removed, the provisions detailed in Section 103A of the San Francisco Building Code shall be applied.
Temporary Retention of Old Numbers
Whenever any property owner has been notified to change the numbers of his building, the old numbers may be temporarily retained, in addition to the new numbers, but in no case shall the old numbers be retained for more than sixty (60) days after the official notice to change them.
Fees
The fee for each numbered building entrance is shown in Section 110A, Table 1A-J of the San Francisco Building Code.
Signed by:
Vivian L. Day, C.B.O.
Director
Department of Building Inspection
Approved by the Building Inspection Commission on September 18, 2002,
Revision approved January 19, 2011.