City of San Francisco - Green Building Code
San Francisco's Green Building Code requires new residential construction to meet escalating green building standards, starting with 25 Green Points in 2009 and reaching 75 GreenPoints or LEED certification by 2012 depending on building size. As a homeowner building new in San Francisco, you'll need to ensure your project incorporates energy efficiency, water conservation, waste diversion, and renewable energy features aligned with these benchmarks—work with your contractor to select materials and systems that earn the required points and obtain the necessary green building certification before permit approval.
Projects must comply with San Francisco's tiered green building requirements based on residential type and year: small residential needs 50-75 GreenPoints (2010+), mid-size and high-rise residential require GreenPoint Rated or LEED Silver/Gold certification with specific standards for renewable energy, water, and construction waste by 2012. You'll guide clients through the certification process, select compliant materials and technologies (solar, efficient HVAC, water systems, daylighting), and coordinate with the San Francisco Department of Building Inspection to demonstrate compliance before permit issuance.
The 2008 San Francisco Green Building Ordinance (Ordinance 180-08) mandates new construction in residential and commercial sectors to achieve LEED or GreenPoint Rated certification on an escalating schedule through 2012, with additional 2019 requirements for residential benchmarking in buildings over 50,000 square feet. Commercial buildings over 10,000 square feet must benchmark annually and conduct five-year energy audits (phased implementation 2011–2013), while all new construction must incorporate on-site renewable energy or purchase renewable credits; administration occurs through the Department of Building Inspection and Department of Environment with reference to Administrative Bulletin AB-093.
Program details
- Program ID
- 3050
- Last updated
- 7/18/2024
Eligibility
- Sectors
- commercial residential
- Technologies
- solar - passive solar water heat solar space heat solar photovoltaics wind (all) biomass fuel cells using non-renewable fuels daylighting wind (small) hydroelectric (small) fuel cells using renewable fuels comprehensive measures/whole building
Program summary
San Francisco adopted a mandatory green building code for new construction projects in September 2008, establishing strict guidelines for residential and commercial buildings according to the following schedule:
| Building Type | Year | Requirement |
|---|---|---|
| Small Residential (four dwellings or fewer) | 2009 | 25 Green Points (does not need to be rated) |
| 2010 and 2011 | Must be GreenPoint Rated and building applications must demonstrate that a minimum of 50 GreenPoints will be earned | |
| 2012 | Building applications for new homes must demonstrate that at least 75 GreenPoints will be achieved | |
| Mid-size Residential | 2009 | 25 Green Points (does not need to be rated) |
| 2010 | Must be GreenPoint Rated and building applications must demonstrate that a minimum of 50 GreenPoints will be earned | |
| 2011 and 2012 | Building applications for new homes must demonstrate that at least 75 GreenPoints will be achieved | |
| High-rise Residential | 2009 | New permit applications must include documentation to achieve LEEDcertification (or 50 GreenPoints) |
| 2010 | New permit applications must include documentation to achieve LEED Silver certification (or 75 GreenPoints). A number of specific LEED standards must also be met for landscaping, water use reduction, and construction debris management | |
| 2012 | Building applications must also meet LEED standards for the use of on-site renewable energy or the purchase of renewable energy credits | |
| Mid-Size Commercial | 2009 | New permit applications don't need to meet LEED certification requirements but must meet LEED standards for building commissioning, landscaping, water use, and construction debris management |
| 2010 | New permit applications must meet enhanced commissioning standards and tighter water use requirements | |
| 2012 | Building applications must also meet LEED standards for the use of on-site renewable energy or the purchase of renewable energy credits | |
| Large Commercial | November 2008 | New permit applications must include documentation to achieve LEED certification |
| 2009, 2010, 2011 | New permit applications must include documentation to achieve LEED Silver certification | |
| 2012 | New permit applications must include documentation to achieve LEED Gold certification |
Certain buildings will need to meet additional requirements by varying dates. See Ordinance 180-08 for the full implementation schedule. Click here for Administrative Bulletin 093, which provides more information about the implementation of the green building requirements.
Building Benchmarking Requirements
Ordinance 17-11, passed in February 2011, requires owners of commercial buildings over 10,000 square feet to annually measure their building's energy performance and to report the findings to the San Francisco Department of Environment. The ordinance also requires owners of commercial buildings over 10,000 square feet to have an energy audit conducted every five years, and to submit a report on those findings to the Department of Environment. The Department of Environment will make certain aspects of these reports available to the public for every affected building. These requirements took effect in October 2011 for buildings over 50,000 square feet, and will be phased in for smaller buildings through 2013. Ordinance 74-19, passed in April 2019, added new benchmarking measures which require owners of residential buildings over 50,000 square feet to annually measure building's energy performance.
Contact & resources
- Contact email
- existingbuildings@sfgov.org
- Additional resources
Please verify current program details with the administering agency before making any financial decisions.
