San Francisco Concrete Screening Program: What Building Owners Need to Know
San Francisco has launched a Concrete Building Screening Program, which became effective in June of 2025, to better understand and manage seismic risk across the city’s concrete building stock. Property owners who have received a notice about this screening program are required to provide information about their building by June 9, 2027.
While part of the program can be filled out by the owner, the structural specific information needs to be completed by a Professional Civil or Structural Engineer licensed in California. There are no mandatory retrofits at this time; however, buildings that perform a voluntary retrofit satisfying the requirements of this program will be exempt for up to 20 years from future mandatory retrofits.
What Buildings Are Affected?
If your property has received a notice or is on the City’s list of potentially vulnerable buildings, then the building must complete the online screening form.
Buildings on the list have been prescreened by San Francisco Department of Building Inspection (SFDBI) but are not guaranteed to meet the ordinance criteria described below.
At PARADIGM Structural Engineers, we can assist a building owner in getting their property removed from the list by completing the form if the building is found to not be subject to the ordinance.
What Is the Concrete Building Screening Program?
This initiative focuses on identifying Concrete Buildings and Rigid-Wall Flexible Diaphragm (RWFD) Buildings built or retrofitted prior to July 1st, 1999, that may be vulnerable in a major earthquake. Concrete Buildings include buildings constructed with concrete columns and floors with or without concrete walls. Rigid-Wall Flexible Diaphragm buildings include single-story structures with concrete and a wood or steel-framed roof without concrete, sometimes referred to as “Tilt-Up” buildings.
Concrete buildings exempt from this ordinance include:
Buildings that were constructed or retrofitted after July 1st, 1999.
Single-story RWFD Buildings with a footprint not exceeding 3000 square feet.
Concrete Buildings that are not RWFD Buildings and are not more than 1 story.
Certain 2 story Concrete buildings that do not include concrete columns or similar elements.
Buildings completely framed with steel to support gravity loads.
Buildings where concrete is only used for floors, the roof, foundations, or basements.
Certain one and two-family dwellings.
Light-framed (wood or steel) construction supported by a single-story concrete podium.
What do I need to do?
Owners of buildings on the initial city list will be notified by SFDBI and given instructions on how to comply. If you think your building meets the program’s criteria, or if you are unsure, but did not receive a notice from the city, it is recommended that you reach out to a licensed structural engineer. It is anticipated that the city may add additional buildings to the list while the program is active.
Property Owners who receive the notice should go to the city’s website where they can confirm their address is on the list and begin filling out the screening form. Part of the form can be filled out by the building owner; however, several pieces of information will require hiring a California-licensed Structural Engineer, Civil Engineer, or Architect to complete. More information on what questions are included in the form can be found as part of question 4 on the cities list of frequently asked questions.
If you received a notice about the Concrete Building Screening Program, you are required to complete the form by June 9, 2027.
What Happens After Screening?
The city will review the screening form and reach out about missing or incorrect information. After completion of the review process with DBI, the owner will be sent a notice of compliance.
The program does not yet mandate seismic retrofits. The current focus is on establishing inventory.
Future policy updates may evolve toward mandatory retrofits; however, buildings can be exempted from mandatory retrofit programs for the next 20 years if a voluntary retrofit satisfying the criteria of this program is performed.
Why It Matters
San Francisco sits near major fault lines, and the city’s history – from the 1906 quake to Loma Prieta – demonstrates the elevated seismic risk for buildings in the region. Older concrete buildings identified under this program were built before modern seismic standards and are especially at risk of significant damage or collapse during powerful earthquakes. The screening program aims to identify potentially vulnerable Concrete or RWFD structures to establish city-wide risk and inform policy, including potential future mandatory retrofit provisions.
PARADIGM Structural Engineers, Inc. is ready to support San Francisco property owners, architects, and developers through every step of the seismic evaluation process. Reach out to us today to get started and ensure your building achieves compliance with the ordinance.