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Commission approves AB106 to guide seismic strengthening of soft‑story buildings
Summary
The San Francisco Building Inspection Commission unanimously approved Administrative Bulletin AB106, which lays out a homeowner/engineer screening form and procedures for the soft‑story seismic‑strengthening program. DBI said it mailed notices to 6,175 property owners and posted the list online.
The Building Inspection Commission on Sept. 18 approved Administrative Bulletin AB106, establishing procedures and a screening form for the seismic strengthening of soft‑story wood‑frame buildings. The vote was unanimous.
DBI presenters Robert Chun and Eric Gee walked commissioners through the screening form and compliance‑tier worksheet that property owners and engineers must complete. "This administrative bulletin gives us the procedures on the soft story program," Chun said during the presentation, and staff demonstrated how owners and engineers share responsibility for completing Sections 1–5 of the form and for certifying the submission.
Why it matters: soft‑story buildings — older wood‑frame structures with large openings at street level — are vulnerable in earthquakes and are common in the city’s rental stock. AB106 creates a documented intake and screening process intended to move eligible buildings into the appropriate compliance pathway and to identify when engineering retrofits are required.
DBI said it has mailed notices and a publicly viewable list of affected properties; the presentation and packet noted 6,175 letters were sent and that the full spreadsheet is posted on the department website at sfdvi.org/softstory. Chun told commissioners the list includes assessor block-and-lot identifiers and current status fields so owners and staff can track compliance.
Commissioners asked operational questions about appeals and permit posting. Staff said the appeal route is the ordinary Board of Appeals/Board of Examiners process for permit decisions and that soft‑story permits are posted on site like other building permits. "If they present drawings to us and we disagree with the engineering, then they go through the appeals process," staff said.
The motion to approve AB106 was made on the record after a closed-session item and carried unanimously. The Commission’s action adopts the administrative bulletin; implementation details such as timelines for compliance and enforcement remain with DBI staff.
Next steps: DBI said it will begin processing screening forms and directing owners and engineers to the appropriate compliance tiers under AB106. The department also said it will continue outreach, including an in‑person DBI presence at the Sunset Community Festival on Sept. 28.
