Everyone looking to replace their windows in San Francisco just got a dose of good news this week, thanks to the long-awaited debut of revised rules from the city Planning Department.
The changes come after more than a decade of gripes about SF’s onerous policy on window replacement, which required a lengthy and often expensive application process. In many cases, homeowners found themselves stuck in a byzantine bureaucracy, wondering how the heck it was so hard to fix a drafty, too-old window.
The crux was the city’s desire to preserve the historic character of its neighborhoods, primarily with regard to front-facing windows on a facade.
The older guidelines, last updated in 2010, make it clear that in most replacement cases, a wooden-frame window is required; it notes that these frames have ornamentation that is missing from vinyl or metal windows, even going so far as to assert the need for very specific details, such as “Ogee lugs.”
“Particularly with older buildings, alternate materials usually stand out visually, and rarely match the character of the neighborhood,” the previous document stated. “They always look like what they are: plastic or aluminum — materials that are not architecturally compatible with the building.”
There is no such wording in the new guidelines, Instead, it designates three categories of homes: Type “A,” which covers city landmarks and properties that are “historic resources”; Type “B,” or older homes that could potentially be historic; and Type “C,” or newer homes that are ineligible for historic designations.
Under the new regulations, only “A” properties will be subject to a complete review by the Planning Department. People replacing windows on “B” and “C” homes, meanwhile, will be able to use whatever materials they want, except in some unique cases involving ornamentation on “B” windows.
These replacements just require people to submit an application for an “Over-the-Counter” permit, which can be obtained on the same day, said Planning Department spokesperson Anne Yalon.
“This new legislation is an important step toward making the permitting process more user-friendly, cost-effective, and adaptable,” Yalon told Gazetteer SF in an email. “By allowing greater flexibility in window replacement, we’re making it easier for residents to pursue sustainable improvements while continuing to protect the distinctive character of our neighborhoods.”
Old windows that have cracked frames, gaps, and vintage single-pane glass can waste energy by letting cooled or heated air escape and providing poor insulation. Some architectural experts, and the city’s 2010 guidelines, suggest that repairing windows is a preferred alternative in some cases.
For the majority of people considering a simple window fix, however, a replacement is a much more streamlined option — and now, it's more simple in SF than ever.
