Step One: Check if you're eligible

• Only the following types of organizations can apply:

  • A nonprofit organization

  • A community benefit district

  • A merchants’ association

  • An established community-based organization

• Your organization must have been in existence for a minimum of two years at the time of application submission.

• Your project must be located within the public right of way that is under Public Works’ jurisdiction.

• We recommend contacting us to check a staircase’s jurisdiction and its condition prior to submitting your application, as these factors may have significant effects on your project’s timeline.

• Prior to submitting a Love Our Neighborhoods permit application for a tiled staircase, your proposed design must be approved by the San Francisco Arts Commission. You will need your San Francisco Arts Commission resolution number and document packet in order to submit a Love Our Neighborhoods permit application.

• Check if your project can be safely placed within the desired area by reading the “General Placement Guide” on our Helpful Documents page.  Every location is different, but this will help you get started.

Step Two: Gather your documents

We will ask for:

• Your name and contact information.

• Your organization’s Employer Identification Number (EIN) or other proof your organization has existed for at least two calendar years.  Documents that can be used to prove an organization’s existence include articles of incorporation, notes from past meetings, proof of past projects or events and financial statements.

• If your project has a sponsor, your sponsoring organization’s name and contact information.

• Your San Francisco Arts Commission document packet and resolution number if your tiles constitute a mural.

• Your proposed project’s location.

• A general description of your proposed project.

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You will need to upload:​

• Your maintenance plan.

• Your construction plan and budget.

• A detailed site plan that follows these requirements:

  • Be submitted in PDF, TIF or JPG format.

  • Clearly indicate placement and dimensions of existing streets, rights of way, street trees and street structures.

  • Clearly indicate where your proposed project will be within the site and its distance from existing elements.

  • Cross section drawing/plan showing a typical section of the stair as is, proposed final measurements of the tread and riser, as well as overlay of tile application, its depth and mortaring, nose radius, etc.

  • Please include information about any materials you plan on using on this project.

    • Please indicate how the tile will be applied, its slip coefficients, its composition and size specifications.

    • If you are using a prefabricated or mass-manufactured product, much of this information will be included in the manufacturer’s specification sheet for that product. Please send in a copy of the specification sheet with your application.

  • Photos of your proposed site. Please show the site’s dimensions on the photo and label existing structures.

Step Three: Start your application

Your application will take 30 to 45 minutes to fill out.