The city of San Francisco, state of California, and federal government have enacted a variety of ordinances with regards to energy efficiency and water conservation, many of which require proof of compliance during the sales process (compliance at the point of sale).
The energy saving and water conservation disclosures you will receive are a mix of both *general disclosures* that explain the basic rules in San Francisco, as well as *property specific* documentation showing evidence of additional work or compliance at the property that you may not receive until after your escrow has begun.
Energy and Water disclosure documents take a variety of formats, but generally explain what the various laws are and who they apply to.
In general, if the property is an owner-occupied single family home or condo and is being sold by the owner (who is alive), then the property will need to comply with the point of sale conservation ordinances.
San Francisco also requires inspection by a licensed inspector for compliance with the energy and water ordinances, and issues a recorded document that provides proof of compliance with the city mandated energy and water conservation ordinances.
San Francisco wants you to save energy!
SF DBI Informational Brochure About Energy & Water Conservation
Additional details about energy and water disclosure documents, inspections, and proof of compliance.
Common Acronym: n/a
Types of Documents: Property Specific & General Information
Typically Completed By: Third Party Inspector
What the Energy And Water Disclosures & Documents Are
The disclosure documents describe the relevant compliance requirements and who is required to comply with them.
In addition, inspection documents that have been recorded by the city assessor's office will be provided to show compliance with the requirements.
Why They Exist
You will find many point of sale mandates to increase energy efficiency or achieve other broadly desirable societal goals.
As a Seller You Will
- Interact minimally with these documents.
- You may be asked to acknowledge a copy of it.
As a Buyer You Will
- Be asked to sign off that you've received, reviewed and understand the information presented in the document.
Good to Know
As of 2026, energy saving work must be done once and if it has already been done it does not need to be done again. Compliance with the water ordinance requires an inspection at every sale, regardless of how recently the last one was completed.
