Point your camera at any building, storefront or posted notice, or tap the map. Get a plain-language answer from the city’s public records, with dates and sources.
No permits, parcels or city departments to learn. Three steps from “huh?” to an answer you can trust.
Snap one photo of a building, storefront or posted notice. Or tap any spot on the map, even an unmarked building.
No account neededYour location narrows nearby addresses. You pick the one you meant, even if you’re standing across the street.
You choose, never a guessA short headline, the documented stage, what’s still unknown, and a dated link to every record behind it.
Sources one tap awayEvery place gets one clear sentence and the stage it’s actually at. The administrative detail waits one tap below.
GPS knows where you’re standing, not what you’re looking at. So CivicChange shows nearby addresses with distances and lets you choose.
Every answer names its most important unknown and keeps the original statuses and dates one tap away.
The shop on your commute, the construction site near a friend’s place, the corner that’s been empty for months. Keep them in one list and check back anytime.
An application, a permit and a finished project are different events, and the wording on every card reflects that.
| When the record shows… | Stage | CivicChange says |
|---|---|---|
| A filed application | Plans submitted | “An application proposes…” |
| An issued building permit | Permit issued | “A permit has been issued for…”, not “work is happening now” |
| A permit marked complete | Permit marked complete | Covers that permit only, not every change at the property |
| No opening date in the records | Any stage | “No opening date is listed in the records we found.” |
| Nothing recent on file | No recent project found | “That does not mean nothing is planned.” |
Official San Francisco open data, queried live for just the place you picked.
i98e-djp9qvu5-m3a2ramy-di5mYour photo only helps you pick a place. It isn’t uploaded or stored.
No. CivicChange explains San Francisco’s public records in plain language and links you to the originals on DataSF and SF Planning. It isn’t affiliated with the City and County of San Francisco.
San Francisco, for now. Outside the city you can still search a San Francisco address or explore the map.
No. You can get answers and save places on your phone right away. An account syncs your saved places across devices.
Not by itself. The photo plus your approximate location bring up nearby addresses, and you confirm which one you meant. That keeps answers accurate even when you’re across the street.
Not yet. Saving a place keeps it in your list to check back on. We’ll only promise alerts once they actually work.
CivicChange is coming to iPhone, starting in San Francisco.