California Coverage · San Francisco
San Francisco base maps & site data for designers
The existing-conditions base map and pre-design site analysis that normally takes a half-day across county GIS portals and hand-tracing into CAD — for any San Francisco address, courtyard to hillside, in about a minute.
What Lekua resolves in San Francisco
Every layer below is pulled live from San Francisco’s own GIS and authoritative state sources the moment you enter an address — no manual tracing, no generic insets, every source cited.
Parcel boundary with block/lot, address, and lot area from the city’s own DataSF open-data service.
Fine 1–2 ft contours generated on-demand from the 1-meter USGS 3DEP elevation model — real relief on a city famous for it, from Noe’s slopes to Twin Peaks.
The city’s own building footprint dataset from DataSF, gap-filled with FEMA national structures — dense-lot accuracy where buildings nearly touch.
DataSF publishes per-building LiDAR height statistics; the median is used rather than the maximum, so an antenna or a chimney spike doesn’t become the roof. Where a record carries no height, the structure is labeled as having none rather than drawn at a confident wrong number.
CAL FIRE FHSZ severity checked for the parcel (the 2024–25 remap designated zones in parts of the city), with defensible-space perimeters drawn where the parcel sits in one.
USDA SSURGO soil profile, historical rainfall, and modeled seasonal sun-hour heat maps for the parcel.
California natives matched to the site’s soil and microclimate — including fog-belt vs. sun-belt microclimate differences the city is famous for — plus SFPUC conservation programs.
Fire risk, checked rather than assumed
Most San Francisco parcels sit outside mapped fire-hazard severity zones — but the 2024–25 CAL FIRE remap designated zones in parts of the city for the first time. Lekua checks the parcel rather than assuming either way, and draws defensible-space perimeters only where they apply.
- Parcel-level FHSZ check against the current CAL FIRE 2024–25 maps.
- Zone 0 / 1 / 2 perimeters drawn only where the parcel is in a designated zone.
- Every recommended plant still carries its flammability data, useful for any client near open space.
Zoning setbacks, by jurisdiction
Setbacks in San Franciscoare set per town, not countywide. Lekua resolves the parcel’s jurisdiction and zone code and encodes each jurisdiction’s adopted setback table, citation and all. Setback rings are drawn only after a table passes independent panel review — until then the export carries the code-cited values with an explicit “unverified” advisory instead of lines we can’t stand behind.
A native palette, enriched beyond the plant list
Start from the Calscape native plant database — then get the research-backed traits Calscape alone doesn’t put at your fingertips, matched to the parcel’s exact soil, sun, rainfall, and microclimate. Hand a client a list that’s code-compliant, climate-appropriate, and built to perform.
Flammability and defensible-space zone suitability from Las Pilitas burn-time research and UCANR / CAL FIRE-aligned fire-safe lists — not just a name on a list.
Slow / moderate / fast growth plus mature height and spread, so spacing and time-to-fill are realistic from day one.
Calscape cultivation and longevity guidance, so the palette reads for how it performs over 10–20 years, not just at install.
WUCOLS-aligned water-use ratings (for the MWELO budget) and pollinator / bird support scores on every species.
Plant data: Calscape / CNPS, enriched with Las Pilitas burn-time research, UCANR & CAL FIRE-aligned fire-safe lists, and WUCOLS water-use ratings.
Water districts & rebates
Lawn-replacement rebate estimates are matched to the serving district: San Francisco Public Utilities Commission (SFPUC).
San Francisco base map FAQ
Can I get a CAD base map for a San Francisco parcel?
Yes. Enter any San Francisco address and export a layered DXF (AutoCAD-compatible) with parcel lines, the city’s own building footprints, on-demand 1–2 ft contours, and spot elevations — plus a designed PDF site report for the client.
What contour interval is available in San Francisco?
Lekua generates fine 1–2 ft contours on-demand from the 1-meter USGS 3DEP elevation model. On San Francisco’s grades that resolution is the difference between a base plan you can design on and a flat rectangle.
Does it include San Francisco Planning Code setbacks?
Not yet. San Francisco’s front setbacks are largely block-face averaged under the Planning Code rather than fixed tables, so the export labels zoning honestly instead of drawing lines it can’t verify. Encoded setback support follows the same review-gated process as other counties.
Does it capture the city’s microclimates?
The plant palette is matched to the parcel’s soil, rainfall, and modeled sun — which in San Francisco varies sharply between the fog belt and the sunnier eastern neighborhoods — so the species list reflects the site’s actual conditions, not a citywide average.
Are the building heights on a San Francisco base map measured or assumed?
Measured, wherever the county record carries one. DataSF publishes per-building LiDAR height statistics; the median is used rather than the maximum, so an antenna or a chimney spike doesn’t become the roof. A structure whose record has no height is labeled as having none — the sheet prints an explicit no-data note instead of a plausible number, because a wrong ridge height is worse on a shade study than an admitted gap.
Is the data current and reliable enough for submittals?
Layers are pulled live from county GIS, USGS, and CAL FIRE at export time, and any encoded setback table cites its source with a date. Everything is labeled “for planning reference — not for construction.” Verify against the current code and a stamped survey before submittal.
Start with a San Francisco address
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