1. INITIAL INQUIRY

Contact our office to check the availability of your desired date. Availability is limited, so be prepared with alternate dates and a clear sense of your event and its timeline. If your desired date appears open, you may place a tentative hold.

2. CHALLENGE PROCEDURE

If another party has a hold on your desired date, you may challenge their hold by submitting a completed challenge form, along with a cashier’s check or money order for the rental deposit (75% of the full rental fee).

The challenged party will then have two business days to pay the rental fee or release the challenged date.

Only one tentative hold can be challenged at a time. If your challenge is successful, your deposit is not refundable and not transferable to another date.

Please email us at cityhall.events@sfgov.org to request a challenge form. Please note that we will need both your challenge form and your deposit before we can initiate the challenge and once the procedure has been started, it can not be halted. We will contact you with the results.

3. CONTRACT

To confirm your date, submit a completed contract together with the rental deposit (75% of the full rental fee).

4. EVENT PLANNING

Prior to your event:

• Submit an event timeline, floor plan, list of vendors and proof of insurance.
• Pay the preliminary estimate of costs to cover labor, equipment, and additional fees and expenses.
• Secure needed permits, including from the San Francisco Fire Department.

5. SITE VISIT

Approximately three weeks prior to the event, your caterer and other vendors will be required to conduct a site visit with City Hall Events Office staff. Site visits are by appointment only, Monday through Friday, from 9:00 am to 4:30 pm.

6. PAY FINAL ESTIMATE

Approximately three weeks prior to your event, we will furnish a final estimate of costs to cover rent, labor and other fees. Final payment is due no less than five days before your event.