US Custom House- San Francisco

Building Information

Property Manager: Rachel Kwan

Public Hours: 7 a.m.– 4 p.m. Monday through Friday (except federal holidays)

For more building information or service calls, see contact information at top right (or by scrolling down on mobile devices). For other federal government information, call 800-FED-INFO.

Parking and Public Transportation

There is no parking available in the building for the general public. Metered street parking is nearby. Commercial parking lots are within walking distance to the building. Public transportation is available via BART and Muni. The nearest taxi stand is two blocks away on Clay Street at the Le Meridien Hotel.

Public Access

All public visitors and contractors are required to pass through electronic security equipment. ADA access is available at the rear entrance to the building.

Key Tenants

Major tenants are U.S. Customs and Border Protection and SSA's Office of Disability Adjudication and Review.

Additional information for tenants >

Building Services

There is a snack bar open to the public on the first floor of the U.S. Appraisers Building at 630 Sansome Street.

Public Art

Two large murals, Building the Panama Canal and Allegory of San Francisco, are incorporated into the curved end walls. Created by Abraham Lincoln Cooper in 1915, these paintings were restored in 1997.

History and Architecture

The first U.S. Congress established the U.S. Customs Service in 1789 to collect duties and taxes on imported goods, control carriers of imports and exports, and combat smuggling and revenue fraud. Until the federal income tax was created in 1913, customs funded virtually the entire government.

An earlier, more modest custom house, located on Battery Street between Jackson and Montgomery Streets, was demolished to make way for the present building. Ground was broken for the new custom house on January 28, 1906. Three months later, a devastating earthquake and subsequent fire decimated San Francisco. Because much of the city was being rebuilt simultaneously, there were severe labor and material shortages. As a result, construction of the custom house was not completed until 1911.

The U.S. Custom House is an excellent example of the Beaux Arts Classicism style of architecture, which is characterized by classical yet exuberant details. Many important federal buildings were designed in this style during the late nineteenth century and early twentieth century.

The U.S. Custom House was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1975. After the 1989 Loma Prieta earthquake, seismic and other upgrades were made from 1993 to 1997.

Read more history and architecture >

Occupant Information

Access & Hours of Operation

The building is fully operational (lighting and HVAC services) from 7 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Friday excluding federal holidays. Tenants may access the building 24 hours a day/7 days a week including federal holidays. A key card will be required for access at all times.

Key cards are available for tenant agency employees for all-hours access. All requests for key cards must be submitted through the tenant agency’s management to the GSA Property Manager for approval. Requests will then be given to our service desk receptionist to process. Our office is located in the U.S. Appraisers Building at 630 Sansome Street on the 10th floor in Room 1063. Our number is 415-844-5000.

Security

Contract guard service is in place to protect the property and the tenants. Your help is needed; cooperation and awareness will help them do their job. Guards are on duty 24 hours a day Monday through Friday (excluding holidays) and 24 hours a day except from 5 to 6 p.m. Saturday and Sunday. For all emergency or security concerns, or if no guard is available please call FPS Denver Mega Center at 877-437-7411.

Joint Use/Shared Services

Standard services are commonly included as part of the rent charged by GSA as documented in the Occupancy Agreement. Reimbursable services are normally excluded from the rent and are funded through a Reimbursable Work Authorization (RWA). Examples include after-hours lighting, special or after-hours cleaning, office space carpet cleaning, uninterruptible power services, and non-standard trash removal.

Conference Rooms: Located on the 10th floor at 630 Sansome Street there are three joint-use conference rooms available for tenant use. Suite 1050 seats approximately 35 and has full video projection available for reservation/use. Suites 1042 and 1044 are executive meeting rooms that seat up to 15 comfortably. A demising wall between the suites can be separated to open both rooms to a larger room that seats approximately 20-30. A projector and other audiovisual equipment are available for reservation/use.

Conference rooms are available for building tenants from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday excluding federal holidays on a first-come, first-served reservation basis at no cost. Use of rooms outside this time frame are possible through special arrangements with the GSA Property Manager and payment of overtime utility and security costs.

For reservations, please call the GSA Property Management Office at 415-844-5000.

Building Operations

Maintenance & Service Requests: Please contact the GSA main line at 415-844-5000 during the hours of 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday, excluding holidays, for janitorial, HVAC, elevator, lighting, or any other service provided by GSA in our building. A mechanic is on duty from 7:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday.

Custodial Services: GSA provides cleaning for assigned space equal to commercial cleaning for similar space. The following services are standard: vacuuming, sweeping and dusting; emptying trash; servicing restrooms, lobbies, corridors, and other common areas; servicing loading docks and platforms; and pest control. Carpet spot removal can be done on an as-needed basis. Overall shampooing is done as a reimbursable service and should take place on a regular basis to preserve the appearance and condition of the carpet.

Lighting/HVAC: Ten hours of steam heat, ventilation, and lighting are provided at no additional cost during normal duty hours. Heating outside this timeframe is available on a reimbursable basis with advanced notice to the GSA Property Management Office at 415-844-5000.

Utility Closets: Tenant and tenant vendor access to electrical and telephone closets can be obtained by contacting the operations and maintenance contractor at 415-844-5000. Please do not install equipment in these closets without first contacting the GSA Property Management Office.

Tenant Controlled Space Alteration: Space alterations should not be performed without first contacting the GSA Property Manager. GSA can provide alteration solutions to meet your needs. Alteration projects are normally funded through a Reimbursable Work Authorization (RWA). Also, it is building policy that work that might disrupt building tenants (e.g. paint fumes, construction noise, etc.) be accomplished after standard building operating hours.

Under the conditions above, if you are authorized to perform alterations within your space, you must adhere to all building-specific regulations with respect to contractor access, clearance procedures, and all other conditions governing general access and security controls relative to this building.

For any questions, please call the Property Manager 415-844-5000.

Miscellaneous Topics

Occupant Emergency Plan: As the lead tenant in this building, U.S. Customs and Border Protection is responsible for creating and updating the Occupant Emergency Plan. Please take time to become familiar with it, and participate in Building Security Committee meetings.

Displays: Please do not post or display any material outside tenant space or on public hallway walls, doors and restrooms without first contacting the Property Manager at 415-844-5000. Displays must be posted on easels, but again, please contact the GSA Property Manager prior to taking action.

Personal Property: Please do not put surplus items in building common space (i.e., corridors, elevators, loading dock, etc.). Doing so may impede egress should the building need to be evacuated. GSA will be glad to advise you about excessing surplus property.

Recycling: Tenants are encouraged to take advantage of the building-wide recycling program, which includes paper, glass bottles and jars, metal cans, plastic containers and cardboard. Any questions regarding recycling, please call the GSA Property Manager at 415-844-5000.

GSA is undertook an environmental assessment about potential repairs and alterations at the US Appraiser’s Building and the US Customs House in downtown San Francisco.

• Final Environmental Assessment (August 2020) [PDF - 3 MB]
• Draft Environmental Assessment [PDF - 9 MB]