I saw a crew doing work near my residence, how do I know they are permitted doing essential work?

Most utility work is considered essential are given broad discretion to make their own determination about how they proceed with their projects. Encroachment permits can be viewed by map on https://sanrafael.buildingeye.com/publicworks. Individual permits can be looked up on https://epermits.cityofsanrafael.org/ETRAKIT3/default.aspx Keep in mind that emergency work may start before the permit shows in the system.