Soft-Story Seismic Retrofit

1. What is a Soft-Story or weak front building?

3. Are there financial assistance available to owners to comply with the Soft-Story Retrofit?

California Residential Mitigation Program (CRMP) was established to help California homeowners
strengthen their houses with the help of seismic retrofit grants.CRMP is also currently developing a
new earthquake retrofit grant program to support the retrofit of multifamily homes. Owners are encouraged
to visit the CRMP website and register for updates to their Earthquake Multi-Unit Retrofit: Seismic Retrofitting Program for Soft-Story Multi-Unit Housing (EMR Retrofit):
Earthquake Multi-Unit Retrofit Program (EMR) | CRMP Seismic Retrofit

 

4. What buildings will be affected by the proposed ordinance?

The buildings affected by the ordinance are multi-family residential buildings permitted under building code standards enacted prior to 1978 and have either:

1. Tuck-under parking on the first story with one or more stories above containing at three or more units, or
2. A weak front first story with two or more stories above.

 

5. Why are the buildings separated by the year 1978?

California Assembly Bill 304, passed in 2005, encourages Cities to implement a
mandatory seismic retrofit of soft story buildings constructed or permitted under building code standards enacted prior to 1978 when the Building Code changed because of the San Fernando earthquake in 1991.
 

6. How was the list of affected properties compiled and organized?

The list was compiled from permits records and a visual inspection from the street. The properties
permitted under building code standards after 1978 are not subject to this proposed ordinance.
 

7. When is the ordinance go into effect?

The ordinance is in effect on January 10th of 2025.
 

8. When will I be notified?

The Notices will be sent out via United States Postal Service certified mail and addressed to the owner
as shown on the last equalized assessment roll.

9. How long will I have to complete the work?

The Ordinance has milestones that are key for compliance. Please see below:

• Submit Screening Form by January 12, 2026
• Post the building as required in BMC Section 9-1-16-400.7.1 by January 12, 2026
• Submit Engineered Plans by January 11, 2027
• Secure Approval of Plans by January 10, 2028
• Obtain building permit and commence construction by January 10, 2029
• Complete Construction by January 10, 2030

10. Do I have to retrofit the entire building?

The extent of the construction depends on the overall structure and the engineer report, but
the ordinance requires that only the Soft-Story condition be corrected.

11. How long will the construction take?

The construction time will vary depending on the size of the building and the scope of
the required corrections. The construction could take as little as three to four weeks for
a small project and two to three months for a larger building.
 

12. Do I need an engineer?

An engineer licensed in the State of California is required to submit the assessment
report or the designed plans with accompanying calculations.

13. Where can I find a contractor?

The City cannot recommend any one contractor or engineer.
The following below are resources that can be used to search for a contractor.
Contractor State License Board:
https://cslb.ca.gov/
California Department of Consumer Affairs: How to Hire a Contractor:
https://www.cslb.ca.gov/Consumers/Hire_A_Contractor/
 

14. Where can I find a Licensed Engineer?

The Structural Engineers Association of California has a listing of licensed engineers. The
web site is https://seaosc.org/Member-Services-Search

15. What will happen if the work is not completed within the time limit?

Failure to comply with the requirements of this Ordinance by the specified deadlines will result in the recordation of the referenced subject building with the Los Angeles County Recorder, identifying the building as being subject to and in violation of the Ordinance. It shall be unlawful for any person to own, use, occupy or maintain any building or structure or portion thereof, or cause the same to be done, contrary to, or in violation of, any of the provisions of this Ordinance. Violations of this Ordinance are subject to the penalties outlined in BMC section 1-1-105, as well as additional penalties BMC 1-1-108, which includes issuance of administrative citations. The Building Official may also order that the building be vacated until the building is in compliance.