The primary purpose of earthquake retrofitting is to keep your home from being displaced from its concrete foundation — making the building safer and less prone to major structural damage during an earthquake.

Existing homes need to be retrofitted because our understanding of the effects of earthquakes as well as construction techniques have improved after the homes were built.

California has more than a 99% chance of having one or more magnitude 6.7 or larger earthquakes within the next 30 years, according to scientists.

For Northern California, the most likely source of such earthquakes is the Hayward-Rodgers Creek Fault (31% in the next 30 years). Such quakes can be deadly, as shown by the 1989 magnitude 6.9 Loma Prieta earthquake. The Loma Prieta quake caused 63 deaths, 3,757 injuries, and about $6 billion in damage.

For Southern California, within the next 30 years the probability is 60% for an earthquake measuring magnitude 6.7. The southern San Andreas fault is much closer to Los Angeles, running at its closest just 25 miles northeast of downtown through the San Gabriel Mountains, and is capable of unleashing a magnitude 8.2 quake throughout all of Southern California.

While there isn’t a standard cost for earthquake retrofitting a home, the range is usually about $3,000 to $7,000. LARGER homes, those built on hillsides, and those with basements or rooms over garages will typically cost MORE to retrofit.

Earthquake Brace + Bolt (EBB) was developed to help homeowners lessen the potential for damage to their houses during an earthquake. A residential seismic retrofit strengthens an existing older house, making it more resistant to earthquake activity such as ground shaking and soil failure. The seismic retrofit involves bolting the house to its foundation and adding bracing around the perimeter of the crawl space.

Owners of houses in program ZIP Codes with house characteristics suitable for this type of retrofit in accordance with California Existing Building Code Chapter A3 (Chapter A3) may be eligible for an incentive payment of up to $3,000 to help pay costs associated with the retrofit of their houses.

Find out about brace and bolt seismic retrofit grants to help pay for retrofits under the Earthquake Brace & Bolt Program, and the CEA Brace & Bolt program. Whether or not you participate in a grant program, if you properly retrofit your eligible house (eligibility includes having been built before 1980 and of wood frame construction), you could receive a CEA insurance premium discount of up to 25%.

Yes!

You can apply for an owner/builder permit from your local building deparment. We recommend contacting your local building department for local building code and paper work requirements.

Properly retrofitted houses are made stronger against earthquake shaking and damage. This means your house is safer, and you’ve reduced the chance of injury or even death in a devastating earthquake.

You have invested a lot of time and money into your older house. Without a seismic retrofit, the repair costs you’d face after a damaging earthquake could be very costly. Think of it this way: it’s a lot cheaper to retrofit your house now than it is to repair it after an earthquake.

If you have not seismically retrofitted your house and an earthquake damages it, it could take years to repair, and you may have to take out a loan to make repairs. Also, keep in mind that people often have to move out of their home during repairs, and rental costs typically go up in affected areas following a major disaster. That means you could be paying repair costs, rental costs, and your mortgage—all at the same time!

The average time for a complete retrofit is a week. Larger homes or homes where finish interior work is needed will take longer.

Searching for a contractor can seem difficult. Regardless if a contractors is local to your city or not, you should always look for the most reliable/explicite wording in your quote/bid you recieve from any contractor. As you read the estimates, try comparing and contrasting all the bids you have recieved. Remember, just because one bid is lower in price, does not mean your getting a deal. You get what you pay for!!!

Here is some basic information you can utilize as a guide line to make sure your getting the best bang for your buck!

During a contractors initial visit. Ask them for picture verification and additional information regarding your foundation. Remember, all contractors should be proud of the work they do and should be comfortable and knowledgeable in explaining every single detail that they proposes to do. Ask them the proposed size of the anchor bolts and the spacing that they want to use. As well as the style of anchors being installed (mechanical/epoxy/brand). Dont be afraid the get picky and ask them for the method they will use to install them.

For example, all threaded bolts that have been set with Epoxy-Set xp should be allowed to dry for a minimun of 24-48 hr based on the instructions of the manufacture. This is done in order to prevent premature cracking or create stress on the uncured epoxy. If the crawlspace and local weather have alot of moisture and humidity, the epoxy must be allowed to cure for 48 hr. If you contractors is in a time deadline and is rushing through the project. They could overlook this curing process and tighten the bolts even though the Epoxy has not cured. This can eventually cause the bolts to fail.

Thats why its important to remember, if the contractor wants your money, they should be able to earn your trust first before any payment is made.