Soft Story Retrofitting Los Angeles

Strengthen Your Building, Secure Your Investment

Los Angeles is one of the most seismically active cities in the world, making earthquake preparedness a top priority for property owners. Soft story buildings—those with weak or open ground floors—are particularly vulnerable to seismic activity, putting residents, tenants, and investments at serious risk. The City of Los Angeles has mandated retrofitting for these structures to enhance public safety and prevent catastrophic building failures.

At Alpha Structural, we specialize in comprehensive soft story retrofitting, offering tailored solutions that meet compliance requirements while ensuring long-term structural stability. With decades of experience in seismic retrofitting and foundation repair, we provide property owners with expert guidance, cost-effective engineering, and seamless execution from start to finish. If your building falls under the city’s retrofitting ordinance, now is the time to take action. Strengthen your property before the next earthquake strikes.

What are Soft Story Buildings? A soft story building is a multi-story structure built with a first floor that is much less rigid (soft) than the floors above, such as in an apartment with tuck under parking. They can and have failed in significant seismic activity due to unreinforced openings on the ground floor which caused far more movement than the soft story building could withstand, resulting in the upper floors COLLAPSING on top of it. The Los Angeles Soft-Story Retrofit Program has begun to help prevent this from occurring in the future.

There are an estimated 13,500 soft story structures in Los Angeles alone that have been identified to be in need of a retrofit. Retrofitting soft story buildings has now become mandatory by the City of Los Angeles as of November 22, 2015.

Soft Story Retrofitting Isn't Just Recommended, It’s the Law

In November of 2015, the City of Los Angeles signed into law, the Mandatory Retrofit Program under Ordinance 183893, requiring the retrofitting of wood-frame apartment buildings to better withstand a major earthquake. Structures that are in danger of being catastrophically damaged in the event of an earthquake are to be upgraded within a finite amount of time. This includes soft story retrofitting in Los Angeles county buildings. Los Angeles now has the nation's toughest earthquake safety rules.

From the Los Angeles Times:
“Under the law, property owners will have seven years to fix wood apartments and 25 years to fix concrete buildings. The city has already identified about 13,500 apartment complexes that officials suspect need repairs. A Times investigation in 2013 found more than 1,000 older concrete structures — including landmark buildings in downtown, Hollywood and Westwood — that require close scrutiny for retrofitting.”

Many more cities in the region are following suit and mandating the same soft story retrofit Los Angeles has signed into law. This is in an effort to avoid devastation and to safeguard residents from harm that has been caused by large earthquakes such as the Northridge quake in 1994.

Why Is Soft Story Retrofitting Mandatory in Los Angeles?

In response to the seismic risks posed by soft story structures Los Angeles enacted mandatory retrofitting laws to ensure the safety of residents and property owners. The goal of this initiative is to reinforce vulnerable structures to withstand earthquakes, reducing the likelihood of catastrophic failures. Property owners must comply with these regulations to avoid penalties and protect their buildings from severe damage.

How Does This Soft Story Retrofit Law Affect You?

It is no longer an argument as to whether or not an earthquake of significant magnitude is going to strike Southern California - it’s now just a wait to find out WHEN. The longer your building doesn’t get its soft story retrofit in Los Angeles, the more likely something disastrous could occur.

There is no doubt that an unreinforced building could collapse, causing irrevocable damage to the structure - and those who reside in it. But did you know that you could be held liable for these catastrophes? There are multiple instances of property and bodily damage stemming from an earthquake resulting in the property owner getting sued for seven-digit figures.

Getting your building the soft story retrofitting Los Angeles structures need is not only a great idea which could save lives, your building and a costly lawsuit, but did you know that it could also lower your insurance premium? Not only that, there are grants, tax breaks and financial aid that you can apply for to assist you to safeguard your building. Not to mention that you could have your tenants help you pay for these repairs - up to 50%!

Benefits of Soft Story Retrofitting for Property Owners

• Enhanced Safety: Strengthens the structural integrity of buildings, protecting residents and tenants.
• Legal Compliance: Ensures adherence to local ordinances, preventing fines and legal action.
• Insurance Savings: Many insurance providers offer reduced premiums for retrofitted buildings.
• Financial Assistance: Property owners may qualify for grants, tax credits, and cost-sharing programs.
• Increased Property Value: Buildings that meet modern seismic standards are more attractive to buyers and tenants.

The Soft Story Retrofitting Process

1. Initial Inspection: A structural engineer evaluates the building’s vulnerabilities.
2. Engineering & Design: Custom retrofitting solutions are developed based on the building’s needs.
3. Permitting: Necessary permits are acquired to comply with city regulations.
4. Construction: Reinforcements such as steel frames and shear walls are installed.
5. Final Inspection & Approval: A city inspection confirms compliance with seismic retrofitting standards.

Common Soft Story Retrofitting Techniques

• Steel Moment Frames: A rigid frame designed to resist seismic forces while maintaining the building’s functionality.
• Plywood Shear Walls: Reinforce existing walls to distribute lateral forces more effectively.
• Cantilevered Column Systems: Provide additional support without compromising open space.
• Bolting & Anchoring: Strengthen connections between the foundation and the structure.

Los Angeles Soft Story Property List: Is Your Building Affected?

The City of Los Angeles has identified thousands of buildings that require mandatory retrofitting. Property owners can check the Los Angeles Soft Story Retrofit Property List using the city’s online interactive map to determine whether their building is affected. Early compliance helps avoid penalties and ensures timely retrofitting.

Financial Assistance for Soft Story Retrofitting in Los Angeles

Several programs are available to assist property owners with the costs of seismic retrofitting:

• Earthquake Brace + Bolt Program: Offers grants to qualifying homeowners.
• Seismic Retrofit Work Cost Recovery Program: Allows landlords to pass up to 50% of retrofitting costs to tenants.
• Tax Incentives & Rebates: Certain retrofitting expenses may qualify for tax deductions.

Alpha Structural can guide property owners through the financial assistance process to minimize out-of-pocket costs.

The Cost of Non-Compliance with Soft Story Retrofitting Laws

Failing to comply with Los Angeles retrofitting laws can result in:

• Severe Structural Damage: Buildings that remain unreinforced are at a higher risk of collapse.
• Legal & Financial Liabilities: Property owners may face lawsuits if tenants or occupants are injured.
• Fines & Penalties: The city may impose fines for non-compliance.

Loss of Insurance Coverage: Some insurers may refuse coverage for non-retrofitted buildings.

Los Angeles Soft Story Retrofitting – Building Search

Use the interactive map below to find out if your building is on the Los Angeles Soft Story Property List. This list is preliminary and some of these buildings, upon a detailed inspection, will not need earthquake retrofitting.

Why Alpha Structural For Soft Story Retrofitting?

Alpha Structural, Inc. is a leader in the field of soft story retrofitting. In fact, many consider them among the best companies at soft story retrofitting Los Angeles has to offer. Bringing your building up to par with today’s strict building codes is one of Alpha Structural’s many specialties.

Alpha Structural will carefully inspect the building to isolate the most practical and cost efficient solution. Utilizing our decades of foundation repair and seismic retrofitting experience we are able to design and engineer in a way to save on construction costs. Each building must be evaluated individually.

Common solutions utilized are steel moment frames and plywood shear walls (strengthening existing walls). This adds the proper support the soft story structure will need against seismic activity. As each property is unique, all soft story retrofitting in Los Angeles must be customized for each individual property. Alpha Structural will design, engineer, acquire the permitting needed and retrofit the structure, all in-house.

Our team is highly-qualified and has extensive experience with complex soft story retrofitting in Los Angeles. Call us today at (323) 258-5482 to schedule an inspection!

Schedule Your Soft Story Retrofit Inspection Today

Protect your investment and comply with Los Angeles seismic safety laws. Alpha Structural offers expert inspections, custom retrofitting solutions, and full-service project management.

Call Alpha Structural today at (323) 300-2195 or visit our website to schedule an inspection.

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