Structural & retrofit
What is a soft-story retrofit?
A soft-story retrofit reinforces a building's ground-floor structure — typically an open parking garage under apartments — to prevent collapse in an earthquake. Required in many California cities for multi-family buildings of three or more stories with open ground-floor walls.
Los Angeles' mandatory soft-story program (Ordinance 183893) requires owners to evaluate, design, and complete retrofit on identified properties. San Francisco runs a parallel program through DBI.
Typical cost ranges $80,000–$250,000 per building depending on size and complexity. Common methods include steel moment frames, plywood shear walls, and base isolation in rare premium cases.
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Related questions
- • Is my building required to do a soft-story retrofit?
- • How long does a soft-story retrofit take?
- • Who pays for a soft-story retrofit?
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