Soft Story Retrofit Los Angeles
In search for a qualified and experienced company to take on a soft story retrofit in Los Angeles or Santa Monica? If you are ready to get a soft story retrofit, our team here at The Sterling Watson Collective is here to help you with your repair and remodel.
Los Angeles Soft Story Retrofit
The Los Angeles area is no stranger to earthquakes. In the past few decades, several earthquakes have claimed many lives and destroyed hundreds of homes and businesses. Many buildings in California still stand that were built without much regard for how they would stand up in an earthquake.
Soft-story buildings and homes are all over Los Angeles. These buildings have a lower floor with many open spaces, such as meeting open floor plans. All of those open areas are subject to causing the building to collapse if a big earthquake were to strike.
Reinforcing your home through a soft story retrofit in Los Angeles could save your family’s lives and your property.
Soft Story Retrofit
Los Angeles
Why Do You Need a Retrofit?
Earthquakes cannot be predicted. Where they strike, how strong they are, and how long they will last is something we try to understand. We know that they have occurred in this part of the country and will continue in the future.
Many people like to have an open floor plan in their homes. One large area containing a spacious kitchen with a living and dining area are common. Most new homes also include a garage that can hold two cars with a lot of storage space. These are called soft-story buildings. They have less support on the bottom level due to the extra space.
When an earthquake occurs, it will cause the building to sway from side to side. With a soft-story building, the lack of walls and supports will cause the entire first floor to cave in on itself. The floors above it will come down afterward, flattening everything below them.
In addition to the safety benefits, getting a soft story retrofit can also increase the overall value of your home!
Mandatory Retrofit Program
In November 2015, Los Angeles lawmakers created a mandatory program to have all buildings with outdated construction retrofitted. Designed to bring every building in the city up to code, it will give further protection to the infrastructure and population during future earthquakes.
From submitting plans to completing construction, the schedule to comply with the mandate was set on a rolling basis.
The plans for a retrofit or proof that it is complete was scheduled for 2 years from the mandate.
The permit to begin construction or demolishing was to be obtained within 3.5 years.
Construction on all buildings and homes was to be completed within 7 years.
Regardless of the law, only a quarter of soft-story buildings in Los Angeles have currently completed construction. Hundreds of them have either not submitted plans or haven’t begun work.
How Do You Know If You Need a Retrofit?
If your home, business, or apartment building was built between 1950 and 1980, chances are that it was identified as needing a retrofit. The city of Los Angeles spent two years analyzing all the properties in the city limits and unincorporated areas. They created a list of 13,500 buildings that were required to either be retrofitted, rebuilt, or demolished within the 7-year timeline.
A letter was sent to the owners of properties on the list, notifying them of the mandate. If you do not remember receiving a letter, or if you rent a home or apartment owned by someone else, you can check with the Los Angeles Department of Building Safety. They can tell you if your property was listed and if any steps have been completed.
What Should I Do To Retrofit My Building?
A seismic soft story retrofit of your building in Los Angeles is a long process, meaning you should start as soon as possible. The next big earthquake could come at any time, and your home or business could be at risk.
Hire an Expert
The first thing you should do is to get in touch with us to analyze your case. We can look at your building and decide how strong it is. We can lay out the plans of what needs completing and what additions you need to make to get your home up to code and protect it during an earthquake.
Give us a call to schedule a consultation with one of our experts. During the consultation, we will assess your property and provide you with a detailed report on the retrofitting requirements and the costs.
Obtain a Permit
Before we can start working on your building, you will have to get a building permit from the city of Los Angeles. You will need to submit a report to the Department of Building Safety outlining all the findings of your engineers. You will have to pay a fee and submit to an inspection if needed.
Tenant Habitability Plan
If you own an apartment building or a home you rent, part of your analysis and calculation package should include a tenant habitability plan. This means that your construction plans will ensure the safety of your tenants to remain in place or show that you have provided them with adequate accommodations to stay during construction.
A tenant habitability plan must be submitted to the city and presented to the tenants. That lets tenants know what impact the coming construction will have on their lives and allows them to appeal portions of it if needed. Again, getting this done soon will go a long way toward getting your soft retrofit in Los Angeles completed quickly.
Contract the Work
Once you have plans in place and a permit to work, we can begin our work for your retrofit. New steel beams will be installed to replace the wooden beams in place in most soft-story buildings. The frame of your building will be strengthened, creating a strong foundation to hold up to some of the strongest earthquakes.
In Need of a Soft Story Retrofit in Los Angeles?
Soft story retrofitting is a crucial aspect of protecting your property and loved ones from seismic activity. The Sterling Watson Collective provides comprehensive soft story retrofitting services, tailored to the unique needs of your property. Our team of experts are dedicated to ensuring the safety and structural integrity of your home or building.
If you live in Los Angeles, a soft story retrofit could save your life one day. You do not want to put the lives of you, your family, tenants, or employees in the hands of someone without the skills to handle the job. You need to find the best there is to do your inspections and help come up with a detailed seismic retrofit plan.
Here at The Sterling-Watson Collective, we are a professional engineering and property development firm that believes in providing you with the best cost-effective designs for your property’s needs. A seismic retrofit is not to be taken lightly, and we have the expertise and experience to help you achieve your goals.
If you are in need of soft story retrofitting services, contact our team today to schedule a consultation and protect your property.
FAQs
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Foundation retrofitting is a common method for seismically retrofitting older homes. This entails fortifying the home's foundation to better withstand seismic pressures. This may include adding concrete or steel to existing foundations, strengthening or replacing existing foundations, and installing piers or grade beams for added support.
Adding reinforcing components to the frame and structure of the house, such as shear walls, steel or plywood to existing walls, and strengthening or replacing joists and beams, is another frequent method for seismically retrofitting an older home.
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In certain circumstances, retrofitting may be tax deductible. The particular laws and conditions for tax deductions related to retrofitting might vary based on the kind of retrofitting being done and the location of the property.
In general, retrofitting that is done to increase the energy efficiency of a home, such as installing insulation or replacing windows, may be eligible for tax credits or deductions via federal or state programs.
Retrofitting that is done to enhance the safety and structural integrity of a property, such as seismic retrofitting, may also be eligible for tax benefits in certain situations. However, it's vital to speak with a tax specialist or the Internal Revenue Service for more detailed information.
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The City of Los Angeles has established a mandatory seismic retrofit policy requiring owners of soft-story buildings to modify their structures. The law applies to wood-frame structures with at least three stories and five or more residential units that were constructed before to 1978 and contain one or more of the following characteristics:
A parking lot on the ground level.
Large openings on the ground floor (such as storefront windows)
Lack of structural walls on the ground level.
The building owner is responsible for determining whether the structure complies with the legislation and, if not, submitting an application for a retrofit inspection within the city's specified time limit.
Browse Our Wide Range of Services
In addition to offering soft story retrofitting in Los Angeles, our team of qualified and experienced contractors cover a wide range of engineering services. Our goal is to deliver a cost-effective and successful project that you can enjoy for generations. Our range of services include:
Arborist
Drafter
Electrician
Electrical Engineering
Expediter
Framing
Laborers
Landscaping
Landscape Contractor and Design
Mechanical Engineering
Plumbing
Surveyor
I recently had the pleasure of working with team at The Sterling Watson Collective for a soft story retrofitting project on my building in Los Angeles. Their team was professional, knowledgeable, and a pleasure to work with throughout the entire process. They exceeded my expectations with their attention to detail, communication and commitment to quality. The process of retrofitting can be stressful, but they made it as seamless and painless as possible!
Our team is ready to help you with soft story retrofit in Los Angeles.