Soft-Story Seismic Retrofit – City of Los Angeles
Milestones
The deadlines are from the Date on the Order to Comply.
2 Years
Submit retrofit plans, documentation of previous retrofit, or demolition plans
3.5 Years
Obtain building permit
7 Years
Complete construction
Overview
The City of Los Angeles adopted mandatory seismic retrofit requirements under Ordinance 183893 and Ordinance 184081. These ordinances apply to older wood-frame buildings with weak or open-front wall lines, such as structures with tuck-under parking. These buildings demonstrated poor performance in previous earthquakes, and the retrofit program aims to reduce collapse risk through cost-effective strengthening methods.
Is Your Building Subject to the Ordinance?
Is Your Building Subject to the Ordinance?
- Wood-frame construction
- Two or more stories
- Built before January 1, 1978
- Contains ground-floor open-front conditions such as parking or wide openings
Learn About the Program
Los Angeles initiated this mandatory retrofit program to reduce life-safety hazards associated with soft-story buildings. These structures contain flexible or under-reinforced ground-floor wall lines that can lead to partial or total collapse during strong seismic shaking. The ordinances require owners to strengthen these deficiencies to meet minimum seismic safety standards.
Buildings with ground-floor openings or tuck-under parking are especially vulnerable. The ordinance includes multi-story wood-frame buildings constructed prior to 1978 with soft, weak, or open-front wall lines. The structural retrofit typically focuses on strengthening the first-story wall lines to create reliable lateral load resistance.
Property owners must follow the required timeline once an Order to Comply is issued.
Step 1: Hire a licensed civil or structural engineer to prepare the retrofit plans.
Step 2: Submit retrofit plans or acceptable documentation within 2 years.
Step 3: Obtain a building permit no later than 3.5 years from the date on the Order to Comply.
Step 4: Complete retrofit construction within 7 years.
LADBS performs plan review and inspections throughout the process.
Owners must comply with all THP requirements administered by LAHD (Los Angeles Housing Department). This plan may include temporary relocation requirements, sequencing of work, and access to occupied units. Owners must comply with all THP processes outlined by the City.
- Structural calculations and retrofit drawings
- Wall-line strengthening details
- Foundation and anchorage details
- Diaphragm and collector upgrades
After permit issuance, LADBS inspects each structural component as work progresses. Final approval is granted after all inspections are complete and the retrofit meets code requirements.
Certain retrofit systems require formal structural observation by the design professional.
Observations typically occur at critical stages such as:
- Foundation preparation and anchorage
- Moment frame placement
- Shear wall installation
- Collector and diaphragm connections
The structural observation forms must be completed and submitted per LADBS requirements.
Steel special moment frames and other specialty structural systems may require a Quality Assurance Plan. This includes verification of welding procedures, material certifications, inspection protocols, and testing methods in accordance with LADBS standards.
LADBS provides guides for owners and tenants, including:
- Property Owner Retrofit Guide
- Tenant Habitability Guide
- Permitting and Inspection Process Bulletin
- Structural Observation Forms
- Quality Assurance Plans for steel frames
Soft-Story Evaluation
- Structural assessment of existing conditions
- Identification of soft, weak, or open-front deficiencies
- Determination of retrofit requirements
- Documentation of any existing retrofit conditions
Retrofit Design
- Complete structural calculations
- Shear wall and moment frame strengthening
- Cantilever column design
- Collector, diaphragm, and load-path upgrades
- Foundation anchorage improvements
- Detailed retrofit drawings ready for LADBS review
Permit Coordination
- Submittal and plan check support
- Responses to LADBS correction notices
- Tenant Habitability Plan coordination
- Structural observation reporting during construction
Construction Support
- On-site structural observations
- RFI responses
- Final inspection assistance until LADBS approval
Frequently Asked Questions
LADBS offers a searchable online database. Orders were mailed to all affected properties.
Los Angeles does not use a Screening Form like other cities. Buildings listed by LADBS are presumed to require retrofit unless an engineer proves otherwise.