Soft-Story Building Retrofits: LA's Mandatory Compliance Deadlines

Earthquake Damage Resource Staff 7 min read Earthquake Damage

Soft-Story Building Retrofits: LA’s Mandatory Compliance Deadlines

Los Angeles has some of the most ambitious seismic safety regulations in the United States. Among the most significant is the city’s mandatory retrofit ordinance targeting soft-story buildings. If you own or manage a soft-story building in LA, understanding this ordinance, its deadlines, and its requirements is not optional. It is the law.

This article explains what soft-story buildings are, why they are dangerous, what the city requires, and how property owners can navigate the retrofit process.

What Is a Soft-Story Building?

A soft-story building is a multi-story structure in which one or more floors, almost always the ground floor, is significantly weaker or more flexible than the floors above it. The most common example in Los Angeles is an apartment building with tuck-under parking on the ground level. The large openings required for vehicle access create a floor that lacks adequate shear walls or bracing to resist lateral earthquake forces.

During an earthquake, the weak ground floor absorbs a disproportionate share of the lateral deformation. If the forces exceed the floor’s capacity, the ground level can collapse, pancaking the upper floors down onto it. This failure mode was responsible for some of the most devastating building collapses during the 1994 Northridge earthquake, including the Northridge Meadows apartment complex where 16 people died.

The LA Soft-Story Ordinance: Ordinance 183893

In 2015, the City of Los Angeles enacted Ordinance 183893, which mandates seismic retrofitting of vulnerable soft-story wood-frame buildings. The ordinance was part of Mayor Eric Garcetti’s Resilience by Design initiative, developed with input from seismologists, structural engineers, and emergency management professionals.

Buildings covered by the ordinance:

  • Wood-frame buildings with two or more stories
  • Three or more dwelling units
  • Building permits obtained before January 1, 1978
  • A soft, weak, or open-front condition on the ground floor

The city identified approximately 13,500 buildings that fall under this ordinance, housing an estimated 118,000 dwelling units. These buildings represent one of the single largest concentrations of seismic risk in the United States.

Compliance Deadlines and Timeline

The ordinance established a phased compliance timeline with specific deadlines for each stage.

Phase 1 — Notice of compliance required: Building owners receive an Order to Comply from the Los Angeles Department of Building and Safety. The owner has two years from the date of the order to submit structural retrofit plans.

Phase 2 — Permit application: Within 3.5 years of the notice, owners must obtain a building permit for the retrofit work.

Phase 3 — Construction completion: Within 7 years of the original notice, all retrofit construction must be completed and receive final inspection approval.

Many of the original deadlines from the 2015 ordinance have now arrived or passed. Building owners who have not yet begun the compliance process face increasing urgency and potential enforcement actions.

Consequences of non-compliance:

  • The city may impose fines and penalties on non-compliant building owners
  • Buildings may be posted with notices informing tenants and the public of the non-compliant seismic status
  • Non-compliance may affect the ability to sell, refinance, or insure the property
  • In the event of an earthquake, non-compliant building owners may face heightened legal liability for injuries and damages

Engineering Requirements for Soft-Story Retrofits

The ordinance requires that retrofit designs be prepared by a licensed California structural engineer or architect and meet the standards set forth in the Los Angeles Building Code.

Common retrofit solutions for soft-story buildings include:

Steel Moment Frames

Steel moment frames are rigid steel frames installed within the ground-floor openings. They provide lateral resistance through the bending strength of the steel beams and columns and their connections. Moment frames are often the preferred solution because they maintain open parking and access areas while providing the necessary seismic strength.

Plywood Shear Walls

Structural plywood panels are installed on wood-framed walls to create shear walls that resist lateral forces. This approach is effective but requires solid wall surfaces, which may reduce parking capacity or alter the ground-floor layout.

Steel Braced Frames

Diagonal steel braces installed within a steel frame provide lateral resistance through the axial strength of the brace members. Braced frames are compact and strong but create visual and physical obstructions within the frame opening.

Cantilever Columns

In some configurations, reinforced steel columns extending from the foundation through the ground floor can provide lateral resistance. This approach works well when combined with other retrofit methods.

The choice of retrofit system depends on the building’s specific configuration, the available space for retrofit elements, architectural constraints, and cost considerations. A qualified structural engineer evaluates these factors and designs the most appropriate solution.

What Building Owners Should Do Now

If you own a soft-story building in Los Angeles and have not yet completed the retrofit process, take the following steps immediately.

1. Determine your compliance status. Contact the Los Angeles Department of Building and Safety or check the city’s online database to determine whether your building has been identified under the ordinance and what deadlines apply.

2. Engage a structural engineer. Hire a licensed structural engineer with specific experience in soft-story retrofit design. The engineer will evaluate your building, develop retrofit plans, and prepare the structural calculations required for permit submittal. Working with seismic retrofit specialists in Southern California can streamline the evaluation and design process.

3. Obtain permits. Submit your retrofit plans to the Department of Building and Safety for plan review. Be prepared for the plan check process to take several weeks to several months, depending on the complexity of the project and the department’s workload.

4. Hire a qualified contractor. Select a licensed general contractor or specialty contractor with proven experience in soft-story retrofit construction. Verify their license, insurance, and references.

5. Complete construction and obtain final inspection. Once construction is finished, schedule a final inspection with the city to confirm that the work was performed in accordance with the approved plans.

6. File proof of compliance. Ensure that your compliance is properly recorded with the city to avoid future enforcement actions.

Cost Considerations

Soft-story retrofit costs for apartment buildings in Los Angeles typically range from $60,000 to $200,000 or more, depending on the size of the building, the number of retrofit frames or walls required, site access conditions, and the complexity of the structural design.

Factors that affect cost:

  • Number of stories and dwelling units
  • Size and number of ground-floor openings
  • Soil conditions and foundation type
  • Need for foundation modifications
  • Architectural finishes that must be removed and restored
  • Relocation of utilities, plumbing, or electrical systems

Financing and cost recovery:

  • Building owners may pass through a portion of retrofit costs to tenants under the provisions of the Los Angeles Rent Stabilization Ordinance, subject to limitations and approval by the Housing Department.
  • Some owners finance retrofit projects through construction loans, commercial lines of credit, or SBA loans.
  • The long-term value proposition includes reduced earthquake risk, improved property value, lower insurance premiums, and protection from legal liability.

The Broader Context: Seismic Safety in Los Angeles

The soft-story retrofit ordinance is part of a broader effort to reduce earthquake risk across Los Angeles. The city has also enacted mandatory retrofit requirements for non-ductile concrete buildings, another category of structures that pose significant collapse risk in earthquakes.

Together, these ordinances represent a recognition that seismic safety requires proactive investment. The cost of retrofitting is a fraction of the cost of collapse, both in economic terms and in human lives.

Southern California’s seismic hazard is not theoretical. The region experiences thousands of small earthquakes every year, and seismologists estimate a significant probability of a magnitude 7.0 or greater earthquake on the southern San Andreas Fault within the coming decades.

Take Compliance Seriously

Soft-story building retrofits are not a suggestion. They are a legal requirement in Los Angeles with real deadlines and real consequences for non-compliance. Building owners who act now protect their tenants, their investment, and their community.

If you have questions about your building’s compliance status or need guidance on the retrofit process, consult with a licensed structural engineer and the Los Angeles Department of Building and Safety. The time to act is now.