Mandatory soft-story retrofit is not one statewide law. Each city adopts its own ordinance, its own building criteria, and its own compliance timeline. Here is where the major Southern California programs stand. When your city issues an order to comply, the clock starts, so it is worth knowing your position now.
Los Angeles
Under Ordinance 183893, the Los Angeles Department of Building and Safety requires retrofit of wood-frame soft-story buildings of two or more stories permitted before 1978. From the order to comply, owners have 2 years for plans, 3.5 years for permits, and 7 years to finish. See Los Angeles soft-story retrofit.
Santa Monica
Santa Monica's mandatory program, under Municipal Code Chapter 8.72 adopted in 2017, covers roughly 1,700 buildings. Most completion deadlines fell in 2025, so many buildings are now at or past their date. See Santa Monica soft-story retrofit.
Beverly Hills
Beverly Hills adopted Ordinance 18-O-2767, effective in 2019. All compliance tiers have now passed, with the final construction deadline in July 2023, so any un-retrofitted building is past due. See Beverly Hills soft-story retrofit.
West Hollywood
West Hollywood's Soft, Weak or Open-Front (SWOF) program gives owners five years from their notice to complete. See West Hollywood soft-story retrofit.
Culver City
Culver City adopted its SWOF ordinance in 2021 and began notices in 2023, on a five-year path to completion. See Culver City soft-story retrofit.
Pasadena
Pasadena's Ordinance 7345 covers buildings built before late 1976, with up to four years for plans and permits and seven years to complete. See Pasadena soft-story retrofit.
Burbank
Burbank is the newest: a mandatory ordinance took effect January 10, 2025, replacing the city's old voluntary program. See Burbank soft-story retrofit.
What will it cost?
Costs are driven by the engineering, chiefly how many frames and columns your building needs. See our soft-story retrofit cost guide for typical ranges and how tenant cost-sharing can cover up to half.