Seismic Retrofit · Culver City
Soft-Story Seismic Retrofit in Culver City
Cal Retrofit brings Culver City soft-story buildings into compliance with the city's mandatory retrofit program, from engineering through final certification.
The requirement
Retrofit is required in Culver City.
Culver City SWOF Retrofit Program (Ordinance 2021-013)
Culver City adopted Ordinance 2021-013, its mandatory soft, weak, or open-front (SWOF) retrofit program, on September 27, 2021, and began sending owner notices in October 2023. It requires owners of qualifying wood-frame buildings to strengthen the weak ground-floor story.
Cal Retrofit manages the full Culver City path: a screening report, structural engineering with our sister company Naxa, steel moment frames and shear-wall reinforcement, permit coordination, and final certification.
What we install
The Culver City retrofit scope.
01 · Scope
Steel moment frames at the open-front bay
02 · Scope
Cantilever columns where moment frames are infeasible
03 · Scope
Shear wall reinforcement at perimeter and interior walls
04 · Scope
Hold-downs, drag beams, and structural anchoring
05 · Scope
Concrete footing or grade-beam work as required
How a Culver City project runs
Six steps from free survey to closeout.
01
Free property survey
100% free property survey, inspection, and measurement. We walk the building, document conditions, and tell you exactly what compliance requires.
02
Engineering and plans
Our engineering partner Naxa prepares architectural and structural plans, sealed and ready for plan check.
03
Tenant notifications
Tenant Habitability Plan and HCID-LA notifications prepared and filed. We handle every required disclosure.
04
Construction begins
Crews mobilize with all materials, labor, and equipment. Documented quality control. Daily field logs.
05
City inspection
Coordination with Department of Building and Safety inspectors. We schedule the inspections and resolve any callouts.
06
Tenant cost-sharing
Up to half of qualifying retrofit cost can be passed to tenants over ten years, coordinated through HCID-LA approval.
Culver City retrofit questions
Straight answers for Culver City owners.
- Is soft-story retrofit mandatory in Culver City?
- Yes. Culver City Ordinance 2021-013, adopted in 2021, requires owners of designated wood-frame soft-story buildings to complete a structural retrofit within five years of the city's notice.
- Which Culver City buildings are covered?
- Wood-frame buildings with a construction permit filed before October 23, 1978, that have a ground floor or basement with parking or open space creating a weak wall line and at least one story above. Detached single-family homes are excluded.
Other cities we serve
Soft-story retrofit across Southern California.
Get a real number