Seismic Retrofit · West Hollywood
Soft-Story Seismic Retrofit in West Hollywood
Cal Retrofit brings West Hollywood soft-story buildings into compliance with the city's Soft, Weak or Open-Front (SWOF) Retrofit Program, engineering through final inspection.
The requirement
Retrofit is required in West Hollywood.
West Hollywood SWOF Retrofit Program (Ordinance 17-1004)
West Hollywood, with one of the densest concentrations of older multifamily housing in the region, adopted its Soft, Weak or Open-Front (SWOF) Retrofit Program (Ordinance 17-1004) in 2017, effective in 2018. The city identified roughly 700 qualifying wood-frame buildings and requires owners to strengthen the weak ground-floor story.
Cal Retrofit runs the full West Hollywood 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 West Hollywood 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 West Hollywood 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.
West Hollywood retrofit questions
Straight answers for West Hollywood owners.
- Is soft-story retrofit mandatory in West Hollywood?
- Yes. West Hollywood's Soft, Weak or Open-Front (SWOF) Retrofit Program (Ordinance 17-1004) requires owners of designated wood-frame buildings to complete a structural retrofit within five years of their notice.
- How long do I have in West Hollywood?
- Five years from your notice: a screening report in year one, retrofit plans in year two, permits and start of construction by year four, and completion by year five. Larger buildings were notified first.
Other cities we serve
Soft-story retrofit across Southern California.
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