Cripple-wall bracing, anchor bolting, soft-story upgrades — Bay Area seismic prep, done right.
Your home was built before 1980. Maybe before 1940. The cripple wall is unbraced. The mudsill isn't bolted. The soft story over the garage has nothing transferring lateral load. In a moderate earthquake, the structure walks off the foundation.
Earthquake Brace + Bolt programs exist because the math is brutal — unretrofitted homes are catastrophically damaged in M6+ events; retrofitted homes typically aren't. Insurance discounts add up over the years. The buyer's inspector flags it on resale. And the next big one isn't a question of if.
We do cripple-wall bracing, anchor bolting, soft-story upgrades, hold-down installation, and shear panel work to current code. Standard EBB-compliant when the home qualifies; custom-engineered when it doesn't. CSLB #917675 (B · C-8). Bay Area homes — San Bruno, SF, Daly City, the Peninsula — since 1998.
You see the whole scope before any concrete is poured. Nothing hidden, nothing quietly billed mid-project.
The same rhythm whether the job is a $12,000 footing or a $200,000 structural retrofit. Owner on site, same crew, same standards.
Jose walks the crawlspace, photo-documents the existing structure, and identifies whether the home qualifies for the EBB Standard Plan Set or needs custom engineering. Written bid in 48 hours.
If eligible, we coordinate the EBB grant application (up to $3,000 toward the work). If not eligible, we coordinate a structural engineer for custom plans.
Every retrofit requires permits in Bay Area jurisdictions. We pull them and schedule the rough and final inspections.
Existing mudsill drilled at engineered spacing. Epoxy-set anchor bolts installed and torqued. Mudsill replaced where rotted or undersized.
Plywood shear panels cut, fitted, and nailed at engineered patterns. Hold-downs installed at panel ends. Crawlspace ventilation maintained.
City inspector signs off. We walk you through the work, file the EBB completion paperwork (where applicable), and hand the home back.
We do seismic retrofit regularly in the cities below — each with its own soil profile, code requirements, and seismic considerations. Click through for the local context.
Don’t see your question? Call (650) 754-3064 and ask Jose directly.
California Residential Mitigation Program's Earthquake Brace + Bolt grant — up to $3,000 toward a qualifying retrofit, with a supplemental grant up to an additional $7,000 for income-eligible households (total up to $10,000). The program expanded to qualifying rental properties starting in 2025. We've coordinated dozens of EBB jobs and handle the application paperwork on your behalf.
Usually yes if it's a wood-framed home built before 1980 with a raised perimeter foundation, has not previously had a brace-and-bolt retrofit, and is in a qualifying ZIP code. Eligibility opens annually with limited slots. We can confirm during the visit and help you apply.
Most EBB-scope jobs run 3–7 working days. Custom-engineered retrofits, soft-story work, or homes with hard access take longer. The bid will be specific.
Almost never. Most work happens in the crawlspace and at the foundation perimeter. There's drilling and hammering noise during work hours; otherwise daily life continues.
Most California earthquake insurance carriers offer a discount for documented retrofits — check with your carrier. We provide the engineer's letter and city sign-off needed to file the discount.
Brick chimneys are a common seismic risk and a separate scope. We can refer to a specialist for chimney bracing or replacement; it's usually not bundled with the structural retrofit unless the engineer's plans specifically call for it.
Yes. The grant is a bonus — the structural value of the retrofit is the actual reason. A few thousand dollars of work can be the difference between a habitable home after a quake and a total loss.
Free walk-through, written bid within 48 hours, no surprises. The same crew, the same owner — every project, since 1998.
