Retrofit Requirements & Eligibility
Ensuring Your Property Qualifies for Seismic Reinforcement
Before beginning your seismic upgrade, it is essential to determine if your home meets the specific structural and historical criteria required by California’s mitigation programs. These requirements are in place to ensure that the Earthquake Brace + Bolt (EBB) and Earthquake Soft-Story (ESS) grants are applied to the most vulnerable residential structures.
At Eco Home Compliance, we provide a comprehensive pre-retrofit inspection to verify these details for you, ensuring a smooth path toward both structural safety and grant approval.
EBB Program Requirements
For Raised Foundation & Cripple Wall Retrofits
To qualify for the $3,000 EBB grant, your home must generally meet the following architectural and regional standards:
- Year of Construction: The house must be a wood-framed structure typically built before 1980. These homes were constructed before modern seismic codes were fully implemented.
- Foundation Type: The home must be built on a raised foundation. This means there is a crawl space under the first floor rather than a solid concrete slab.
- Structural Vulnerability: The property must have “cripple walls” (short wood-framed walls between the foundation and the first floor) or a sill plate that has not yet been bolted to the foundation.
- Regional Eligibility: The home must be located within one of the high-risk ZIP codes designated by the California Residential Mitigation Program (CRMP).
Ownership: The applicant must be the owner of record, and the property must be a detached residential building (1–4 units).
ESS Program Requirements
For Multi-Story & Living-Space-Over-Garage Retrofits
The ESS Program targets “Soft-Story” vulnerabilities, which are common in multi-level homes. To be eligible for this specific $3,000 grant, your property must meet these criteria:
- Year of Construction: Wood-frame houses built before 2000 are the primary focus of this program.
- Structure Profile: The house must be at least two stories tall with a “soft” or “weak” first floor. This is most commonly identified as a living space located over a garage or a large open carport.
- Foundation Consistency: While ESS homes can have different foundation types, the critical factor is the lack of lateral strength on the ground floor to support the upper levels.
- Code Compliance: The retrofit must be designed by a licensed engineer to meet the specific “Chapter A4” or similar seismic building codes required by the state.
Mandatory Compliance: Secondary Requirements
Regardless of which program you apply for, there are several “non-negotiable” safety requirements that must be met to pass the final inspection and receive your rebate:
- Water Heater Strapping
California law and EBB/ESS guidelines require that all water heaters be properly strapped and anchored.
- The Rule: Tanks must be secured with heavy-duty metal straps at the top and bottom third of the unit, anchored directly into the wall studs.
- The Reason: This prevents the heater from toppling, which is a leading cause of post-earthquake fires due to ruptured gas lines.
- Building Permits & Inspections
All retrofit work must be performed under a valid building permit issued by your local building department.
- Process: Once the work is completed, a city or county inspector must sign off on the project to verify it meets all engineering standards.
- Reimbursement: You cannot receive your grant payment without a copy of the “Finaled” building permit.
- Documentation & Photos
The grant programs require a specific set of “Before” and “After” photographs.
Photos: These must clearly show the foundation, the crawl space (for EBB), or the garage openings (for ESS) both before work begins and after the bolts and braces are installed.
Why Professional Guidance Matters
Navigating these requirements can be overwhelming for many homeowners. Eco Home Compliance takes the guesswork out of the process. We handle the technical inspections, the photographic documentation, and the coordination with city inspectors to ensure your home meets 100% of the program requirements.
Are you ready to see if your home qualifies for a $3,000 grant? Contact us today for a free eligibility assessment!
Comparison Overview
| Feature | Earthquake Brace + Bolt (EBB) | Earthquake Soft-Story (ESS) |
|---|---|---|
| Primary Target | Single-story or split-level homes. | Multi-story homes with a “weak” first floor. |
| Foundation Type | Raised Foundation (Crawl space). | Slab or Raised with living space over garage. |
| Key Vulnerability | House sliding off its foundation. | First-floor collapse (pancaking) under upper floors. |
| Common Retrofit | Bolting sill plates & bracing cripple walls. | Installing shear walls or steel moment frames. |
| Year Built | Primarily houses built before 1980. | Wood-frame houses built before 2000. |
| Grant Amount | Up to $3,000 rebate. | Up to $3,000 rebate. |
