How Bakersfield Handles Earthquake Safety: A Practical Guide

Bakersfield maintains 206 local ordinances across all categories, and 4 of those deal specifically with earthquake safety. Here is a breakdown of what the city actually requires, what is prohibited, and where Bakersfield falls on the strict-to-permissive spectrum compared to other cities.

Unreinforced Masonry

Bakersfield is one of California's URM-program cities, with mandatory seismic retrofit requirements for unreinforced masonry bearing-wall buildings codified at BMC Chapter 15.40 (Earthquake Hazard Reduction in Existing URM Bearing Wall Buildings) and administered under BMC Chapter 15.41. The city completed a full URM inventory and reports roughly 85% of identified URM buildings have been brought up to 1993 retrofit standards.

Key details: Code Chapters: BMC 15.40 (technical) and 15.41 (administration). Authorizing State Law: Gov. Code 8875 et seq. (URM Law). Program Status: ~85% of inventoried URMs retrofitted (per Metro. Bakersfield GP EIR). Engineered Drawings: Required under BMC 15.40.070.

Non-compliance with the retrofit order is enforced through the Building Department and Board of Building Appeals (BMC 15.04.120). Continued non-compliance can lead to substandard-building proceedings, posting of the structure, and eventually orders to vacate or demolish. Permit fees follow the city's master fee schedule for building permits based on valuation of the retrofit work.

This is not one of those rules that cities tend to ignore. Bakersfield actively enforces its unreinforced masonry requirements.

Seismic Gas Shutoff

Bakersfield has no local ordinance mandating seismic gas shutoff (earthquake) valves on residential property. The applicable law is California Health and Safety Code 19200-19204, which requires that any seismic gas shutoff device sold in California be certified by the Division of the State Architect (DSA), and the California Plumbing Code, which requires installation when triggering events (e.g., certain remodels or new gas service) occur.

Key details: Local Mandate: None. State Citation: Cal. Health & Safety Code 19200-19204. Plumbing Code: CPC 1212.0 (installation triggers). Certification: DSA per Title 24 Part 12 Ch. 12-23.

Installation of a non-certified valve is unlawful under state law and may be cited under BMC Chapter 15.04 (Building Code Administration) when discovered at inspection. Failure to install when triggered by the plumbing code results in a failed final inspection.

Soft-Story Retrofit

Bakersfield has NO mandatory soft-story retrofit ordinance for multi-family wood-frame buildings. Unlike Los Angeles, San Francisco, Berkeley, Oakland, Santa Monica, Burbank, and Pasadena — which have adopted mandatory soft-story programs — Bakersfield has not enacted one. The city's only mandatory seismic retrofit program targets unreinforced masonry bearing-wall buildings under BMC Chapter 15.40.

Key details: Local Soft-Story Ordinance: None. Mandatory Retrofit Cities (for comparison): LA, SF, Berkeley, Oakland, Santa Monica, Pasadena, Burbank. Voluntary Standard: CEBC Appendix A4 (via BMC Title 15).

Not applicable — there is no local ordinance to violate. New multi-family construction must still meet the seismic provisions of the current California Building Code as adopted in BMC Title 15.

Bakersfield is more permissive than most cities when it comes to soft-story retrofit. That said, there are still limits.

Foundation Anchoring

Bakersfield has no local foundation-bolting ordinance distinct from the state building code. Sill-plate anchoring, cripple-wall bracing, and foundation tie-down requirements for new construction and substantial alterations follow the California Residential Code (CRC) as adopted by reference in BMC Title 15. There is no Bakersfield equivalent to Berkeley's or Los Angeles's mandatory retrofit-for-existing-homes program.

Key details: Local Mandate: None for existing homes. Code Reference: CRC R403.1.6 (sill anchorage); CRC Appendix A3 (voluntary retrofit). BMC Adoption: BMC Title 15 adopts CBC/CRC. Voluntary Grant: CEA Brace + Bolt (subject to ZIP availability).

Work performed without a building permit on foundation anchoring is enforced under BMC Chapter 15.04 (Building Code Administration) — typical infractions for unpermitted structural work are a stop-work order, double-permit fee, and citation. There is no mandatory retrofit deadline for existing single-family homes in Bakersfield.

The Bottom Line

Bakersfield's earthquake safety rules are a mixed bag. Some areas are strict, others are relaxed, and the details matter. The best approach is to check the specific rule that applies to your situation rather than assuming Bakersfield is broadly strict or permissive.

These rules come from Bakersfield's publicly available municipal code. For complete penalty schedules, exemption details, and answers to common questions, see the individual ordinance pages throughout this guide.