Earthquake Safety in Los Angeles, CA (2026)
9 verified earthquake safety rules for Los Angeles, California, sourced directly from the municipal code and official government pages.
Verified from official government sources
Soft-Story Retrofit
LA's mandatory soft-story retrofit program under Ordinance 183893 (2015) requires approximately 13,500 wood-frame buildings with soft, weak, or open-front walls to be seismically strengthened. Priority 1 buildings (3+ stories with ground-floor commercial) had an April 2024 deadline. Priority 2 buildings (remaining soft-story) face an April 2026 deadline. Enforced by LADBS with escalating daily fines for non-compliance.
Los Angeles Soft-Story Retrofit Program (Ordinance 183893)
Heavy RestrictionsFoundation Anchoring
Los Angeles requires foundation bolting and cripple wall bracing for older wood-frame homes under Division 88 of the LA Building Code. Houses built before 1978 without bolted sill plates are most vulnerable. Standard Plan 1 (pre-approved by LADBS) covers bolt-only retrofits for single-family dwellings. The Earthquake Brace + Bolt (EBB) program offers up to $3,000 in incentives for qualifying homeowners.
Los Angeles Foundation Anchoring & Cripple Wall Bracing
Some RestrictionsUnreinforced Masonry
LA's Division 88 ordinance (1981) was one of the first mandatory URM retrofit programs in the U.S., targeting approximately 8,000 unreinforced masonry bearing wall buildings constructed before October 6, 1933. Owners were required to retrofit, vacate, or demolish. By the mid-1990s roughly 95% of covered buildings had been brought into compliance. Remaining non-compliant buildings face Orders to Vacate or demolition.
Los Angeles Unreinforced Masonry (URM) Building Ordinance – Division 88
Heavy RestrictionsSeismic Gas Shutoff
LAMC §94.1217.0 requires seismic gas shutoff valves (SGSOV) or excess flow shutoff valves on all buildings with gas piping permitted on or after September 1, 1995. Valves are also required when commercial alterations exceed $10,000, when gas meters are altered, and within 12 months of any property sale. Valves must carry a 30-year warranty and be maintained for the life of the building.
Los Angeles Seismic Gas Shutoff Valve Requirements (LAMC §94.1217.0)
Heavy RestrictionsNon-Ductile Concrete Retrofit
LAMC §91.9509 (Ordinance 183893) requires identification and retrofit of pre-1976 non-ductile reinforced concrete buildings citywide, with a 25-year compliance deadline, structural evaluation by ASCE 41-17 standards, and LADBS-issued compliance certificates.
Non-Ductile Concrete Building Retrofit Mandate
Heavy RestrictionsWood-Frame Retrofit
LAMC §91.9504 mandates seismic retrofit of soft-story wood-frame multifamily buildings with tuck-under parking, while §91.9505 sets standards for cripple-wall and shear-wall reinforcement of older wood-frame structures across Los Angeles.
Wood-Frame Soft-Story and Cripple-Wall Retrofit Rules
Heavy RestrictionsSteel Moment-Frame Retrofit
Los Angeles encourages voluntary evaluation of pre-Northridge welded steel moment-frame buildings through LADBS Information Bulletin P/BC 2017-026, applying SAC-FEMA 350 series guidance. Some commercial leases and lender covenants make inspection effectively mandatory in Class A office space.
Pre-Northridge Steel Moment-Frame Building Inspection
Some RestrictionsBalcony Inspection Program
California Senate Bills 721 (apartments) and 326 (HOA condominiums) require periodic inspection of exterior elevated elements such as balconies, decks, walkways, and stair landings. Los Angeles enforcement runs through LADBS, with first inspections largely due in 2025.
Balcony and Exterior Elevated Element Inspection Rules
Heavy RestrictionsTilt-Up Concrete Retrofit
LAMC §91.9105 directs LADBS to identify pre-1976 tilt-up concrete buildings and require ASCE 41-17 evaluation and wall-to-roof anchorage retrofit. The program parallels the URM ordinance, targeting warehouses, big-box retail, and industrial structures across Los Angeles.
Tilt-Up Concrete Building Retrofit Program
Heavy RestrictionsLooking for Los Angeles County county-wide rules?
County ordinances apply to unincorporated areas and may supplement Los Angeles city rules.
Earthquake Safety in Los Angeles County →