Soft-Story Retrofit: Anaheim vs Midway City
How do soft-story retrofit rules compare between Anaheim, CA and Midway City, CA?
Midway City has fewer restrictions than Anaheim.
Anaheim, CA
Orange County
Anaheim does not currently operate a mandatory soft-story retrofit ordinance like Los Angeles or San Francisco, but older wood-frame apartments with tuck-under parking sit within the Newport-Inglewood Fault zone and face well-documented collapse risk. Voluntary retrofits are encouraged, and California AB 1857 authorized statewide retrofit planning standards.
View full Anaheim rules →Midway City, CA
Orange County
Orange County has not adopted a mandatory soft-story retrofit ordinance comparable to Los Angeles (Ordinance 183893) or Santa Monica (Ord. 2479CCS). Multi-family wood-frame buildings with tuck-under parking in unincorporated Orange County are governed only by the seismic provisions in the California Existing Building Code (CEBC) Chapter A4 'Earthquake Hazard Reduction for Existing Wood-Frame Residential Buildings' as adopted by the County of Orange Building Code (Codified Ordinances Title 7, Div. 1).
View full Midway City rules →Key Facts Comparison
| Fact | Anaheim | Midway City |
|---|---|---|
| - | - | |
| Mandatory Ordinance | - | None (county-wide) |
| Voluntary Standard | - | CEBC Chapter A4 (Wood-Frame) |
| Permit Authority | - | OC Public Works Building Safety |
| Adopting Code Section | - | OC Codified Ord. Title 7, Div. 1 |
| Design Force Reduction | - | 75% of standard seismic load (CEBC A4) |
Highlighted rows indicate differences between cities.
Anaheim FAQ
Midway City FAQ
Is soft-story retrofit required in Orange County?
No. Unlike Los Angeles, Long Beach, Santa Monica and West Hollywood, neither Orange County nor any of its 34 incorporated cities has enacted a mandatory soft-story retrofit ordinance. Retrofit is voluntary.
How do I voluntarily retrofit my building?
Hire a California-licensed structural engineer to design the upgrade using California Existing Building Code Chapter A4 (Wood-Frame) or Chapter A1 (URM). Submit plans to OC Public Works Building Safety for a building permit. The CEBC reduces design seismic forces to 75% of new-construction levels.
Will Orange County adopt a mandate soon?
There is no published Board of Supervisors action to date. Several cities (Anaheim, Costa Mesa) have completed soft-story inventory studies but have not introduced mandatory ordinances. Insurance market pressure and CEA programs are the current drivers.
Compare other topics
See how Anaheim and Midway City compare on other ordinance categories.
Want to add a third city?
Use our full comparison tool to compare up to three cities.
Open Comparison Tool