San Leandro Ordinance 24-495 (adopted December 2024) added Article 16 to SLMC Title 7 Chapter 7-5 (Building Code), creating a mandatory Earthquake Hazard Reduction program for existing wood-frame residential buildings with soft, weak, or open-front ground-story walls. Owners must submit a structural-adequacy analysis within 18 months of receiving City notice.
The ordinance applies to wood-frame residential buildings with 3 or more dwelling units containing a soft, weak, or open-front first story (typically buildings with parking tuck-under, large garage openings, or storefronts on the ground floor). Retrofit standards must comply with or be substantially equivalent to Appendix Chapter A4 of the 2022 California Existing Building Code (CEBC). San Leandro is in Seismic Design Category D and E, the highest risk levels, due to its proximity to the Hayward Fault, which crosses the eastern edge of the City. After receiving notice from the Building Official, owners have 18 months to submit either (a) a stamped engineering analysis demonstrating compliance, or (b) a permit application for the retrofit. Retrofits must be completed within established timelines after permit issuance.
Failure to comply within the specified deadlines is a violation of SLMC Title 7 enforced by the Building Official. Penalties include administrative citations, lien recordings, and potential orders to vacate hazardous structures under California Health and Safety Code 17920.3 (substandard housing). Owners may also face civil liability following a damaging earthquake if the building was non-compliant.
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Side-by-side rule comparisons with other cities in Alameda County.
See how other cities in Alameda County handle soft-story retrofit.
See how San Leandro's soft-story retrofit rules stack up against other locations.
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