Unreinforced Masonry
Earthquake Safety
Retrofit requirements for older brick and masonry buildings that are vulnerable to earthquake damage, including compliance timelines and strengthening standards.
How Unreinforced Masonry Rules Differ by Place
Seattle, WA: Seattle Unreinforced Masonry Building Regulations
Heavy RestrictionsSeattle has identified over 1,100 unreinforced masonry (URM) buildings that pose earthquake collapse hazards. SDCI maintains a public database of all known URM buildings. The 2021…
Anaheim, CA: Anaheim Unreinforced Masonry Ordinance
Some RestrictionsAnaheim completed its mandatory unreinforced masonry (URM) retrofit program under California Government Code 8875 and Anaheim Municipal Code Chapter 15.52. Owners of URM buildings had…
San Diego, CA: San Diego Unreinforced Masonry Building (URM) Ordinance
Some RestrictionsSan Diego has an active Unreinforced Masonry (URM) Building ordinance requiring retrofit or demolition of pre-1939 URM buildings. In 2001, 884 URM buildings were identified. The…
San Leandro, CA: San Leandro Unreinforced Masonry Building Rules
Some RestrictionsCalifornia's URM Law (Government Code 8875 et seq.) required San Leandro and all SDC D/E jurisdictions to inventory unreinforced masonry buildings and adopt a mitigation program. San…
Cities & Counties with Unreinforced Masonry Rules
5 locations
California
Washington
Other Earthquake Safety Topics
Soft-Story Retrofit
Mandatory retrofit requirements for multi-story buildings with weak first floors, including compliance deadlines, engineering standards, and cost responsibilities.
Foundation Anchoring
Requirements to bolt houses to their foundations and brace cripple walls, including which buildings are affected and available rebate programs.
Seismic Gas Shutoff
Requirements for automatic earthquake gas shutoff valves on residential and commercial properties to prevent post-earthquake fires.
Non-Ductile Concrete Retrofit
Mandatory retrofit programs for older non-ductile concrete buildings vulnerable to collapse, including LA's ordinance, compliance deadlines, and engineering standards.
Wood-Frame Retrofit
Strengthening rules for older multi-unit wood-frame buildings beyond standard soft-story compliance, including shear-wall and tie-down requirements.
Steel Moment-Frame Retrofit
Retrofit requirements for pre-Northridge steel moment-frame buildings whose welded connections proved brittle in 1994, including identification and remediation programs.
Balcony Inspection Program
Periodic inspection of exterior balconies, decks, and elevated walkways under California SB-326 (HOAs) and SB-721 (apartment buildings).
Tilt-Up Concrete Retrofit
Retrofit requirements for tilt-up concrete buildings whose roof-to-wall connections often fail in earthquakes, including anchorage and continuity standards.