San Diego, CA Earthquake Safety: Unreinforced Masonry (2026)
Key Facts
- Buildings Identified
- 884 pre-1939 URM buildings
- Remaining Non-Compliant
- 14 buildings (ongoing enforcement)
- State Law
- CA Gov. Code §8875 (URM Law)
- Retrofit Standard
- CA Existing Building Code App. A
Summary
San 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 Development Services Department has worked with owners to bring nearly all into compliance, with only 14 buildings remaining as of recent enforcement.
Unreinforced masonry buildings (URM) were constructed with a building permit issued before March 24, 1939, and contain structural load-bearing walls made of: Un-reinforced adobe; Burned clay; Concrete or sand-lime brick; Hollow clay or concrete block; Plain concrete; Hollow clay tile; Rubble and cut stone; or Unburned clay masonry. URMs were not built using modern building codes and contain walls that are braced without reinforcing material, such as rebar in a concrete or cinder block, making them vulnerable to collapse or damage in an earthquake. [...] In 2001, 884 buildings constructed before 1939 were identified within the City as URM. Over the past several years, the Development Services Department has worked with building owners to reduce the seismic hazards from URMs by undergoing strengthening or a complete seismic retrofit.
Full Breakdown
San Diego's URM ordinance, administered by the Development Services Department, identified 884 unreinforced masonry buildings constructed before 1939 within the city in 2001. ) required all cities and counties to inventory their URM buildings and establish loss-reduction programs. San Diego's program requires owners of identified URM buildings to either retrofit the structure to meet minimum seismic safety standards or demolish it. The city has worked with building owners over more than two decades to reduce seismic hazards from URMs. As of the most recent enforcement update, all property owners have complied except for 14 buildings that are being inspected and may be referred to the Office of the City Attorney, Nuisance Abatement Unit (NAU) for further enforcement if the structures remain unretrofitted.
Retrofit standards follow the California Existing Building Code Appendix A and ASCE 41 (Seismic Evaluation and Retrofit of Existing Buildings). Common URM retrofit techniques include adding steel frames, reinforcing walls with fiber-reinforced polymer (FRP), and installing diaphragm-to-wall connections.
Violations & Fines
Non-compliant URM buildings: referral to City Attorney Nuisance Abatement Unit. The city may require vacating the building until retrofit is completed. Fines and liens possible.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does San Diego require unreinforced masonry buildings to be retrofitted?
What happens if a URM building owner does not comply?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in San Diego
California rules heatmap·Compare San Diego to another location·View the California earthquake safety overview
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