Retrofitting is an improvement to your building by altering or adding structural elements. Specifically, Soft Story Seismic Retrofitting, is using USGS data in calculations and creating a solution that should withstand the lateral movement of a building caused by an earthquake. We add elements to absorb the energy, so that the gravity system (small poles holding your building up) does not collapse. In the 1995 Northridge Earthquake 82,000 residential and commercial units were destroyed, and a large factor was due to Soft Story buildings.
SRS Retrofit provides a free consultation and will give you a proposal including engineering and construction in 2 separate phases. You have 2 years from receiving your ordinance to obtain approved plans. The building department is very busy and once submitting, they take approximately 11 weeks to receive a reply and 2 weeks for any corrections. It is best to start sooner rather than later to avoid any penalty fees!
Our construction crew will visit the property for excavation and then back fill with dirt and top with gravel. After exposing joists and beams, they will cover holes with plywood until construction begins where it will be repaired.
Completing this exploratory demolition prevents delays during the construction phase. This step is the most important. We are looking at the existing structural components of the building as well as the existing foundation rather than making assumptions that could be incorrect. We cover areas with plywood and gravel or asphalt.
Our engineers design the most economical solution and use steel fabrication as often as possible rather than a pre-fabricated frame as the cost is much less.
There is financing through the P.A.C.E. program with 100% financing with no money down. Click here to learn more. Find out how much your property is eligible for.
SRS Retrofit assists it’s clients with the cost recovery program. The cost recovery program can be used to pay up to 50% of the seismic retrofit costs by passing it on to tenants. The maximum rent increase is $38.00 per unit per month for 120 months.
A Soft Story Retrofit can cost anywhere in the range of $42,000 upwards to hundreds of thousands. Every building is different, so it is difficult to make a general assumption to all buildings. We take a detailed look at each property and give a proposal specific to the building. Once we are contracted for a job, we will start with the architectural visit, where we will do a complete As-Built of the property. Once our engineer is finished with the calculations, they will communicate where excavation and tear back of the stucco is needed.
After calling SRS for an inspection, we visit your property and then will give a proposal within 7 days of visiting your property. Once the deposit is received and contract is signed, the site visit will be scheduled within 2-3 weeks. After site visit, plans will be submitted within 3-4 weeks. (Total Production of Plans: 6-7 weeks****Subject to change)
Plan Check: Plan check response is at the mercy of the Los Angeles Department of Building & Safety.
Corrections: If corrections are required from initial submission, they will take 2-6 weeks depending on plan checker’s schedule.
TOTAL TIME FOR APPROVED PLANS: 18-23 weeks
Once the plans are approved, we will notice tenants of construction dates. This is done 20 days before start date of construction.
Construction will be approximately 2-3 months. We do our best to plan ahead for inspections, but if we have to wait for inspections or corrections, it could be longer. In this case, we will notify tenants of the delays and extended construction dates.
Your tenants will need to have their cars removed from the parking area during exploratory demolition for one day during initial site visit of engineering phase & we will need to enter their units for architectural drawings.
If you do not have seismic shut off gas valves installed to your property, then this needs to be done before permit is obtained. SRS can complete this service and tenants will lose gas service for one day and we will need to enter units to re-light pilot lights.
During construction phase, tenants will need to have cars removed from parking area from 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM during working hours Monday-Friday. If they do not remove their cars there is a possibility of them being blocked in until the end of the work day.
Tenants will be affected by noise. The demolition phase is very loud during retrofitting.
Seismic Retrofit Solutions was founded by Paul Herman, who has been in business doing Real Estate and Development for over 30 years in the Los Angeles area. His most recent projects before turning focus to retrofitting were a single family 19 home development in North Hills and ground up construction of 4 story over subterranean parking multi-family buildings. Paul started his construction career in New York City rehabbing and retrofitting buildings in the late 70s. Paul and his clients are familiar with a high quality service and product. SRS Retrofit's business is driven mostly by referrals, and we intend to continue building our retrofitting division with many more satisfied clients.