Seismic Retrofit
Seismic & Soft-Story Retrofit Engineering
Earthquake country isn’t a metaphor. A KSF seismic retrofit ties your house to its foundation, braces the cripple walls, and strengthens the weak points older homes were built with. Safer family. Possible insurance savings. Stronger resale.
Start with a structural evaluation, or see engineering for additions and remodels.
Across San Francisco, Oakland, and Berkeley — the same three cities whose retrofit programs we work in every week.
Why retrofit
Four answers worth the investment.
A retrofit isn’t about disaster scenarios. It’s about four practical outcomes that show up on day one of ownership — long before any earthquake.
Real safety, not theoretical
Older California homes were built before modern seismic codes. A retrofit ties the house to its foundation so it doesn’t slide off in a major event. That’s the single most consequential improvement you can make to an older home.
So your family’s home stays connected to the ground beneath it.Lower earthquake insurance
The California Earthquake Authority offers a premium discount of up to 25% for eligible houses built before 1980 that have been retrofitted — bolted to the foundation, cripple walls braced, water heater secured. We engineer to that standard and provide the documentation your insurer requires.
So the work can pay you back every renewal.Stronger resale
California sellers of older homes must disclose known earthquake weaknesses, such as a house that isn’t bolted to its foundation. A permitted, documented retrofit gives buyers and their inspectors a clear answer instead of a question mark.
So your retrofit becomes a selling point, not a red flag.Code compliance you can prove
Oakland, Berkeley, San Francisco, and the City of Los Angeles each run their own seismic compliance and retrofit programs. We engineer to the program your jurisdiction recognizes — so the work can qualify for incentives where they exist.
So you get credit for the upgrade you made.
What we retrofit
Eight services. One retrofit specialty.
Single-family homes, multi-unit buildings, soft-story conversions, unreinforced masonry. We engineer the retrofit type that fits the building type.
Soft-story retrofit design
Multi-unit buildings with open garages or weak first floors. We engineer the steel frames, moment connections, and foundation upgrades that meet the mandatory soft-story programs in San Francisco, Berkeley, Oakland, and Los Angeles.
So your building meets the deadline and the code.Foundation bolting and anchorage
The single highest-impact retrofit for older homes. We engineer the bolt pattern, anchor type, and edge distance to actually hold the house to its foundation in an event.
So an event doesn’t separate the structure from the slab.Cripple wall bracing
The short stud walls between the foundation and the first floor are usually the weakest link in older homes. We engineer the plywood shear-wall system that braces them — detailed for the framer.
So the house has a connected, ductile load path.Structural strengthening solutions
Adding a beam, sistering a joist, reinforcing a connection. Targeted strengthening of the existing structure — not a full rebuild — to address specific weaknesses.
So you spend money where it matters.Residential and multi-family retrofits
Single-family homes, duplexes, four-plexes, and small apartment buildings. We scale the retrofit approach to the structure type and ownership context.
So you don’t pay for engineering you don’t need.Seismic upgrades for older buildings
Pre-1940s wood-frame, post-and-pier, unreinforced masonry. Older buildings have older failure modes; we engineer to the structure’s actual condition.
So the retrofit addresses your house, not a textbook average.Code-compliant retrofit engineering
Stamped engineering meeting CEBC, IEBC, ASCE 41, and local appendix requirements. The documentation your jurisdiction, your insurer, and your buyer will recognize.
So the paperwork holds up everywhere it matters.Retrofit planning and construction support
Pre-construction site visits, plan-check responses, contractor coordination, and field inspections during the work. We stay involved until the retrofit is done right.
So you never feel handed off mid-project.
Why homeowners choose KSF
A practice built on four constants.
These aren’t taglines. They’re the four things every client gets, regardless of project size.
Licensed P.E.
Every report stamped by a licensed KSF engineer
Since 1988
Founded in Oakland, now in Los Angeles County and the Sacramento Region too
Family-first lens
We look at your home the way you do
Your own engineering team
One accountable team, start to finish
Trusted by neighbors
What clients say
Get in touch
Get a retrofit assessment.
Tell us the address. We’ll let you know whether the home is a candidate for the local retrofit program, what scope of work to expect, and the typical engineering and construction budget for a home like yours.