State Officials Urging So Cal Homeowners to Earthquake Retrofit Their Homes

Posted August 7, 2019, under Blog

State officials are urging Southern California homeowners to earthquake retrofit their homes and to get earthquake insurance.

In light of the recent spike in large-magnitude earthquakes, state officials and residents alike are taking proactive measures to protect their communities and their properties.

“Retrofitting your home is a simple step to take in making your life more disaster resilient and could save you enormous hardship,” Mark Ghilarducci, director of the Governor’s Office of Emergency Services, said (via South Pasadena Review).

Earthquake retrofitting is especially important for older homes and soft story apartment structures, since most buildings that were constructed over 20 years ago are lacking the modern structural reinforcements to withstand the shaking from a large quake.

“Reducing the chance of a house sliding off its foundation during an earthquake, while at the same time lowering the cost of earthquake insurance for the homeowner, is a great outcome,” Ghilarducci added.

After the recent quakes in Ridgecrest, CA the California Earthquake Authority Governing Board voted (unanimously) to offer up to $3,000 in a retrofit grant to roughly 30,000 CEA policyholders, as part of the CEA’s existing Brace + Bolt program.

Prior to the vote, only 12,000 CEA policy holders were eligible to apply for the retrofit grant which was introduced earlier this year.

The CEA is a non-profit organization that provides earthquake insurance, while working in California to reduce the risk and loss associated with earthquake damage.

And as of July 1st, policy CEA holders that are eligible for retrofitting grants can also receive an additional 25% off their CEA earthquake insurance premium when they retrofit their homes.

“Californians face the reality that an earthquake could strike at any moment,” Ricardo Lara, the state’s insurance commissioner said.

“Preparation and mitigation will be critical to the millions of Californians living in residences that are not built to withstand a significant quake,” he added.

The Brace + Bolt program will be providing eligible policyholders with $3,000 to $3,500 grants for their retrofits on a first come first serve basis.

If you own an older home or building in California, chances are the property is lacking modern seismic reinforcements. Earthquake retrofitting will protect your property from damage and/or destruction during a large earthquake and ensure the safety of those who reside there.

Julian De La Torre is an expert in Los Angeles foundation inspection, foundation contractors, earthquake retrofitting, and foundation repair. Julian’s company, Julian Construction, has inspected over 15,000 structures, working with engineering firms and local departments of building & safety. The company has done more foundation repair and earthquake retrofitting in Los Angeles than any other company in the area over the last five years.

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