Earthquake Brace and Bolt Program
When it comes to earthquake retrofitting a home, there are a number of things that professional retrofitters can do to increase its resilience to tremors and prevent collapse. In addition to saving property, retrofitting a home also protects families against displacement and saves lives as well.
Although earthquake retrofitting is relatively inexpensive not all homeowners can immediately afford to have work done on their home. Fortunately there exists programs that assist homeowners with the costs associated with these procedures. One of the best programs available to homeowners is what is known as the “EBB” or Earthquake Brace and Bolt Program.
Brace And Bolt Benefits
- Qualifying homeowners will receive as much as $3000 for earthquake retrofitting.
- This money covers contractor work that ultimately strengthens their home and dramatically mitigates earthquake damage.
- This program allows homeowners to select their own retrofitting contractor though these professionals must possess either a type A or type B license.
- A typical earthquake retrofit costs anywhere from $8000-$10000. This program can cut those costs in half at minimum and eliminate them completely in best case scenarios.
- Interested homeowners can apply/register for this program at the official Earthquake Brace + Bolt website or work with their retrofitting contractor to simplify the process.
- While it may be difficult for San Franciscans to obtain approval for certain types of retrofitting, Standard Plan A retrofits are often approved without incident.
The Approval Process
Once a homeowner and/or their contractor submits his/her application along with their plans for a potential retrofit, the city will send a building inspector to their residence for a pre-inspection.
- If for some reason the building inspector discovers or believes a homeowner has overlooked something in their plan they will need to return to their local permit office and apply for a refund.
- Once a building inspector OK’s the plan and the home, the city will issue all the necessary paperwork and work can begin with the homeowner’s contractor of choice.
- Homeowners need to keep in mind that there are fees attached to obtaining work permits. These come from both the city in which their home resides and the contractors they are working with. It behooves all homeowners to speak with their contractors at the very beginning of the process in order to ensure they are financially prepared for the entire process.
Protecting Your Home and Family
Earthquakes in San Francisco have a reputation as being devastating and catastrophic. Although there hasn’t been a large scale tremor in San Francisco in over 30 years, that’s no reason to downplay or outright dismiss the need for nor importance of earthquake retrofitting. In fact this makes it the perfect time to take advantage of the Earthquake Brace And Bolt program. Doing so will dramatically increase the strength of your home which in turn protects your home/investment as well as your family. If you need help with any part of this program please feel free to contact us.
To learn more about earthquakes and earthquake predicting, visit the Earthquake Science Explorer section of the United States Geological Survey website.