Apartment Soft-Story Retrofits: What Owners Should Know
Apartment soft-story retrofits are now critical for older buildings that were constructed before modern seismic codes addressed major earthquake forces. If your property has tuck-under parking or an open ground floor, it’s probably a soft-story building. That design creates serious risk during an earthquake.
In cities across California and the West Coast, seismic retrofitting is no longer optional — it’s essential. Whether a local ordinance requires it or you simply want to protect tenants and assets, retrofitting offers a safer, smarter path forward.
Here’s what every building should understand about apartment soft-story retrofits, and why taking action now makes sense for both safety and business.
What Is a Soft-Story Apartment Building?
Soft-story apartment buildings are typically multi-story residential structures with open ground floors for parking, commercial space, or other purposes. Because these open areas reduce structural support, they create weak points that can compromise stability.
Common features include:
- Tuck-under parking or open commercial space on the ground floor
- Upper stories with residential units stacked above
- Minimal shear walls or bracing at the ground level
Many soft-story apartment buildings were constructed before the implementation of modern seismic codes in the late 1970s, leaving them particularly vulnerable to earthquake damage.
Although those buildings met the standards of their time, they were not designed to resist the lateral forces produced by major earthquakes.
Why Apartment Buildings Are Vulnerable During Earthquakes
During an earthquake, buildings are subjected to powerful side-to-side shaking. In soft-story apartments, the open ground floor bears the brunt of these forces.
Because the ground level lacks adequate lateral support, it cannot fully absorb those forces. Meanwhile, the heavier upper stories continue to sway, exerting extreme pressure on the lower levels. This imbalance can lead to:
- Story drift: excessive movement that exceeds design limits
- Column failure: slender supports give way under pressure
- Pancake collapse: upper floors collapse downward onto lower levels
These vulnerabilities became tragically clear in past California earthquakes, where soft-story apartment collapses resulted in severe property damage and loss of life. Without seismic retrofitting, these buildings face a significantly higher risk of collapse—especially in earthquake-prone zones likely to experience strong shaking again.
Learn more about building types most at risk for earthquake damage.
Why Apartment Soft-Story Retrofits Are Needed (and Often Required)
Local ordinances have made seismic retrofitting mandatory in many cities for buildings that meet soft-story criteria.
Cities such as Los Angeles, San Francisco, and other municipalities require owners to retrofit by specific deadlines to avoid fines, penalties, or legal action.
Even if your city hasn’t required it yet, that could change soon as municipalities continue to expand seismic safety legislation. Therefore, retrofitting now may help you avoid last-minute price spikes and compliance headaches later.
Retrofit requirements aren’t just about avoiding fines — they protect people and financial investments. For example:
- Many cities require retrofitting by law. You’ll face fines or legal issues if you miss the deadline.
- Penalties for non-compliance are steep. These may include revoked occupancy or forced closure.
- Retrofits can reduce insurance costs. Buildings with lower SEL and SUL scores are less risky to insure.
- You may face liability without a retrofit. Owners could be held responsible for preventable injuries or losses.
- Retrofits may actually save money over time. By acting early, you avoid price surges and rushed timelines.
Get the 2025 California Soft-Story Retrofit for Apartment Building Owners Guide
Want more details about California’s soft-story retrofit ordinances, deadlines, financing programs, and seismic risks?
Download our free 2025 Apartment Building Retrofit Guide for California Property Owners.
This helpful resource summarizes everything you need to plan your retrofit — from city regulations to insurance incentives.
The Benefits of Apartment Soft-Story Retrofits for Building Owners
Soft-story seismic retrofitting isn’t just about avoiding collapse or following rules — it brings real, measurable benefits for building owners.
Protect Lives and Avoid Liability
Retrofits reduce collapse risks, improving safety for tenants and visitors. In California, owners are responsible for ensuring buildings are safe — and could be held liable if avoidable earthquake damage injures or kills occupants.
Meet Legal and Insurance Requirements
Retrofitting can lower key seismic loss metrics like Scenario Expected Loss (SEL) and Scenario Upper Loss (SUL), which insurers use to assess risk. Lower SEL and SUL values indicate a reduced likelihood and severity of earthquake damage, which can help reduce insurance premiums and improve your building’s insurability.
Preserve and Enhance Property Value
Strengthening your building improves its appeal to potential buyers and tenants. If your property hasn’t been retrofitted, it may be discounted or harder to sell once seismic safety records are public.
Improve Marketability and Tenant Confidence
A retrofitted apartment building demonstrates care and responsibility. Tenants — and prospective tenants — will value the peace of mind knowing your building is structurally safer.
How the Apartment Retrofit Process Works — and How Saunders Makes It Easy
At Saunders Seismic, we simplify the retrofit process for apartment owners. Here’s how we help you move forward with clarity and confidence:
Assessment and Consultation
We start with a no-pressure consultation to evaluate your property and explain retrofit options tailored to your building.
Engineer’s Evaluation
Our partnered engineers assess the building and design retrofit plans that meet local codes and safety requirements.
Permits and Drawings
We handle the permit process and submit drawings and documentation to keep your project moving without delay.
Construction and Completion
Our in-house crews and project managers execute the retrofit with minimal tenant disruption. In most cases, residents remain in place while work is completed.
Start Your Apartment Retrofit Plan Today
Seismic retrofits protect lives, properties, and investments — but choosing the right partner makes all the difference.
Nothing beats a Saunders Retrofit!
We combine decades of experience, in-house crews, and a streamlined process to make retrofitting simple, effective, and stress-free for apartment owners.
At Saunders Seismic, we guide you through every step:
➡️ Free. no-pressure consultation
➡️ Honest, transparent quotes
➡️ Minimal disruption to your tenants
➡️ Full support from start to finish
Let’s make your building stronger — and safer — together. Contact us for a free consultation and sleep better tonight.