Apartment Soft-Story Retrofits: What Owners Should Know
Many older apartment buildings were constructed before modern seismic codes accounted for major earthquake forces. If your property has tuck-under parking or an open ground floor, it’s probably a soft-story building — and that puts it at serious risk during an earthquake.
In cities across California and the West Coast, seismic retrofitting is no longer optional. It’s essential. Whether mandated by local ordinances or driven by your responsibility to protect tenants and investments, retrofitting is the smart path forward.
Here’s what every apartment building owner needs to know — and why taking action now makes sense from both safety and business perspectives.
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. These openings leave the ground level with less structural support than the floors above.
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.
While they were compliant at the time of construction, these designs did not account for the intense 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, this seismic force targets the weakest part of the structure: the open ground floor.
The ground level cannot effectively resist these forces without adequate lateral support. Meanwhile, the heavier upper stories continue to shift violently. This dangerous imbalance creates intense stress at the lower level, which 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.
Soft-story apartments face a significantly higher risk of collapse without retrofitting, especially in seismic zones where strong earthquakes are likely to occur again.
Learn more about building types most at risk for earthquake damage.
Why Soft-Story Apartment Retrofits Are Needed (and Often Required)
Local ordinances have made seismic retrofitting mandatory in many cities for buildings that meet soft-story criteria. Los Angeles, San Francisco, and other municipalities require owners to retrofit by specific deadlines to avoid fines, penalties, or legal action.
Even where retrofitting isn’t yet required, that could change. Many cities are actively expanding seismic safety legislation, meaning proactive retrofits now can save money and avoid rush pricing later.
Retrofit requirements aren’t just about avoiding fines — they’re about protecting people and financial investments.
- In many cities, retrofitting is mandatory. Ordinances in Los Angeles, San Francisco, and others require owners to retrofit by strict deadlines.
- Penalties for non-compliance can be severe. Owners face fines, loss of occupancy, or forced closures.
- Insurance premiums often drop after retrofitting. Lower SEL and SUL scores make buildings more insurable and affordable.
- Unretrofitted buildings carry liability risks. Owners can be held responsible for avoidable injuries and damages, even if local ordinances have not yet caught up.
- Proactive retrofits may save money long term. Delaying retrofitting can lead to increased costs later if demand rises when deadlines approach.
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 Retrofitting for Apartment 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
Retrofitted buildings are more attractive to potential buyers and tenants. Properties listed as non-retrofitted may be discounted or harder to sell when seismic safety is part of public records.
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 make the retrofit process straightforward and transparent. Here’s what apartment building owners can expect:
Assessment and Consultation
We begin 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:
➡️ No-pressure consultation
➡️ Honest, transparent quotes
➡️ In-house construction with minimal disruption
➡️ A trusted partner from start to finish
Let’s make your building stronger — and safer — together. Contact us for a free consultation and sleep better tonight.