21 March

Earthquake Retrofit Grants in LA – Free Money For A Safer Home

2024-03-21T08:53:05-07:00

The Danger Of Homes Built Prior To The 1950s Many thousands of homeowners in Los Angeles, and indeed, in the entire State of California, live in homes that were built in the 1950s or earlier, and as such, were built on foundations intended to safeguard the home in the event of a natural disaster such as an earthquake or a mudslide.  However, while today’s foundations [...]

Earthquake Retrofit Grants in LA – Free Money For A Safer Home2024-03-21T08:53:05-07:00
22 February

Does Your LA Apartment Building Balcony Meet Code? 5 Considerations

2024-02-22T07:50:06-08:00

Virtually all residential and commercial apartment buildings in the City of Los Angeles have balconies and other “Exterior Elevated Elements” (also called “EEE”) that can pose a safety risk if they are not properly maintained.  In recent years, the high-profile collapse of poor-condition EEEs, especially a balcony that resulted in multiple injuries and deaths of students during a birthday party, have paid out multi-million dollar [...]

Does Your LA Apartment Building Balcony Meet Code? 5 Considerations2024-02-22T07:50:06-08:00
10 February

Balcony Inspection and Repair – Protect Your Tenants & Investment

2024-02-10T12:03:58-08:00

Balcony Inspection and Repair Legal requirements and liability concerns The State of California has rolled out two new mandatory Balcony Inspection Laws, which were passed by the legislature in 2018 and 2019 in response to the deaths of six UC Berkeley students and the injuries of seven others during the 2015 collapse of a balcony the students were standing on during a birthday party.  Legislators [...]

Balcony Inspection and Repair – Protect Your Tenants & Investment2024-02-10T12:03:58-08:00
24 January

Tips on picking an EBB Contractor once your grant is approved!

2024-01-24T06:09:35-08:00

What is the California EBB Program? As you may already know, about twice a year, the State of California’s “Earthquake Brace + Bolt” (“EBB”) grant program provides homeowners in the Greater Los Angeles region with completely free money grants of $3,000 (and potentially other supplemental grants) in order to subsidize the cost of seismic retrofitting their homes.  Right now, and for a limited time, the [...]

Tips on picking an EBB Contractor once your grant is approved!2024-01-24T06:09:35-08:00
6 January

If Your Home Was Built In The 1970s or Earlier Read This Blog Now

2024-01-11T13:43:18-08:00

We will get hit by earthquakes, and one of those will be the “Big One” Every century, the greater Los Angeles region experiences a substantial earthquake, and seismic experts are united in the belief that our city is long overdue for a significant seismic event!  Our large earthquake will likely originate from the San Andreas fault, located a mere 35 miles away from downtown Los [...]

If Your Home Was Built In The 1970s or Earlier Read This Blog Now2024-01-11T13:43:18-08:00
12 December

Have A Crawl Space? Learn How To Save Up To 25% On Your Bills

2023-12-12T13:00:30-08:00

California Rainy Season Is here! Annually, when family and friends who live in other parts of the country have to deal with cold and snowy conditions, we happy (and warm) Los Angelinos keep an eye on our calendars for the unofficial start of our "Rainy Season," which begins in mid-October and ends toward the end of April.  Although our weather remains generally pleasant and sunny [...]

Have A Crawl Space? Learn How To Save Up To 25% On Your Bills2023-12-12T13:00:30-08:00
2 December

Soft Story Retrofit Violation Notifications Sent Out – Beware

2023-12-02T18:37:19-08:00

Los Angeles Commercial property owners have been notified by mail by the City of Los Angeles Office of the City Attorney that they have violated the L.A. Municipal Code Section 12.21A1a with respect to their mandatory compliance with the City of Los Angeles Soft Story ordinances.

Soft Story Retrofit Violation Notifications Sent Out – Beware2023-12-02T18:37:19-08:00
20 November

Santa Monica & Torrance Soft Story Retrofit Program – UPDATE

2023-11-20T17:21:53-08:00

THE CITY OF SANTA MONICA SOFT STORY RETROFITTING PROGRAM During the 1994 Northridge earthquake, the City of Santa Monica was hit hard, losing about 1,500 apartments, or about 5% of the city’s inventory of apartments.  Many of the damaged structures were wood-framed “Soft Story” multi-family residential apartment buildings, with car port parking on their ground floor, and above, apartment units supported by skinny poles which [...]

Santa Monica & Torrance Soft Story Retrofit Program – UPDATE2023-11-20T17:21:53-08:00
5 November

Have you prepared for the California Rainy Season

2023-11-05T07:24:04-08:00

When you ask homeowners in the greater Los Angeles area what our weather is typically like, the answer is that we are known for having sunny skies and a mild, Mediterranean-like climate!  At the same time, our region does experience a unique phenomenon known as the “Rainy Season”, which occurs from about late Autumn to Early spring.  These months bring much-needed refreshing rain to our [...]

Have you prepared for the California Rainy Season2023-11-05T07:24:04-08:00
28 October

Common Damage Found During L.A. Balcony Inspection – 4 Part Series

2023-11-05T07:12:06-08:00

Welcome to the fourth blog in our 4 part series, which provides owners of condominium buildings, as well as multi-unit residential apartment buildings, with information about their obligation to conduct balcony inspections and repairs, as required by the State of California’s “Balcony Inspection Laws”, also known as Senate Bills 326 and 721.  These two laws require the inspection and repair of damaged wood-framed “Exterior Elevated [...]

Common Damage Found During L.A. Balcony Inspection – 4 Part Series2023-11-05T07:12:06-08:00
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