The City of Los Angeles recently passed Ordinance 183893, which requires the renovation of Soft Story pre-1978 wood-frame buildings and non-ductile concrete buildings. The purpose of the compulsory refurbishment programs under the ordinance is to reduce these structural defects and to enhance the quality of these buildings during earthquakes. Without proper reinforcement, these vulnerable buildings may be subject to structural failure during and/or after an earthquake. If you own any commercial buildings in Los Angeles, California, then you know that earthquakes are a natural occurrence. In order to keep your tenants, or employees, safe, you may need to have a seismic retrofit done to your building. These include apartment complexes, resorts, or office buildings. There are a number of companies in Los Angeles, but which one is right for you? Here are four steps you should follow to help you answer that question.
1. Come Up With a Short List It may be tempting to search Google and commit to working with the first result on the list, but more research is needed to find out about earthquake retrofitting contractors that suit your commercial building needs. Make a list, but keep it short, of the companies that interest you the most. Keeping your list short will help you find the right company for your building, too many choices are always overwhelming.
2. Ask about Experience While there are not formal credentials in seismic retrofitting, your earthquake retrofitting contractors should have extensive experience and training, with deep knowledge of the process, materials, and local regulations involved in a Weisntein Construction.
3. Get Some Recommendations or Find Reviews The best way to find out how good a company is, is by asking your friends or colleagues. Speaking to other commercial building owners about which contractors they have dealt with and what their experience has been like can be an excellent way to identify the best option for your needs. Be sure to find out what other customer’s experience was like or what they thought of the work that was done.
4. Think ROI, Not Price Tag This type of construction project is expensive, it doesn’t get around. But, don’t dwell on the initial out – of-pocket costs, think of the retrofit as in investment in your future. While it may be tempting to hire a company with the lowest price, that doesn’t always mean they’re going to do the best job. The whole idea behind the reconstruction of the earthquake is to ensure that your building remains standing during the next, or potential, earthquakes, without costing you a lot in damages, or even in litigation by one of your tenants or workers who have been injured or killed. During your initial phone calls be sure to find out everything that is included in the quote.
To get started today or for more information, contact us today to schedule a FREE on-site inspection by our team of Soft Story experts or call us now at
