Every day, we, at 360Builders, deal with multiple commercial and apartment buildings which are categorized as “soft stories” to make sure they are compliant to the Los Angeles Soft Story Retrofit Program. Now, if you may be wondering what soft story is, it is our part of our job as one of the leading soft story retrofit contractors to explain to you why it is important to have a soft story building retrofitted.

What is a soft-story building, you ask?

To simply put, soft-story buildings are multilevel establishments with three or more stories, wherein the ground floor is less rigid and less stable than the higher stories it is supporting. Without making sure it complies with building standards, this could cause structural damage and danger especially in the event of a seismic earthquake. Sufficient shear walls are necessary to strengthen the ground level, to make sure the foundation is strong enough to support the higher levels. To properly install shear walls, you need a Los Angeles Retrofitting Contractor.

To further promote safety and prevent casualties during catastrophic events such as earthquakes, an ordinance was passed and approved in the City of Los Angeles, to create building standards that should be mandatorily followed by building owners. The goal of this ordinance is to also minimize structural damage and deficiencies brought about by earthquakes. All soft story buildings built before 1978 strictly need to abide by this ordinance. If your building is included in the Department of Building Safety’s list, you have until 2022 to have your building retrofitted. 360Builders is a Los Angeles Soft Story Retrofit Contractor who will gladly take on the challenge. 

You can check out more details on our soft story retrofit services by visiting Retrofitting360.com.