Nestled between the Pacific Ocean and the Santa Monica Mountains is an upscale neighborhood known as the Pacific Palisades. Residents and visitors can enjoy stunning ocean views while hiking the trails of Temescal Gateway Park. Or, lounging on the warm sand of Will Rogers State Beach which features a 22-mile bike path along the ocean. But just like all the other cities and communities in the greater Los Angeles area, the Pacific Palisades are also prone to earthquakes.
Like most towns surrounding LA, Pacific Palisades also felt the effects of the Northridge Earthquake in 1994. While the seaside town did not suffer from the extensive damage that LA had to deal with, it did shock many of the area’s residents. No one living in Southern California should take their safety for granted. Instead, be prepared by having one of the Pacific Palisades soft-story retrofit contractors do an inspection of your property.
After the Northridge earthquake of 1994, Los Angeles city officials updated their building policies. They decided to implement a mandatory soft-story retrofit program for LA County. If you own a building that was constructed before 1994, you have probably received a notice to retrofit your structure to meet the current code. But don’t worry, there are a number of retrofitting contractors, like RetroFitting 360, which will make the process easy to understand.
What is a Soft Story Building?
LA’s mandatory retrofit program applies to any building that is classified as a “soft-story”. What this means, is any building with three or more stores that is built over a ground floor with windows, doors and large open spaces, like commercial space. If these structures were built before 1994, they are not up to the newest safety codes. Many of the buildings in the Pacific Palisades fall into this classification and are considered to be at risk when another major earthquake rolls through the Valley. Pacific Palisades soft-story retrofit contractors are ready to help you bring your building up to code.
What is involved in the process?
A lot of work is needed to complete the retrofit process, so don’t wait until the last minute to get started. Have your chosen soft-story retrofit contractor in Pacific Palisades complete an assessment of your building as soon as you can. When they are done they will create a detailed work plan for you that includes all of the repairs needed, an estimated cost, and tell you how long it should take. The next step is to acquire all of the necessary permits from the city so the work can begin.
You need to hire a professional contractor who has the training and skills needed for this type of job. Retrofitting 360 contractors are knowledgeable about the new building policies and will deliver the job effectively, professionally and affordably. After the work is complete, a city inspector will come out and make sure your structure meets the current safety standards. Remember, it is not about if another earthquake will hit Southern California, but when.
