If you own an older wood-frame apartment building in Culver City with ground-floor parking, a carport, or a large open storefront, your property may fall under the City’s mandatory soft-story retrofit program. SoCal Structural provides full engineering support through every milestone, from the initial screening report through final permit close-out, so owners can meet the City’s deadlines without navigating the technical process alone.
The Culver City Ordinance at a Glance
Under Ordinance 2021-013, Culver City requires certain wood-frame residential buildings with Soft, Weak, or Open-Front (SWOF) wall conditions to be evaluated and, where needed, seismically strengthened. These structures are known to perform poorly in major earthquakes: the ground floor lacks the lateral strength and stiffness to resist seismic loads, which can lead to excessive drift, partial collapse, or loss of the entire lower story.
If you’ve received a Notice to Comply from the City, your building is officially enrolled in the program and your compliance clock has already started.
Does Your Building Qualify?
A property falls under the ordinance if all of the following apply:
- Wood-frame construction
- Original construction permit submitted before October 23, 1978
- Ground floor or basement level with parking or other large open floor area
- One or more SWOF wall lines
- One or more stories above the open floor space
Single-family homes and ADUs are exempt.
Priority Groups and Notice Dates
Culver City grouped affected buildings into three priority tiers based on size and configuration, and issued Notices to Comply on a staggered schedule:
| Priority | Building Type | Notices Issued |
|---|---|---|
| Priority I | More than 12 units, or more than 3 stories with 6+ units | October 6, 2023 |
| Priority II | 5–12 units (not Priority I) | February 20, 2024 |
| Priority III | Duplexes, triplexes, townhomes, and all other SWOF buildings | July 5, 2024 |
Your actual deadlines are tied to your building’s Notice to Comply date — not the ordinance adoption date.
Compliance Milestones
Every deadline runs from the date on your Notice to Comply:
| Milestone | Timing |
|---|---|
| Screening Report | 1 year from Notice |
| Engineered Retrofit Plans | 2 years from Notice |
| Permit Issued & Construction Started | 3–4 years from Notice |
| Final Construction & Permit Close-Out | 5 years from Notice |
1. Screening Report (Year 1)
A licensed Civil or Structural Engineer performs a structural evaluation and produces a Screening Report determining whether the building is exempt or whether retrofit is required. The evaluation typically covers building configuration and wall lines, SWOF identification, a preliminary look at load paths and diaphragms, and a review of foundations where they’re accessible. If the engineer documents the building as exempt, no further action is needed under the ordinance.
2. Retrofit Plans (Year 2)
If retrofit is required, a complete plan set must be submitted to Culver City. Typical contents include:
- Cover sheet and site plan
- Floor plans, elevations, and sections
- SWOF identification and wall-line justification
- Structural calculations and lateral analysis
- Foundation plan and details
- Diaphragm analysis and strengthening where needed
- Verification and detailing for diaphragm aspect ratios (e.g., 3:1 limits or mitigation)
- Required Culver City SWOF notes
- Tenant Impact Mitigation Plan, where applicable
3. Permit and Construction Start (Years 3–4)
Once plans are approved, a licensed contractor pulls the permit, and construction must begin within one year of permit issuance — all within the 3–4 year window from the Notice date.
4. Construction Complete (Year 5)
All inspections must be passed and the City must sign the permit off as “Final” within five years of your Notice to Comply.
How SoCal Structural Supports Your Project
Screening Reports. Field evaluation of soft-story conditions, identification of SWOF wall lines, assessment of diaphragms, foundations, and lateral load paths, an engineering determination of “retrofit required” or “exempt,” and formal screening documentation prepared for the City.
Retrofit Plan Sets. Plans prepared to meet Culver City’s SWOF requirements and typical reviewer expectations. Depending on the building, our scope may include elevations and wall-line justification; full lateral system analysis; diaphragm design with ratio verification and strengthening where needed; foundation strengthening and new footings; beam and column upgrades; steel or wood special moment frame design; cantilevered column design per AISC provisions; collector and drag strut design per ASCE 7-16; and coordinated material specifications, construction notes, and structural calculations.
Permit and Plan-Check Support. We respond to Building Safety and SWOF reviewer comments, issue revised drawings and calculations as needed, prepare structural observation commitments and forms, and support Housing Division clearance documentation when it’s triggered by the project.
Construction Support. On-site structural observation per Culver City CBC amendments and plan requirements, review of contractor RFIs tied to the structural design, site visits at key stages, and final observation letters or reports for permit close-out.
What Culver City Reviewers Look For
Plan checkers in Culver City tend to focus on a recurring set of items, knowing this up front prevents avoidable plan-check cycles:
- Clear identification and justification of SWOF wall lines
- Required cover-sheet notes and general notes specific to the SWOF program
- Compliance with material strength limitations and detailing requirements
- Appropriate structural observation commitments
- Shear wall lengths, drift limits, and seismic force-resistance system R-values that align with code and local amendments
- Proper collector and drag strut design and detailing
- Foundation upgrades consistent with CBC Chapters 18 and 19 as adopted and amended
- Anchorage and stability provisions for hillside or sloping sites
- Continuity of the seismic load path from roof to foundation
Tenant Notification and Housing Division Requirements
For occupied buildings, Culver City may require written notification to current and prospective tenants, tenant protections if the building becomes temporarily untenantable during work, a Tenant Impact Mitigation Plan (TIMP) describing how construction will affect residents, and Housing Division clearance before certain permits or work can proceed. We handle the engineering-related portions of these requirements and coordinate with property management and ownership.
Capital Improvement Pass-Through
Culver City may allow owners to recover a portion of eligible retrofit costs through regulated rent increases, subject to timely application after project completion, documentation and verification of eligible costs, amortization limits, and annual caps on rent increases. We can help document the engineering and design-related expenses that feed into a pass-through filing.
Why Soft-Story Retrofits Matter
Soft-story buildings are vulnerable because the ground floor often has far less strength and stiffness than the floors above. Common issues include weak or open ground-floor walls caused by parking or storefronts, large openings that shorten effective shear walls, poorly detailed or unreinforced frames, irregular or discontinuous load paths, and inadequate diaphragm support. In a strong earthquake, these conditions can lead to excessive drift, localized failures, or collapse of the lower level. The Culver City ordinance exists to reduce those risks and preserve the city’s housing stock.
Frequently Asked Questions
I received a Notice from Culver City. What does it mean? Your building has been officially identified under Ordinance 2021-013 as a wood-frame structure with potential SWOF wall conditions. It triggers your compliance timeline.
Does that mean my building is unsafe? Not necessarily. It means the building has characteristics that make it more vulnerable in an earthquake. The program exists to evaluate the condition and strengthen it if needed.
Which buildings are included? Wood-frame, two or more stories, built before October 23, 1978, with ground-floor parking or large openings and identified SWOF wall lines. The classic “tuck-under parking” or “open-front” apartment buildings.
What’s the first step? A Screening Report prepared by a licensed Civil or Structural Engineer, which determines whether the building is exempt or requires retrofit.
How long do I have to complete the screening? One year from the date on your Notice to Comply.
What comes after the screening? If retrofit is required: retrofit plans by year 2, permit and construction start by years 3–4, and final construction complete by year 5. If the engineer documents the building as exempt, no further action is required under the ordinance.
Can my building be exempt? Possibly. An engineer may determine the building doesn’t meet SWOF criteria, was previously strengthened to an adequate standard, or is configured in a way that doesn’t trigger the ordinance. The Screening Report documents the exemption for the City.
What’s in a typical retrofit plan set? Site plan and architectural sheets, SWOF identification, shear wall and moment frame design, foundation upgrades, diaphragm analysis, collector/drag strut detailing, structural calculations, required Culver City notes, and a TIMP where applicable.
What happens during construction? The contractor pulls the permit, the engineer performs required structural observations, the City performs its own inspections, and the project must receive final approval within five years of your Notice date.
How much does a retrofit cost? Engineering costs are fairly predictable. Construction costs vary widely depending on building size, number of openings, foundation condition, and retrofit approach (moment frame vs. shear wall, for example). We can give a clearer picture after reviewing your screening results.
How long does the engineering take? The screening is usually quick. Retrofit plans typically take a few weeks once we have site access. We provide specific timelines after an initial review.
What does SoCal Structural handle? The full engineering scope, screening report, structural analysis, retrofit plan sets, City submittals and plan-check corrections, structural observation during construction, contractor guidance, and final compliance documentation.
What if I’m missing documents from the City? Send us your Notice to Comply, a photo is fine. From there we can confirm your deadlines, your compliance category, and exactly what has to happen next.
Get Started
Whether you’ve received a Notice to Comply or you want to get ahead of the program proactively, SoCal Structural manages the entire engineering scope from start to finish. Reach out for a free consultation and we’ll tell you exactly where your building stands.