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Soft-Story Seismic Retrofit – City of Culver

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What do I need to do?

Socal Structural Engineering provides complete engineering support throughout all phases of the retrofit process:

Screening Report

  • Due 1 year from your Notice to Comply date
  • A licensed engineer evaluates your building and determines whether it is:
  • Exempt (no retrofit required), or Retrofit required

Retrofit Plans

  • Due 2 years from notice
  • If retrofit is required, a complete engineered plan set must be submitted to the City.

Permit and Start Construction

  • Due 3–4 years from notice
  • Once plans are approved, a contractor must pull the permit and begin construction within one year.

Complete Construction

  • Due 5 years from notice
  • The City must perform a final inspection and close the permit with “Final” status.
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Professional Engineering, Screening Reports, Retrofit Plans & Permit Support

Soft-story buildings in Culver City are now required to comply with Ordinance 2021-013, which mandates seismic evaluation and strengthening of wood-frame structures with soft, weak, or open-front wall lines (SWOF). Socal Structural Engineering provides a full, end-to-end engineering solution to help property owners meet every required milestone from initial screening to final approval from the City.

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Quick summary for property owners

Does my building need to comply?

Your building is likely part of Culver City’s soft-story program if it:
  • Iswood-framed
  • Was originally permitted before October 23, 1978
  • Has ground-floor or basement parking or other large open areas
  • Has a soft, weak, or open-front wall line
  • Has one or more stories above the open floor area
Single-family homes and accessory dwelling units are exempt .If you received a Notice to Comply from Culver City, your building is officially in the program.
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How long do I have?

All deadlines are measured from the date on your Notice to Comply, not from the year the ordinance was adopted.

How Socal Structural Engineering helps

We handle the engineering side of compliance, including:
  • Screening reports
  • Retrofit design and calculations
  • City plan-check responses
  • Structural observation during construction
  • Final engineering close-out to support City sign-off
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Under Ordinance 2021-013, Culver City requires evaluation and strengthening of certain wood-frame buildings with soft, weak, or open-front wall lines. These buildings are known to perform poorly in earthquakes because the ground level lacks sufficient lateral strength and stiffness.

Buildings included in the program

A building falls under this program if it:
  • Is of wood-frame construction
  • Has its original construction permit submitted before October 23, 1978
  • Has a ground floor or basement level with parking or other large open floor areas
  • Contains one or more SWOF wall lines
  • Has one or more stories above the open floor space

Exempt building types include single-family homes and accessory dwelling units.

Priority groups and notice dates

Culver City assigned compliance priority based on building size and configuration:
Priority I
  • More than 12 units, or
  • More than 3 stories with more than 6 units
  • Notices to Comply sent October 6, 2023
Priority II
  • 5–12 units (not Priority I)
  • Notices to Comply sent February 20, 2024
Priority III
  • Duplexes, triplexes, townhomes, and all other SWOF buildings
  • Notices to Comply sent July 5, 2024
Your actual deadlines are keyed to your building’s specific Notice to Comply date.
1. Screening report – due 1 year after Notice to Comply

A licensed Civil or Structural Engineer performs a structural evaluation and prepares a Screening Report to determine whether:

  • The building is exempt, or
  • The building requires seismic retrofit
The screening typically includes:
  • Review of the building’s configuration and wall lines
  • Identification of SWOF conditions
  • Preliminary assessment of load paths and diaphragms
  • Review of foundations where accessible
If the building is documented as exempt, no retrofit is required under this ordinance.
2. Retrofit plans – due 2 years after Notice to Comply

If the screening indicates that retrofit is required, the owner must submit a complete retrofit plan set, which generally includes:

  • Cover sheet and site plan
  • Floor plans, elevations and sections
  • SWOF identification and justification of wall lines
  • Structural calculations and lateral analysis
  • Foundation plan and details
  • Diaphragm analysis and strengthening where needed
  • Verification and detailing for diaphragm aspect ratios (for example, 3:1 limits or mitigation)
  • Required Culver City SWOF notes
  • Tenant Impact Mitigation Plan, where applicable

3. Obtain permit and start construction – due 3–4 years after Notice

After the City approves the retrofit plans:

  • A licensed contractor pulls the building permit
  • Construction must begin within one year of permit issuance, within the overall 3–4 year window from the Notice date

4. Complete construction – due 5 years after Notice

To satisfy the ordinance, the work must be completed and:

  • All required inspections must be passed
  • The City must sign off the permit as “Final”

Screening reports

Socal Structural Engineering provides:

  • Field evaluation of the building’s soft-story conditions
  • Identification of soft, weak, or open-front wall lines
  • Evaluation of diaphragms, foundations, and lateral load paths
  • Engineering determination of “Retrofit required” or “Exempt”
  • Preparation of the formal screening documentation for the City

Retrofit plan sets

Our retrofit plans are prepared to meet Culver City’s SWOF requirements and typical reviewer expectations, and may include:

  • Elevations and wall-line justification
  • Full lateral system analysis
  • Diaphragm design and ratio verification, with strengthening where necessary
  • Foundation strengthening and new footings as required
  • Beam and column upgrades
  • Steel or wood special moment frame design
  • Cantilevered column design in accordance with AISC provisions
  • Collector and drag strut design in accordance with ASCE 7-16
  • Material specifications and construction notes
  • A coordinated structural calculation package

Permit and plan-check support

We assist owners and contractors with the plan-check and permit process by:

  • Responding to Building Safety and SWOF reviewer comments
  • Providing revised drawings and calculations when needed
  • Preparing structural observation commitments and forms
  • Supporting Housing Division clearance documentation when triggered by the project

Construction support

During construction, Socal Structural can provide:

  • Structural observation in accordance with Culver City CBC amendments and plan requirements
  • Review of contractor RFIs relating to the structural design
  • Site visits at key stages of the work
  • Final observation letters or reports to support permit close-out
Soft-story buildings are vulnerable to earthquake damage because the ground floor often has much less strength and stiffness than the levels above. Common issues include:
  • Weak or open ground-floor walls due to parking or storefronts
  • Large openings that reduce the length of effective shear walls
  • Unreinforced or poorly detailed frames
  • Irregular or discontinuous load paths
  • Inadequate diaphragm support and chord detailing

These conditions can lead to excessive drift, localized failures, or collapse of the lower story during a strong earthquake. The Culver City ordinance is intended to reduce these risks, protect occupants, and preserve the city’s housing stock.

Culver City reviewers typically look for:
  • 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 match code and local requirements
  • Proper collector and drag strut design and detailing
  • Foundation upgrades in line with CBC Chapters 18 and 19 as adopted and amended
  • Anchorage and stability provisions for hillside or sloping sites
  • Demonstrated 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 when conditions are temporarily untenantable
  • A Tenant Impact Mitigation Plan (TIMP) outlining how construction will affect residents
  • Housing Division clearance before certain permits or work proceed

Socal Structural can assist with the engineering-related portions of these requirements and coordinate with property managers and ownership teams.

Capital improvement pass-through (optional for owners)

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
  • Annual caps on rent increases

We can help document engineering and design-related expenses as part of an owner’s larger pass-through strategy.

Whether your building received a Notice to Comply or you want to begin the process proactively, Socal Structural Engineering is ready to manage the entire engineering scope from start to finish.

Frequently Asked Questions

I received a notice from Culver City. What does it mean?

It means your building was officially identified under Culver City Ordinance 2021-013 as a wood-frame structure with Soft, Weak, or Open-Front (SWOF) wall lines.

You are required to complete a Screening Report and follow the compliance timeline.

Does this mean my building is unsafe?

Not necessarily. It means your building has characteristics that make it more vulnerable during earthquakes.

The purpose of the program is to evaluate the condition and, if needed, strengthen the building to reduce collapse risks.

What buildings are part of this program?

Your building is included if it meets all of the following:

  • Wood-frame
  • Two or more stories
  • Ground-floor parking or large openings
  • Built before October 23, 1978
  • Identified with SWOF wall lines

These are the classic “tuck-under parking” or “open-front” soft-story structures.

What do I have to do first?

The first required step is the Screening Report, prepared by a licensed Civil or Structural Engineer. This determines:

  • Exempt → no retrofit needed
  • Retrofit Required → proceed to engineering plans
How long do I have to complete the Screening Report?

You have 1 year from the date your Notice to Comply was issued.

This is very important:Your timeline is based on your specific notice date, not the ordinance adoption year.

What are the next steps after the screening?

If your building needs retrofit:

  • Retrofit Plans – due 2 years from notice
  • Obtain Permit & Start Construction – by year 3–4
  • Complete Construction – by year 5

If your building is exempt, the engineer indicates this in the Screening Report and no further retrofit action is required.

Can my building be exempt?

Yes, your engineer may determine your building:

  • does not meet SWOF criteria,
  • or was previously strengthened
  • or is structured in a way that does not trigger ordinance requirements

If exempt, the Screening Report documents this for the City.

What does the Retrofit Plan Set include?

Typical plan sets include:

  • Site plan & architectural sheets
  • SWOF identification
  • Shear wall & moment frame design
  • Foundation upgrades
  • Diaphragm analysis
  • Collector/drag strut detailing
  • Structural calculations
  • Required Culver City notes
  • Tenant Impact Mitigation Plan (if applicable)

This is prepared by your engineer and submitted for plan check.

What happens during construction?
  • Contractor pulls permit
  • Engineer performs required structural observations
  • City performs inspections
  • The project must receive final approval within 5 years of your notice date
How much does the retrofit cost?
  • Engineering costs are fairly predictable, but construction costs vary widely depending on:
    • Size of building
    • Number of openings
    • Foundation condition
    • Retrofit type selected (moment frame vs shear wall, etc.)

    We can evaluate this after reviewing your screening results.

How long does engineering take?
  • Screening: Usually quick
  • Retrofit plans: Typically a few weeks once site access is granted

We provide timelines immediately after initial review.

What if I’m missing documents from the City?

Just send us your Notice to Comply (a photo is fine).
We’ll tell you:

  • your deadlines
  • your compliance category
  • and exactly what needs to happen next

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