Santa Monica was one of the earliest California cities to adopt a mandatory seismic retrofit program, and its scope is broader than most, more than 2,000 commercial and multi-family residential buildings fall under the ordinance. If your property is on the City’s list, a structural evaluation is required, and depending on the outcome, a full retrofit may follow. SoCal Structural provides end-to-end engineering support through every phase, from the initial evaluation through final City sign-off.
The Santa Monica Ordinance at a Glance
Santa Monica adopted its Seismic Retrofit Program in 2017 to reduce the risk of structural failures during a major earthquake. The City identified more than 2,000 potentially vulnerable buildings across several categories, and owners of listed properties are required to complete a structural evaluation and, where needed, a full retrofit within the City’s published deadlines.
Unlike some neighboring cities, Santa Monica doesn’t use a simple “screening form → retrofit or exempt” binary. Instead, a licensed engineer or architect performs a full structural evaluation, and the outcome determines whether the building proceeds to retrofit or is exempted.
Does Your Building Qualify?
For the soft-story portion of the program, a building is subject to the ordinance if all of the following apply:
- Wood-frame construction
- Two or more stories
- Built before January 1, 1978
- Has ground-floor parking, garages, or open fronts
- Contains one or more soft, weak, or open-front wall lines
Santa Monica’s broader ordinance also covers additional seismically vulnerable building types beyond soft-story, if your building is on the City’s list but doesn’t match the soft-story criteria above, it may fall under a different category.
Is Your Building on the List?
Santa Monica publishes two tools that let owners confirm whether their property has been identified as potentially vulnerable:
- A searchable map
- An Open Data list (downloadable)
Being included on the list doesn’t automatically mean the building is unsafe, it only means the building falls within a category subject to evaluation under the ordinance.
Compliance Deadlines
Santa Monica’s deadlines are staggered by building size and type. Below is a simplified version of the City’s published schedule for soft-story buildings:
| Building Type | Evaluation Due | Plans Due | Retrofit Complete |
|---|---|---|---|
| Soft Story — >2 stories & <16 units | Sept 2021 | Sept 2022 | Sept 2025 |
| Soft Story — 16+ units | Oct 2021 | Oct 2022 | Oct 2025 |
| Soft Story — 2 stories, 7–15 units | Nov 2021 | Nov 2022 | Nov 2025 |
| Soft Story — 2 stories, <7 units | May 2022 | May 2023 | May 2026 |
| Soft Story — 2 stories, <7 units (2nd batch) | July 2022 | July 2023 | July 2026 |
Most Evaluation and Plans deadlines have passed. Owners who haven’t yet complied should act quickly, construction deadlines are still on the horizon but won’t wait for late starters.
The Santa Monica Compliance Process
1. Structural Evaluation
A California-licensed Structural Engineer, Civil Engineer, or Registered Architect performs a full structural evaluation to determine whether the building meets minimum earthquake performance standards.
If the property qualifies for reconsideration, for example, because of a prior retrofit or because it doesn’t actually fit a hazardous building category, the owner can submit a Request for Reconsideration instead. The City reviews the evidence and decides whether the building can be removed from the list.
2. Submit the Evaluation to the City
The completed evaluation is submitted to Santa Monica’s Building & Safety Division. From there, one of two things happens:
- Building meets minimum seismic performance. The City may exempt the property from further retrofit requirements.
- Building does not meet minimum standards. Retrofit is required, and the project moves to plan review.
3. Submit Retrofit Plans for Plan Review
If retrofit is required, a licensed engineer or architect prepares structural drawings and calculations, and the plan set is submitted through the City’s Electronic Plan Review system. A Means & Methods Plan is also required for all tenant-occupied residential buildings, this addresses how construction will be sequenced and how residents will be protected during the work.
The City reviews the submission, issues corrections as needed, and approves the project once all requirements are satisfied.
4. Obtain Building Permit
After plan approval, a licensed contractor pulls the building permit. Two key notes on this step:
- Only properly licensed contractors can pull the permit.
- Work must begin within six months of permit issuance, or the permit expires.
City inspections are performed periodically during construction.
5. Complete Retrofit and Final Inspection
A final inspection from a City Building Inspector is required. Once approved, the inspector issues a Final sign-off on the permit, the City’s official verification that the building is fully compliant and that the seismic retrofit obligation is closed out.
How SoCal Structural Supports Your Project
We provide full-service engineering support for Santa Monica soft-story compliance:
- Structural evaluations performed by licensed engineers
- Preparation of retrofit plans and structural calculations
- Means & Methods Plans for tenant-occupied buildings
- Submittals through the City’s Electronic Plan Review system
- Construction support and inspection coordination
- End-to-end project management through Final sign-off
Our focus is making sure your building meets every ordinance requirement and stays on track for the remaining deadlines.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I know if my building is included? The City mailed Notices to affected property owners and maintains a public searchable list. Being on the list doesn’t mean your building is unsafe, only that it has to undergo evaluation.
Does being listed mean my building is hazardous? No. Inclusion is based on building characteristics and year of construction, not an actual safety determination.
Who can perform the Structural Evaluation? A California-licensed Structural Engineer, a California-licensed Civil Engineer, or a Registered Architect.
If my engineer determines a retrofit isn’t required, am I automatically exempt? Not quite. The City still has to review the evaluation. If it’s approved, the City issues a letter verifying compliance and no further action is required.
Will I receive formal City verification after construction? Yes. A City Building Inspector issues a Final sign-off on the permit, that’s the official documentation of compliance.
My building was retrofitted after the 1994 Northridge earthquake. Am I exempt? Not necessarily. Many earlier retrofit designs, “pole structure” retrofits in particular, don’t meet Santa Monica’s current program requirements. The evaluation will determine whether prior work is sufficient.
Get Started
Whether you’ve already received a Notice from the City or want to get ahead of an upcoming deadline, SoCal Structural handles the full engineering scope, evaluation, retrofit design, plan review coordination, and construction support. Reach out for a free consultation and we’ll tell you exactly where your building stands.