Prepare Your House

The cost of a retrofit depends on the size of the cripple wall (height, length, width) and the cost of materials and labor. The cost also depends on whether there is any damage or rot in the existing wood-frame members of the house or if the foundation needs repair.

There are thousands of known faults in California, and scientists continue to discover new ones. Since earthquakes can happen anywhere in California, damage to your home and personal property is always possible. Check to see earthquake risk near you and take steps to get prepared!

The Earthquake Brace + Bolt program was created by the California Residential Mitigation Program (“CRMP”). Earthquake Brace + Bolt offers up to $3,000 for homeowners to seismically retrofit their houses. To be considered for participation in the program once registration opens, homeowners must complete the qualification questionnaire located on the website at www.earthquakebracebolt.com.

California has two-thirds of our nation's earthquake risk. Structures that lack adequate sill plate bolting and cripple-wall bracing are more susceptible to earthquake damage.

The frames of older houses are often not bolted to their foundations, and their cripple walls may lack bracing. Houses without adequate bolting and bracing can slide or topple off their foundation during an earthquake, requiring potentially very expensive repairs. But this serious damage can be prevented with a proper seismic retrofit.