If you own a multi-family residential building in Burbank, you may have received a notice about the new Mandatory Soft-Story Seismic Retrofit Ordinance effective January 10, 2025. Understanding whether your soft story building requires retrofitting is urgent with critical deadlines approaching. This guide helps you identify if your property falls under the Burbank residential soft story program.
What Is a Soft-Story Building?
A soft story building has a weaker first floor compared to upper levels, typically due to large garage door openings, tuck-under parking, or extensive windows that reduce structural wall strength. During earthquakes, this imbalance causes the first floor to collapse while upper floors remain intact. This devastating failure pattern was documented during California's 1989 Loma Prieta and 1994 Northridge earthquakes. The Burbank soft story vulnerable buildings program aims to prevent such catastrophic failures through mandatory seismic retrofitting.
Does Your Building Fall Under the Ordinance?
Your building is subject to the Burbank multi-family seismic retrofit ordinance if it meets ALL four criteria:
Built Before January 1, 1978
The ordinance applies exclusively to buildings constructed under pre-1978 building codes. This cutoff corresponds to when California adopted enhanced seismic requirements following the 1971 San Fernando earthquake.
Wood-Frame Construction
Your building must be wood-framed. Concrete, steel, or masonry structures are excluded. Most pre-1978 apartment buildings in Burbank utilize wood-frame construction.
Two or More Stories
The ordinance applies to buildings with two or more stories above grade. Single-story buildings are excluded regardless of other characteristics.
Soft Story Present
Your building has a soft story if the first floor features tuck-under parking beneath residential units, multiple garage doors along perimeter walls, large commercial openings with minimal structural walls, or extensive windows with insufficient solid wall sections. The key characteristic is significantly less structural resistance on the first floor compared to upper floors.
The Burbank Soft Story Screening Form
If you own a pre-1978 multi-family residential building, you must complete the Burbank soft story screening form by January 12, 2026—whether or not you received a City notice.
What the Form Requires
The screening form requires property identification (address, APN, owner contact), construction details (permit date, stories), first-floor configuration description, and building photographs showing front and side views. Submit via email to softstory@burbankca.gov or certified mail to Building Division, 150 N Third St, Burbank, CA 91502.
After Screening
The Building & Safety Division determines if your building is subject to the ordinance, not subject, or needs additional information. If subject, you must post a "Notice of Order" sign at the property by January 12, 2026.
Compliance Timeline and Financial Incentives
Once confirmed as subject, you face several deadlines through January 10, 2030. Early completion offers substantial financial benefits.
Permit Fee Refund Incentives
The City offers generous incentives for early compliance:
- 100% Permit Fee Refund – Complete retrofit by July 10, 2026
- 50% Permit Fee Refund – Complete by January 10, 2028
These refunds significantly offset engineering and construction costs.
Key Compliance Milestones
Submit screening form (January 12, 2026), submit engineered plans (January 11, 2027), secure plan approval (January 10, 2028), obtain permit and start construction (January 10, 2029), and complete construction (January 10, 2030).
ProStruct Engineering: Your Expert Partner
Determining whether your building falls under the ordinance and navigating compliance can feel overwhelming. Partnering with experienced professionals makes all the difference.
Enter ProStruct Engineering!
At ProStruct Engineering, we represent ourselves as a leading firm in the corridor of structural engineering and seismic assessment. A level of professionalism, extensive experience, disciplined approach, and unmatched precision are core characteristics that property owners admire. With over 35 years of experience and more than 3,000 residential projects completed throughout California, we have deep expertise in soft story building identification, assessment, and retrofit design.
How ProStruct Engineering Helps
- Screening Form Assistance – We accurately complete your Burbank soft story screening form, ensuring proper documentation and timely submission.
- Preliminary Assessment – Uncertain if your building qualifies? We conduct rapid assessments evaluating construction date, framing system, and first-floor configuration, providing clarity before formal screening.
- Compliance Planning – We develop comprehensive timelines identifying critical milestones and helping you pursue early-completion incentives for maximum permit fee refunds.
- Complete Engineering Services – From initial assessment through final approval, we provide full structural engineering for your Burbank multi-family seismic retrofit, including design, calculations, plan preparation, and construction administration.
- California Seismic Expertise – Thanks to qualified professionals, ProStruct Engineering understands California's unique seismic challenges, ensuring your retrofit meets compliance and provides optimal structural protection.
Early action advantages include qualifying for permit fee refunds, securing engineering availability before competition intensifies, and allowing more time for tenant coordination.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q) I received a notice but I'm unsure my building has a soft story. What should I do?
Submit the screening form by the deadline, indicating your uncertainty. Consider hiring ProStruct Engineering for a preliminary assessment determining if your first-floor configuration constitutes a soft story.
Q) My building was built in 1977 but remodeled in 1995. Is it still subject?
Yes. The determining factor is original construction date under pre-1978 codes. Subsequent remodels don't change this unless the entire structural system was replaced and re-permitted.
Q) What if I sell my property before retrofit completion?
The retrofit obligation transfers to the new owner. You must disclose compliance status to potential buyers, significantly impacting marketability and sale price.
Q) Can I get an exemption?
Possibly. If a structural engineer demonstrates your building meets required seismic performance standards, you may obtain an exemption through professional engineering assessment.
Take Immediate Action
Review your building's characteristics against the four criteria, download the screening form from the City website, contact ProStruct Engineering for a complimentary consultation, and submit your screening form early.
Essential Resources
Visit the City of Burbank at www.burbankca.gov/web/community-development/soft-story for official information and forms. Contact ProStruct Engineering for screening assistance and full retrofit engineering services. Read our comprehensive Burbank Soft-Story Retrofit: Complete Guide to the 2025 Ordinance for detailed compliance information.
Conclusion
Determining whether your building is one of the Burbank soft story vulnerable buildings subject to mandatory retrofit is your critical first step in protecting your property, tenants, and investment. The screening process provides clarity, and early action opens doors to significant permit fee refunds.
ProStruct Engineering comes to help property owners on the back of vast industry experience and expertise. We have the right skills to handle your soft story building screening, assessment, and retrofit engineering with utmost proficiency. Whether you're beginning to understand the ordinance or ready to move forward, ProStruct Engineering exhibits a level of professionalism for all seismic safety requirements in California.
Contact ProStruct Engineering today to schedule your consultation and take the first step toward screening, assessment, and successful retrofit completion within the Burbank residential soft story program.