Is my building on the LA soft-story retrofit list?
If your building is in the City of Los Angeles, is wood frame, and has parking tucked under the living space, there is a good chance it is on the LADBS retrofit list. Type the address below and you will see the status in a few seconds, along with what that status does to your insurance.
What the status means for insurance
| Status | What it means |
|---|---|
| Retrofit certified | Normal placement. Put it in front of the underwriter early, it helps the price. |
| Permit issued, work pending | Placeable. Underwriters want the expected completion date. |
| Order to comply open, no permit | Harder placement, worse earthquake terms, and some carriers decline until the work is done. |
| Not on the list | Confirm there is no tuck-under parking. Buildings outside LA city follow their own city's ordinance. |
The city ordered about 12,000 wood-frame buildings with tuck-under parking to retrofit. Of the last 131 apartment buildings I reviewed that changed hands in LA County, 18 were on the list and 16 of those were certified. Buyers usually hear this first from the underwriter. It is public information, and you can check it before you write the offer.
Questions owners ask me about soft-story
- How do I find the Los Angeles soft story retrofit list?
LADBS publishes it for City of Los Angeles properties. The tool on this page checks an address against it for you, so you do not have to work out which list or which case number applies. - Does a soft story building cost more to insure?
Until the retrofit is certified, yes. Expect fewer carriers, tougher earthquake terms and a higher property rate. Once the certificate exists the building usually goes back to a normal placement. - My retrofit is finished but not signed off. Does that count?
Not to most underwriters. They price the certificate, not the work. If the contractor is done, push the city sign-off through and send the certificate to your agent the day it lands. - Is there a soft story list outside the City of Los Angeles?
Several LA County cities run their own retrofit programs with their own deadlines. If your building is outside LA city, ask that city's building department directly, and check the tool for the rest of the risk picture. - Does a retrofit lower my earthquake premium?
It changes the conversation more than it changes one number. A certified building can be quoted by carriers that would decline it otherwise, and that competition is where the savings come from.
Check another addressFree. Public records only. No quote, no obligation.