Soft Story Ordinance Burbank, CA: Key Compliance Deadlines
Burbank has a mandatory soft-story seismic retrofit program for certain existing wood-frame multifamily residential buildings. The City’s Soft-Story Seismic Retrofit program applies to vulnerable buildings with soft, weak, or open-front wall lines, especially older residential structures with open parking or other weak lower-story conditions.
This is an important update from older summaries of Burbank’s program. The City previously had voluntary seismic provisions for some residential building types, but the current soft-story program is mandatory under Ordinance No. 24-4021 and Burbank Municipal Code Title 9, Chapter 1, Article 16, Division 4.
Which Buildings Are Covered?
Burbank’s ordinance applies to existing wood-frame multifamily residential buildings with soft, weak, or open-front wall lines. A building may fall within the ordinance if it has:
- Wood-frame construction
- Multiple stories
- Three or more residential units
- Building code standards enacted before January 1, 1978
- Open ground-floor parking, tuck-under parking, or another open lower-story condition
- A soft, weak, or open-front wall line that may reduce seismic resistance
The City’s Soft Story Screening Form helps determine whether a building is subject to the ordinance, exempt, or previously retrofitted in a way that satisfies the City’s requirements.
Burbank Soft-Story Compliance Timeline
Burbank’s current program lists the compliance order date as January 10, 2025. The City’s timeline gives owners the following milestones:
- Submit Screening Form: January 12, 2026
- Submit Engineered Plans: January 11, 2027
- Secure Approval of Plans: January 10, 2028
- Secure Building Permit: January 10, 2029
- Complete Construction: January 10, 2030
Because requirements may depend on notice status, building status, and City review, owners should confirm current compliance expectations through Burbank Building and Safety before relying on older ordinance summaries.
Screening, Documentation, and Incentives
The screening process confirms whether a building falls within the scope of the ordinance and whether a retrofit is required. Depending on the property, owners may need to submit a scaled ground-floor plan, elevation sketches showing wall openings and wall lengths, perimeter wall photos, previous retrofit documentation, or supporting drawings and calculations.
Some sections of the screening form must be completed by a California-licensed civil engineer, structural engineer, or architect.
Burbank is also offering a permit refund incentive for early compliance:
- 100 percent building permit-fee refund for owners who fully comply by July 10, 2026
- 50 percent building permit-fee refund for owners who fully comply by January 10, 2028
The City also refers owners to the California Residential Mitigation Program for updates on earthquake retrofit grant resources. Because incentives and grants can change, owners should verify current availability before relying on a specific refund or assistance program.
Other Burbank Seismic Retrofit Provisions
Burbank’s Municipal Code has included seismic retrofit provisions for other building types, including unreinforced masonry, reinforced concrete and masonry buildings, concrete buildings with masonry infill, and welded steel moment frame buildings. Those programs are separate from the current residential soft-story ordinance.
For owners of wood-frame multifamily buildings, the most relevant current program is the mandatory soft-story ordinance under Title 9, Chapter 1, Article 16, Division 4.
Get Clear on Your Burbank Retrofit Status
If your building received a notice or appears likely to fall under Burbank’s soft-story retrofit program, the next step is understanding whether the property is subject to the ordinance and what documentation the City may require. Retrofit1 can help property owners evaluate potential soft-story conditions, coordinate licensed structural review, and plan the path from screening through retrofit completion when work is required.
When a property needs seismic upgrades beyond the soft-story ordinance itself, broader structural improvements can be considered through earthquake retrofitting in Burbank while keeping ordinance compliance and broader retrofit planning clearly separated.