Soft Story Ordinance San Jose, CA: Compliance Information
San José has adopted a mandatory soft-story retrofit ordinance for certain older multifamily residential buildings. The City’s Soft Story Retrofit Ordinance & Program was created to reduce collapse risk in wood-frame buildings with vulnerable lower stories, including buildings with parking, storage, crawl spaces, or other open conditions beneath residential units.
The ordinance was approved by City Council in 2024, but the City has delayed the effective date. San José now states that the mandatory program is scheduled to go into effect on April 1, 2027.
Which Buildings Are Covered?
San José defines a subject building as an older wood-frame residential building that meets specific criteria. A building may be subject to the ordinance if it:
- Was constructed or permitted before January 1, 1990, or was designed under the 1985 or earlier Uniform Building Code
- Contains two or more stories
- Contains three or more dwelling units
- Has a wood-frame target story
- Has been sent a City notice or screening instructions and has not been found exempt
The City’s Soft Story Retrofit Ordinance defines a wood-frame target story as a basement, underfloor area, or above-grade story where the wall configuration is substantially more vulnerable to earthquake damage than the story above, or where significant lateral or torsional strength or stiffness is provided by wood-frame walls.
San José Soft-Story Compliance Timeline
The City’s current program page states that the ordinance is scheduled to go into effect on April 1, 2027. San José also lists the following implementation steps:
- Online owner portal development by December 31, 2025
- Owner, tenant, and housing group outreach from November 2024 through June 2026
- Program status presentation in summer 2026
- Soft Story Retrofit Ordinance effective date on April 1, 2027
The City’s current program materials list construction completion deadlines by building group:
- Group 1: April 1, 2031
- Group 2: April 1, 2032
- Group 3: April 1, 2033
Because San José has amended the ordinance timeline, owners should confirm the current schedule through the City before relying on older deadline tables.
Building Groups and Screening
San José categorizes subject buildings into three groups:
- Group 1: buildings constructed before January 1, 1978 with five or more dwelling units
- Group 2: buildings constructed after January 1, 1978 and before January 1, 1990 with five or more dwelling units
- Group 3: buildings constructed before January 1, 1990 with three or more dwelling units that are not assigned to Group 1 or Group 2
Once the ordinance is in effect and notices are issued, owners may need to complete the City’s screening process. Screening may confirm that the property is a subject building, certify that it is not subject, or document previous seismic retrofit work. Certain certifications must be prepared and sealed by a California-licensed architect, civil engineer, or structural engineer.
Why San José Adopted the Program
San José adopted the ordinance to reduce earthquake-related deaths, injuries, housing loss, emergency response impacts, and financial disruption after a major seismic event. City materials reference the 1989 Loma Prieta earthquake and the 1994 Northridge earthquake as examples of how soft-story buildings can suffer severe damage or collapse.
San José received a $4.6 million FEMA grant in 2018 to help property owners with retrofit costs and program development. Because financial assistance programs can change, owners should verify current availability through the City before planning around a specific grant, loan, rebate, or pass-through structure.
Get Ready for San José Soft-Story Compliance
San José’s ordinance is still moving toward implementation, so owners have time to understand their building’s status before the program becomes active. The key questions are whether the property meets the City’s subject-building criteria, whether it contains a wood-frame target story, and which compliance group may apply.
Retrofit1 can help property owners review likely ordinance applicability, coordinate licensed structural evaluation, and plan retrofit design work if strengthening is required. For properties where seismic risk is not limited to soft-story compliance, broader structural upgrades can be addressed through earthquake retrofitting in San José while keeping ordinance requirements and broader retrofit planning clearly separated.