Beverly Hills Soft-Story Ordinance
Beverly Hills has a mandatory soft-story seismic retrofit ordinance for certain existing wood-frame multifamily buildings with soft, weak, or open-front wall lines. The City’s Seismic Retrofit Program was created to reduce earthquake risk in vulnerable buildings with open lower-story conditions.
The City adopted Ordinance No. 18-O-2767 on December 11, 2018, and the ordinance became effective on January 11, 2019.
Which Buildings Are Covered?
Beverly Hills’ ordinance applies to certain existing wood-frame multifamily buildings that may be vulnerable because of open or weak lower-story conditions. A building may fall within the program if:
- A permit for construction of a new building was applied for before January 1, 1978
- If no permit can be located, the Building Official determines the structure was built under pre-1978 code standards
- The ground floor or basement contains parking or similar open floor space that creates soft, weak, or open-front wall lines
- One or more stories exist above the open ground-floor or basement condition
The City notes that Ordinance No. 18-O-2767 does not apply to single-family structures and buildings. Certain detached structures with only one unit in the soft-story portion may also be eligible for City review as a possible exemption.
Beverly Hills Soft-Story Compliance Timeline
Beverly Hills uses notice-based compliance deadlines rather than a single citywide construction date. Once a Notice to Comply is served to the owner, the ordinance gives the following timeline:
- Submit Screening Form: within 6 months from the notice date
- Submit Retrofit Plans: within 1 year from the notice date
- Obtain Building Permit: within 2 years from the notice date
- Commence Construction: within 2.5 years from the notice date
- Complete Construction: within 3 years from the notice date
Priority Designations
Beverly Hills assigned properties to Priority I, Priority II, or Priority III based on building characteristics:
- Priority I: buildings with 3 or more stories
- Priority II: buildings with 2 stories and 6 or more units
- Priority III: buildings not falling within Priority I or Priority II
These priorities helped the City phase enforcement and determine the order in which notices were issued. Since many original deadlines may have already passed, owners should confirm whether their building is compliant, exempt, finaled, or still unresolved.
Screening, Tenant Protection, and Incentives
The Soft-Story Seismic Retrofit Screening Form helps the City determine whether a building is within the scope of the ordinance, exempt, or required to move forward with retrofit work. The City states that the form must be prepared by a California-licensed civil engineer, structural engineer, or architect.
Beverly Hills also requires a “Means and Method Plan for Tenant Protection During Construction” before permit issuance. The City’s Road Map to Compliance with Ordinance No. 18-O-2767 explains that this plan must identify construction timelines, tenant impacts, and proposed mitigation measures.
The City has offered building permit fee refunds for qualifying projects completed within specific periods after the Notice to Comply date. Because many original notice dates have passed, owners should verify whether any incentive remains available for their specific property.
Current Status for Beverly Hills Property Owners
For many Beverly Hills properties, the original ordinance deadlines have already passed. The current issue is often documentation, exemption status, permit history, final inspection status, or unresolved compliance rather than an upcoming deadline.
Owners should confirm whether their building received a Notice to Comply, which priority applied, whether the screening form was accepted, whether retrofit plans and permits were completed, and whether final inspection approval was issued.
Get Clear on Your Beverly Hills Retrofit Status
If your property received a Notice to Comply or has unclear retrofit documentation, the next step is understanding what Beverly Hills’ records show and whether any remaining action is required. Retrofit1 can help property owners review potential soft-story conditions, coordinate licensed structural evaluation, and plan the path through permitting, construction, final inspection, and compliance documentation when retrofit work is still needed.
When a property has broader seismic concerns beyond Beverly Hills’ soft-story ordinance, those improvements can be evaluated through earthquake retrofitting in Beverly Hills while keeping ordinance compliance and broader retrofit planning clearly separated.