Soft Story Ordinance Long Beach, CA: Retrofitting Compliance
Long Beach does not currently have a mandatory soft-story retrofit ordinance with fixed compliance deadlines like Los Angeles or San Francisco. The City’s current effort remains voluntary, but its Building Seismic Resiliency Program is identifying older buildings that may be vulnerable during a major earthquake.
The program focuses on buildings with Soft, Weak, or Open-Front wall lines, also known as SWOF buildings. These are often older wood-framed buildings with open ground-floor conditions, such as tuck-under parking, garage openings, large storefront openings, or other layouts where the first level may have less lateral resistance than the stories above.
Current Status of Long Beach’s Program
Long Beach’s program is not currently a full mandatory retrofit ordinance requiring every affected building to complete construction by a set deadline. Instead, the City is identifying buildings with potential SWOF characteristics, publishing those buildings through its GIS inventory, and asking owners to confirm or update building information through screening.
Property owners can use Long Beach’s Building Seismic Resiliency Program SWOF Map to see whether a property has been identified as potentially having Soft, Weak, or Open-Front characteristics. City materials also state that future mandates may be considered as Long Beach continues developing its seismic resiliency strategy.
What Property Owners May Need to Submit
Property owners whose buildings have been identified as having potential SWOF characteristics may be asked to complete the City’s screening process. The City’s FORM-062 SWOF Inventory Screening Form is intended for owners of existing wood-framed buildings with potential SWOF wall lines to confirm or update the information in the City’s initial inventory.
The screening process does not necessarily mean a retrofit is immediately required. It helps determine whether the building actually has SWOF characteristics, whether additional evaluation may be needed, or whether the property should be removed from the City’s SWOF inventory.
Why Long Beach Is Reviewing SWOF Buildings
Long Beach has been studying soft-story risk as part of a broader effort to improve building safety before a major seismic event. In a 2025 seismic resiliency memo, the City reported that an initial study identified approximately 3,100 potential SWOF buildings citywide before the data was reviewed, refined, and integrated into the City’s GIS inventory.
These buildings are a concern because open or weakened ground-floor conditions can reduce the structure’s ability to resist lateral earthquake forces. Long Beach’s seismic resiliency materials identify SWOF buildings as one of the vulnerable building types being evaluated under the City’s broader earthquake safety efforts.
Should Owners Retrofit Before a Mandatory Ordinance Exists?
Even though Long Beach does not currently require all identified soft-story buildings to complete a retrofit by a fixed deadline, early evaluation may help owners understand the building’s condition and prepare for possible future requirements.
A voluntary review can help property owners confirm whether the building has a SWOF condition, understand whether engineering review is needed, document previous strengthening work, and plan ahead before a future mandate creates formal deadlines.
Get Clear on Your Long Beach SWOF Status
If your property appears on Long Beach’s SWOF inventory map or you received a notice related to the City’s Building Seismic Resiliency Program, the next step is understanding whether the designation is accurate and what level of evaluation may be needed. Retrofit1 can help property owners review potential soft, weak, or open-front conditions, coordinate licensed structural guidance, and plan retrofit work if strengthening is recommended.
When a building has seismic concerns beyond the City’s SWOF inventory process, those broader improvements can be addressed through earthquake retrofitting in Long Beach while keeping voluntary program questions and general retrofit planning clearly separated.