Oakland Soft-Story Ordinance
Oakland has a mandatory soft-story retrofit ordinance for certain multi-unit residential buildings with vulnerable lower stories. The City’s Mandatory Soft Story Retrofit Program was adopted through Ordinance No. 13516 and became effective on January 22, 2019.
Oakland’s earlier 2009 soft-story ordinance required certain owners to provide basic information about ground-floor structural supports, but it did not require retrofit construction. The current program requires evaluation and retrofit work for buildings that fall within Oakland Municipal Code Chapter 15.27.
Which Buildings Are Covered?
Oakland’s ordinance applies to certain multi-unit residential buildings identified as having potential soft-story conditions. A subject building may include a residential structure that:
- Contains five or more dwelling units
- Was constructed before 1991, or designed under the 1985 or earlier Uniform Building Code
- Has a vulnerable target story, such as a lower story or crawl space
- Has parking, garage openings, commercial openings, or other lower-story conditions that reduce lateral strength or stiffness
Appears on the City’s List of Subject Properties, unless documented as exempt
Oakland Soft-Story Compliance Timeline
Oakland’s compliance schedule is based on the building’s compliance tier and the required program step. The City’s current program page lists the following timeline from OMC 13516, Section 15.27.070:
- Non-subject buildings: owners may document that the building is not subject to the ordinance within 1 year
- Tier 1: mandatory evaluation and initial affidavit due within 2 years, retrofit permit or target story evaluation report due within 3 years, retrofit work and final affidavit due within 4 years
- Tier 2: mandatory evaluation and initial affidavit due within 3 years, retrofit permit or target story evaluation report due within 4 years, retrofit work and final affidavit due within 5 years
- Tier 3: mandatory evaluation and initial affidavit due within 4 years, retrofit permit or target story evaluation report due within 5 years, retrofit work and final affidavit due within 6 years
Owners may also document eligibility for a later compliance tier within 1 year when applicable.
Compliance Steps and Technical Review
Oakland’s program generally requires owners to document the building’s status, complete professional evaluation, and move through permitting and retrofit construction if strengthening is required. For buildings that are not exempt, Oakland’s Submit Initial Affidavit of Compliance page explains that a licensed engineer or architect must evaluate the building before the initial affidavit is submitted.
The City’s Technical Bulletins provide engineering guidance for complying with Chapter 15.27. Depending on the building, the process may involve a seismic evaluation, schematic retrofit report, target story evaluation, permit application, retrofit construction, final inspection, and final affidavit of compliance.
Exemptions, Extensions, and Tier Changes
Oakland provides formal processes for owners whose buildings may not fit the standard compliance path. Owners may apply for an exemption if the building is not subject to Chapter 15.27, request a change of compliance tier if the property qualifies for a later deadline, or request an extension when more time is needed.
These options do not automatically resolve the building’s status. They are City review processes used to determine whether the property is subject to the ordinance, whether a later tier applies, or whether additional time may be granted.
Current Status for Oakland Property Owners
Oakland’s current City page identifies the program as mandatory and lists a subject-property inventory updated as of May 2026. Because many original compliance deadlines have already passed for earlier tiers, owners should confirm the current record for their specific building rather than relying on older summaries or the original 2019 implementation dates alone.
Owners should check whether the property appears on the current list, whether an exemption or tier change was approved, whether an initial affidavit was submitted, whether retrofit permits were obtained, and whether final inspection and the final affidavit of compliance have been completed.
Get Clear on Your Oakland Retrofit Status
If your Oakland property appears on the City’s soft-story list or has unresolved compliance documentation, the next step is understanding where the building stands in the City’s process. Retrofit1 can help property owners review potential soft-story concerns, coordinate licensed structural evaluation, and plan the path through permitting, construction, final inspection, and compliance documentation when retrofit work is required.
When a building has seismic concerns beyond Oakland’s mandatory soft-story program, those broader improvements can be evaluated through earthquake retrofitting in Oakland while keeping ordinance compliance and broader retrofit planning clearly separated.