Is my building subject to the SF Soft-Story Retrofit mandate?
Answered by AskBaily Editorial · Updated
Short answer
The Mandatory Soft-Story Retrofit Program covers wood-frame buildings of three or more stories with five or more residential units, permitted for construction before January 1, 1978, with a weak or open first story (e.g., ground-floor parking or storefront). Roughly 4,800 SF buildings were identified; the compliance deadline for most tiers has passed. Non-compliant buildings face citations and cannot be legally refinanced in many cases.
In detail
The Mandatory Soft-Story Retrofit Program covers wood-frame buildings of three or more stories with five or more residential units, permitted for construction before January 1, 1978, with a weak or open first story (e.g., ground-floor parking or storefront). Roughly 4,800 SF buildings were identified; the compliance deadline for most tiers has passed. Non-compliant buildings face citations and cannot be legally refinanced in many cases.
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