Earthquake Brace and Bolt Grants for Homeowners
$3,000 available for earthquake work to qualifying homeowners.
The Earthquake Brace + Bolt (EBB) program provides homeowners up to a maximum of $3,000 for approved construction projects to strengthen their foundation. Homeowners who are accepted in the EBB program are required to agree to and adhere to the full Program Rules and Terms of Use posted on the website. (Read the 15 page Rules and Terms here.)
The EBB program requires adherence to the California Building Code, Appendix Chapter A3, which sets prescriptive standards for seismic retrofits of existing residential buildings.
Homeowner registration is open until February 20 to apply for participation in the program. Homeowners will be notified via email if they have been selected or if they are on the wait list. Selected homeowners will receive detailed information and next steps for participation in EBB.
Highlights of qualifications for homeowners :
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Homeowner must be the owner of record and live in the house that will be retrofitted.
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The house must meet the structural requirements of a Chapter A3 retrofit which is done completely in the crawl space around the perimeter of the foundation.
- For houses with cripple walls 4-feet or less, a contractor or homeowner may complete the retrofit using an approved standard plan set.
- For houses with cripple walls taller than 4-feet an engineered solution is required.
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The house must not have a completed brace and bolt retrofit previous to being accepted into EBB.
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The building permit must be received and dated after acceptance into EBB.
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The building permit must state the retrofit is in accordance with Chapter A3. If the retrofit is an engineered solution, then the signed and stamped letter from the engineer must state the retrofit is in accordance with Chapter A3.
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In addition to the brace and bolt retrofit the work must include strapping the water heater.
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The homeowner must meet all program deadlines and submit the required documentation.
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The house must successfully pass a final inspection by a local building inspector, confirming the retrofit was done in accordance with Chapter A3.
Think I heard program administrator say on KQED that the program was a lottery and there were 1600 slots state wide.