Seismic – Earthquake Retrofitting

To retrofit, or not to retrofit: that is the question.

It’s the primary question many homeowners ask themselves.  It’s your decision.  Safety and equity are the major concerns for property owners and their families.  The next two questions are “What should I do about it?” and “Who can do it for me?”  The answers are going to depend on how you approach your situation.

There are basically three ways to look at strengthening your residence:

  • You can do it yourself.
  • Use a generic retrofitting company who will do it their way.
  • Hire an engineer to develop plans for a structural contractor.

Deciding on which way to proceed is where the crossroads for most homeowners begin.  All three approaches are viable since there is basically no overall code for retrofitting design as well as the fact that most cities accept that the work is of a voluntary nature.

Anderberg Construction Consulting, Inc. facilitates the initial decision process by educating the client on how to view various seismic shortcomings with respect to their individual needs. By understanding different choices and the “rough costs” they might expect to incur, the homeowner can then choose which of the three fundamental approaches will best serve them to better protect their safety and equity.