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Weinstein Retrofitting Systems office

Frequently Asked Questions

Simply stated, it’s a process that ties a home together. It increase the resistance to earthquake damage and decreases the risk of injury. In short, it significantly strengthens the house.

Easy. Our trained inspectors will crawl under your home with a camera and a detailed check list. Crawl along with us if you like. You’ll receive a detailed report on the condition of your foundation and any water damage that may have occurred which may jeopardize the safety of your home and your family. We won’t ever sell you something that you don’t need. It all depends on the condition, type of structure, type of construction, the age of the structure and the level of protection you want for your home.

Absolutely. We only request a few minutes of your time to schedule the inspection and meet you on site. If your home is secured and doesn’t need retrofitting, we’ll tell you. If there are any problems, we can offer you the solutions.

Strengthened homes are safer to live in and easier to sell and insure. The Northridge earthquake showed us that strengthened homes stayed on their foundation in the same neighborhoods where retrofitting had not been performed on certain homes. Some insurance will no longer insure a home unless this work is done. Sellers of a home must also disclose to buyers if their home is unbolted.

The cost of the work varies. Some homes have cripple walls that need blocking or bracing, while other homes do not have cripple walls. Some homes have ample access to the work area, while others have limited access due to heating ducts or small access holes. The cost of the work will increase significantly if you need to replace an unreinforced masonry foundation or if your home experiences extensive termite or fungal damage to the wood. You will get an idea of the fair value of the work to be done by getting different bids from foundation contractors. We will provide you with an exact price during the inspection.

Most single-family homes on level or near-level lots can expect to pay from $2000 to $4000 for the total job. This price assumes the contractor performed the work according to the department’s standard plan and that there were no special conditions. Homeowners who do the work themselves can help reduce this cost. There will be additional costs if you need to hire an architect or engineer.

Yes. The building permit process protects your interests by providing building inspections. We’ve done work in all cities in the Los Angeles County and we know exactly what we need to start each job and to get the right permits for each specific work that we are going to perform. In addition, knowledgeable and well trained city inspectors will check the quality and quantity of the work. This helps you make sure the job was done right. You will also have a permanent record in the city hall that the work was permitted and inspected.

Getting a building permit is nothing that you will need to worry about. First, we will crawl under your home to determine what details your plan will use. We will prepare a plan of your home, and will reference the details you should use. Second, we will take your plan to your city’s building and safety office. If your home does not have any special conditions and all it needs is a department standard plan, obtaining the permit will be pretty simple. If your home has special conditions, your plan might need to be reviewed by an architect or engineer, who will assess it and make necessary changes. It is then stamped, approved, and sent back to the Department of Building and Safety for final approval to proceed with obtaining the appropriate permit to perform the work. The time-frame will vary depending on each city office and its requirements. Each permit has a fee that covers the costs of reviewing your plan, inspecting the work, and keeping a permanent record.

Under section 74.5 of the California Revenue and Taxation Code, seismic retrofitting work to an existing building is excluded from tax reassessment. To receive the exclusion, the assessor must be notified at least within 30 days of completion of the work. Contact the Los Angeles County Tax Assessor for details and current information.

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