Burbank has joined a growing list of Southern California cities requiring owners of older wood-frame apartment buildings to seismically strengthen their properties. If your building has tuck-under parking, carports, or large ground-floor openings and was built before 1978, it likely falls under the City’s mandatory retrofit program. OC Structure Check provides the licensed structural engineering work required for compliance, from the initial screening through final inspection, backed by a California-licensed Structural Engineer with more than 20 years of experience across Southern California.
The Burbank Ordinance at a Glance
Under Ordinance 24-4,021, the City of Burbank requires owners of qualifying older wood-frame residential buildings to evaluate their properties for Soft, Weak, or Open-Front (SWOF) wall conditions and retrofit them as needed. The program targets the same structural vulnerability that has driven ordinances in Los Angeles, Santa Monica, and Beverly Hills: buildings with open ground-floor parking lack the wall bracing needed to resist earthquake forces at the most critical level.
Compliance is a multi-year process, and the clock has already started.
Does Your Building Qualify?
A property is subject to the ordinance if all of these apply:
- Wood-frame construction
- Two or more stories
- Built before January 1, 1978
- Has ground-floor parking, garages, or open-front wall lines
- Exhibits one or more Soft, Weak, or Open-Front wall conditions
Single-family homes fall outside the ordinance.
Compliance Deadlines
Burbank’s program, measured from the January 10, 2025 Notice to Comply, sets the following deadlines:
Milestone | Deadline |
Submit Screening Form | January 12, 2026 |
Submit Engineered Retrofit Plans | January 11, 2027 |
Obtain Plan Approval | January 10, 2028 |
Obtain Permit & Begin Construction | January 10, 2029 |
Complete Construction | January 10, 2030 |
With the first deadline already here, property owners who haven’t started should move quickly, the screening form alone requires a site visit, structural review, and a licensed engineer’s sign-off.
Financial Incentives
Burbank is encouraging early compliance with a tiered permit-fee refund:
- 100% refund if the full retrofit is completed by July 10, 2026
- 50% refund if completed by January 10, 2028
Owners may also recover up to 50% of construction costs from tenants through a temporary monthly surcharge, capped at $51 per unit per month for up to 120 months.
How OC Structure Check Supports Your Project
Screening Reports. A full structural assessment of the building, identification of SWOF wall lines, a clear “retrofit required” or “exempt” determination, engineering documentation for exemption requests, and guidance on the City’s required signage postings. Reports are stamped and signed by a California-licensed Structural Engineer (CA #S5905).
Retrofit Plan Sets
Complete engineered drawings that comply with Burbank’s Seismic Design Guidelines, covering lateral analysis and calculations; diaphragm, collector, and foundation upgrades; cantilever column systems; drift checks, base-shear calculations, and irregularity assessments; and all structural details and material specifications needed for plan check.
Permit Coordination
Plan check response letters, structural observation forms, and direct coordination with Burbank Building & Safety, plus guidance on housing and tenant-notification requirements.
Construction Support
Structural observation at key construction stages, RFI responses for the contractor, and help carrying the project through to final City approval.
Tenant and Signage Compliance
Once a Notice to Comply is issued, the City requires safety signage and construction notices to be posted and later removed only after final approval. We walk owners through what’s required and when.
Why Property Owners Work With Us
- Licensed Structural Engineer. All reports stamped and signed by a California-licensed Structural Engineer (CA #S5905) and Civil Engineer (CA #C71491).
- Twenty-plus years of Southern California experience. Over 2,000 structural assessments across the region.
- Direct engineer access. You work with the engineer on the project, not a salesperson.
- Stamped reports for any legal or City purpose. Documentation that meets City submittal, lender, and legal requirements.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does every older building in Burbank need a retrofit? No. The ordinance applies only to pre-1978 wood-frame residential buildings with two or more stories and ground-floor openings such as parking, garages, or open-front wall lines.
What’s the first step? Submitting the Screening Form by January 12, 2026. It has to be prepared by a California-licensed Civil or Structural Engineer.
Can my building be exempt? Possibly. Exemptions require a stamped engineering assessment showing that no soft, weak, or open-front wall conditions exist.
What happens if I miss a deadline? The City can record a violation and impose penalties. Extensions are considered only with valid justification and a proposed compliance schedule.
Are there financial incentives available? Yes. Burbank offers a 100% permit-fee refund for compliance by July 10, 2026, and a 50% refund for compliance by January 10, 2028.
Can I pass retrofit costs through to tenants? Yes, up to 50% of construction costs can be recovered as a temporary monthly surcharge, capped at $51 per unit per month for up to 120 months.
Who’s allowed to prepare the retrofit plans? Only California-licensed Civil or Structural Engineers.
When does construction have to be finished? No later than January 10, 2030.
Get Started
If your Burbank property is subject to the soft-story ordinance, or you’re not sure whether it is, OC Structure Check can evaluate the building and prepare the engineering documentation needed for City compliance. Reach out to request a consultation and we’ll walk you through exactly where your property stands.
