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Seismic Retrofit Contractor for Ventura County Homes

We brace cripple walls and bolt older houses to their foundations, and we are a registered contractor in California's Earthquake Brace + Bolt grant program.

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Seismic Retrofitting with LE Construction

Many older California houses sit on a raised foundation with short wood walls, called cripple walls, between the foundation and the first floor. In a strong earthquake those walls can fold sideways, and a house that is not bolted down can slide off its foundation. Either one can turn a repairable house into a total loss. A seismic retrofit braces the cripple walls with plywood and ties the house to the foundation with anchor bolts or plates.

The work happens in the crawlspace and usually does not touch the rooms you live in. It is also one of the few home improvements the state helps pay for. Through Earthquake Brace + Bolt (EBB), homeowners in eligible ZIP codes can get a grant of up to $3,000, and income-eligible households can get up to $7,000 more. LE Construction is a registered EBB contractor, and we have taken clients through the program from the first inspection to the grant payment.

Clients who have done this with us tend to mention the same things in their reviews: Luis set up extra meetings to plan the work, took charge of the permits and the EBB paperwork, and the crew cleaned up every bit of material before leaving. Seismic work is easy to cut corners on because nobody sees it once it is done. We do it to the state standard and let the inspector confirm it.

What our seismic retrofits include

  • Cripple wall bracing

    Plywood or OSB sheathing nailed to the cripple walls on a set schedule, so the short walls under the house cannot rack sideways.

  • Foundation bolting

    Anchor bolts or foundation plates that tie the wood sill to the concrete foundation at the spacing the standard plan requires.

  • Water heater strapping

    Seismic straps on the water heater, which keeps a falling tank from breaking a gas line. EBB includes it in the retrofit.

  • Sill and framing repair

    Replacement of rotted or termite-damaged mudsill and framing found in the crawlspace, so the new bolts have solid wood to hold.

  • Permits and inspections

    We pull the building permit and meet the inspector. For EBB jobs, we prepare the documentation the program asks for at the end.

Our seismic retrofits specialties

Each of these has its own page with more detail on how we plan and build it.

How a seismic retrofitting project runs

Every step below is in writing before work starts, so you know what happens next and when.

  1. Step 1: Check eligibility

    EBB is for wood-framed houses built before 1980 on a raised foundation with cripple walls 4 feet tall or shorter, in an eligible ZIP code. We can look at your house and tell you whether it fits.

  2. Step 2: Register with EBB

    Registration opens for a limited window each year on the Earthquake Brace + Bolt website. You register as the homeowner. Once accepted, you choose a contractor from the program's Contractor Directory.

  3. Step 3: Crawlspace inspection and estimate

    We go under the house to measure the cripple walls, check the sill plate for rot and termites, and look at the foundation. You get a written estimate based on what we find.

  4. Step 4: Permit and program approval

    Within 12 weeks of acceptance, the permit and before-photos go up on your EBB dashboard, and we can handle that for you. The work follows California Existing Building Code Chapter A3. Construction waits until the program says it can begin.

  5. Step 5: Retrofit work

    Bolting, bracing and water heater strapping, plus any sill repair, finished within the program's six-month window. Most of the mess stays in the crawlspace, and we clean it out when we finish.

  6. Step 6: Final inspection and grant paperwork

    The building inspector signs off, and we help you submit the documents EBB needs to pay the grant.

What we often find

These are the conditions we look for at the estimate, so they are in the price instead of turning into change orders.

  • Too few anchor bolts, or none

    Houses built before modern codes often have bolts spaced far apart, or none at all. The house is held to the foundation by its own weight and some nails.

  • Unbraced cripple walls

    Cripple walls framed with studs and siding alone have little resistance to sideways force. Plywood bracing is what gives them strength.

  • Rotted or termite-damaged sill plates

    A bolt only works if the wood around it is solid. Rot near hose bibs and old leaks, and termite damage, are common in older crawlspaces and need repair first.

  • A foundation that needs more than bolts

    Crumbling or unreinforced foundations, and cripple walls taller than 4 feet, fall outside the EBB standard plan. Those houses need an engineer, and we will tell you plainly if yours is one of them.

Ventura County specifics

Local conditions that change how we plan this work here.

  • Ventura County shakes

    The 1994 Northridge earthquake damaged homes across the San Fernando Valley and the eastern edge of Ventura County, including Simi Valley. Large parts of the county, the Oxnard Plain and the Santa Clara River Valley among them, are mapped with liquefaction and strong-shaking hazards.

  • Lots of pre-1980 raised foundations

    Older neighborhoods in Santa Paula, Ventura, Ojai and Fillmore have many Craftsman and mid-century homes on raised foundations with cripple walls, which is exactly the house type the retrofit is designed for.

  • ZIP code matters for the grant

    EBB grants are offered in high-hazard ZIP codes, more than 1,100 of them statewide as of 2025. We will check whether your ZIP code is on the current list before you count on the grant.

What drives the cost

We put the price in writing before work starts. These are the choices and conditions that move it most.

  • Perimeter length

    Bracing and bolting cost scales with how many feet of cripple wall and foundation your house has.

  • Crawlspace access

    Low or tight crawlspaces take more labor. Some houses need an access hatch cut or enlarged.

  • Sill and framing repairs

    Rot or termite damage has to be fixed before the new hardware goes in.

  • Grant offsets

    An EBB grant of up to $3,000, plus up to $7,000 for income-eligible households, comes off what you pay out of pocket.

For published cost figures and what moves them here, read our Seismic Retrofit Cost in Ventura County (and How the Brace + Bolt Grant Cuts It).

Energy upgrades in a project may qualify for GoGreen Financing.

What seismic retrofits clients say

Real Google reviews from LE Construction clients, quoted word for word.

EXCELLENT

5.0 out of 5, based on 17 Google reviews

  • Shawn Whelan

    April 2024 · Google review

    "Luis and Fernando were great to work with all the way through on our Foundation Retrofit. Luis took the time to set up extra meetings and ensure the entire job was done correctly, quickly, and at a great price. He also took charge of all permits and navigating the EBB process to ensure we got our State refund check."
  • Taylor Wilson

    October 2022 · Google review

    "He was easy to schedule and very timely working with the ebb program which is very strict with its rules to qualify. He was able to complete the job quickly, answered all questions, offered up suggestions for future projects, and cleaned up all material and equipment before leaving the job site."
  • Diana White

    February 2022 · Google review

    "Very professional , responsive, and knowledgeable- installed earthquake retrofit for my house."

Read all reviews on Google

Seismic Retrofits near you

We offer seismic retrofits in 10 communities. Pick yours for local permit notes and details.

Find out if your house qualifies

Call us before the next EBB registration window opens. We will look under the house and tell you what the retrofit needs.

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Seismic Retrofits FAQs

Does my house qualify for Earthquake Brace + Bolt?

The program covers wood-framed houses built before 1980 that sit on a raised foundation with cripple walls 4 feet tall or shorter. The house also has to be in one of the program's eligible ZIP codes, and the list has grown to more than 1,100 ZIP codes statewide. We can look at your crawlspace and tell you whether the house fits the standard plan. If it does not, we will explain why and what your options are.

How much does the Earthquake Brace + Bolt grant pay?

The base grant is up to $3,000 toward the retrofit. Households with an income of $94,480 or less can apply for a supplemental grant of up to $7,000. The grant is paid after the work passes final inspection and the paperwork is submitted. We help you put that paperwork together, as past clients mention in their reviews.

Do I have to use a registered contractor?

If you hire a contractor for an EBB retrofit, the program requires a California General Building (B) or Engineering (A) licensee listed in its Contractor Directory. LE Construction holds a B license and is registered with the program. Homeowners can also do the work themselves as owner-builders, but the program does not reimburse their labor, and they still need a permit and a final inspection.

Will a retrofit damage my floors or walls?

Almost never. The work happens in the crawlspace under the house: plywood goes on the inside of the cripple walls, and bolts or plates go through the sill into the foundation. We need access to the crawlspace and sometimes to the outside of the foundation. You can stay in the house the whole time.

What if my cripple walls are taller than 4 feet?

Taller cripple walls, hillside homes and damaged foundations are outside the EBB standard plan. They can still be retrofitted, but the design has to come from an engineer. We can coordinate that, and we will tell you up front that the grant does not apply in that case.

Does a retrofit lower my earthquake insurance?

It can. If you have a California Earthquake Authority policy, the EBB program says you may be eligible for a discount of up to 25 percent on your CEA premium once the retrofit is complete. Other insurers set their own rules, so ask yours before you count on a discount. We give you the permit and final inspection records an insurer may ask for.

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