Have the recent earthquakes in Northern CA given you the jitters?
There is a program for California homeowners you might want to take advantage of before November 29. It’s dubbed Earthquake Brace and Bolt (EBB). According to their website, the program is offering grants toward an earthquake retrofit.
Earthquake Brace and Bolt helps homeowners lessen the potential for damage during an earthquake by offering qualified homeowners a grant for up to $3,000 toward a building-code-compliant earthquake retrofit. EBB is also offering a supplemental grant to homeowners with a household annual income of $72,080 or less, as funding permits. An EBB retrofit is specifically for homes with a crawl space beneath the first floor.
Evidently, the program is only open for 30 days each year and does not serve every zip code. For instance, if your San Rafael zip code is 94901, your home is in a community that may qualify. If your San Rafael zip code is 94903, you do not qualify to apply in 2022. However, they add different zip codes in different years, so your zip code might be added next year. You can register on their website to receive an update regarding the adding of additional zip codes.
They’ve included 126 new zip codes in 2022, and you can easily find out if your zip code is among the ones that qualify through their zip code search option.
More requirements
There is no income limit on the first $3,000 grant. Yet, there are a number of additional requirements you must meet. The first is that you own AND live in your home. It can’t be rented out.
The other requirements state that your home must have been built prior to 1980 and be located on level or a slightly sloped lot. The house must also be on a raised foundation with a crawl space underneath. The EBB provides a glossary of terms with explanations of any term you may need an explanation for to move forward.
See a full list of the questions here. One other thing, you cannot already have completed or even started a Chapter A3 brace and bolt retrofit before applying and being accepted into the EBB program.
There is also a page devoted to the supplemental grant aspect of the program, for those with an annual household income of less than $72,080, or below. That means the combined income of everyone living in the home. On that page, they state:
If your household qualifies, the amount of the grant you receive is based on what kind of retrofit your home will need and your location. Will you need a bolt-only retrofit? Or does your home and location dictate the need for a brace and bolt retrofit?
In addition, the grant amount may be lower or higher depending on the average costs to complete the work based on the area where you live. According to their site:
The maximum amounts of the Supplemental Grants (after the $3,000 EBB grant) are:
Northern California Bolt Only — $2,800
Northern California Brace + Bolt — $7,000
Southern California Bolt Only — $1,125
Southern California Brace + Bolt — $2,650
That means some homeowners may qualify for up to $10,000. That is a significant break when it comes to protecting your home.
What happens once you have registered and been accepted?
You’ll be provided with an EBB Homeowner Dashboard where you can upload before and after photos of your retrofit and the back-up documents for approval. You’ll get notified if you need to provide any additional information.
Be sure to visit the Earthquake Brace + Bolt website to see if this is a program that could benefit you.
If you have questions about the process or are seeking information on contractors, feel free to call us at 415-450-9504 x700 (Marin) or 707-241-4944 (Sonoma).