The City of Richmond does not currently mandate the retrofit of wood-frame soft-story buildings; however, the city has worked to develop an inventory of potential soft-story buildings. The intent of the inventory is to alert property owners and the public of buildings in the city that exhibit structural deficiencies which may be vulnerable in seismic events. Currently, retrofitting soft-story structures is voluntary in the City of Richmond, as there is no formal seismic retrofit program.  However, the City provides multiple resources for earthquake hazard reduction to encourage property owners to reduce the risk of earthquake-related damage and promote life safety in the city’s commercial and multifamily buildings. See the links on this page for information.

Proposed Timeline

To date, there has been no timeline established for the creation of an ordinance or any associated compliance deadlines.