Could Your Home Qualify for an Earthquake Retrofit Grant?
If you own an older home or apartment building in La Crescenta, Glendale, Pasadena, or another Foothill community, there are three California earthquake retrofit grant programs worth knowing about. Depending on the type and age of your property, assistance ranges from up to $3,000 for a basic brace-and-bolt retrofit to as much as $49,600 for certain multi-unit buildings.
But there is an important catch: do not start the earthquake retrofit first and apply later. These programs have specific registration, approval, permit, and contractor requirements. Beginning the work too soon can make the project ineligible for grant money.
Three Earthquake Retrofit Grant Programs for Three Different Types of Properties
Earthquake Brace + Bolt (EBB): Up to $3,000
This program is for qualifying older wood-frame houses, generally built before 1980, that need to be bolted to their foundation and may need braced crawl-space cripple walls. The regular grant is not limited to low-income homeowners, and additional supplemental assistance may be available to qualifying lower-income households.
Earthquake Soft-Story (ESS): Up to $13,000
This program is for qualifying houses built before 2000 with living space over a garage. The grant can cover up to 75% of eligible retrofit costs, up to the applicable program maximum.
Earthquake Multi-Unit Retrofit (EMR): Up to $49,600
This program is for qualifying 5- to 10-unit wood-frame buildings built before 1991 with a soft, weak, or open ground floor, such as tuck-under parking. Registration for the current program is open through September 30, 2026.
When can you apply? These earthquake retrofit grants are not continuously available. Registration for the EBB and ESS single-family programs is currently closed. CRMP typically offers registration annually or as funding becomes available, and homeowners can sign up now for CRMP email notifications to be notified when the next registration period opens. The EMR program for qualifying 5-to-10-unit buildings is open now through September 30, 2026. Because registration dates and available funding can change, homeowners should check CRMP directly before making plans to begin a retrofit.
The first question is not how much grant money you can receive. It is which earthquake retrofit grant program fits your property type.
Could Your Older La Crescenta or Glendale Home Qualify for a $3,000 Earthquake Retrofit Grant?
The Earthquake Brace + Bolt program, commonly called EBB, is the earthquake retrofit grant most likely to apply to owners of older single-family houses throughout our Foothill communities.
A qualifying house generally must be wood-frame construction, built before 1980, located within an eligible ZIP Code and have the type of raised foundation or crawl-space vulnerability the program is designed to correct.
The regular $3,000 EBB grant is not limited to low-income homeowners. Income becomes a factor when applying for the additional EBB Supplemental Grant.
Households with annual income of $94,480 or less may qualify for supplemental assistance that can cover up to 100% of eligible retrofit costs, subject to available funding and program requirements.
EBB registration is not currently open. CRMP opens registration periods as funding becomes available, so homeowners can check their property eligibility and sign up to receive notification when another registration period opens.
Check Earthquake Brace + Bolt eligibility and registration
Could Your Glendale or Pasadena Home Qualify for a Soft-Story Earthquake Retrofit Grant?
The Earthquake Soft-Story program, or ESS, addresses a very different type of earthquake vulnerability: certain homes with living space above a garage.
This earthquake retrofit program is designed for qualifying houses built before 2000. A large garage opening can reduce structural support under the living area above it, creating what is known as a soft-story condition.
Qualifying homeowners may receive up to 75% of eligible retrofit costs, with grants of up to $13,000, depending on the type of retrofit required.
Unlike EBB, ESS requires the property to be the owner’s primary residence. The program is also limited to designated ZIP Codes. Some Glendale ZIP Codes qualify, while eligibility in Pasadena and other nearby communities varies by ZIP Code.
ESS registration is currently closed. Homeowners can still determine whether their ZIP Code and property meet the program requirements and sign up for future program updates.
Check Earthquake Soft-Story eligibility and future registration
Could a Pasadena or Los Angeles Apartment Building Qualify for a $49,600 Earthquake Retrofit Grant?
The Earthquake Multi-Unit Retrofit program, or EMR, is the newest of the three programs and applies specifically to certain smaller apartment buildings.
The EMR program is currently accepting registrations through September 30, 2026.
To qualify, a building generally must:
- Have 5 to 10 residential units
- Be wood-frame construction
- Have been built before January 1, 1991
- Have a soft, weak, or open ground floor, such as tuck-under parking
- Be located in a participating city with a mandatory soft-story retrofit ordinance
- Have received a city notice and order requiring the retrofit
The program can pay 70% of engineering and permit fees up to $7,000, plus 70% of eligible construction costs up to $4,260 per unit. Maximum assistance can reach $49,600.
Locally, participating cities include Los Angeles and Pasadena. That means qualifying buildings in Los Angeles communities such as Sunland, Tujunga, Shadow Hills, Lake View Terrace and Sylmar may potentially qualify, but being located within the City of Los Angeles alone does not make a building eligible. The individual property must meet all of the EMR requirements.
Apply for the EMR Program by September 30, 2026
Which Earthquake Retrofit Grants Are Available in Our Foothill Communities?
Earthquake retrofit grant eligibility isn’t determined simply by living in the Foothills. For the EBB and ESS programs, eligibility is tied to specific ZIP Codes, and participating areas can change as funding becomes available. EMR works differently because eligibility is connected to participating cities with mandatory multi-unit soft-story retrofit requirements.
For property owners in La Crescenta, Glendale, Pasadena, La Cañada Flintridge, Altadena, Sunland-Tujunga, Shadow Hills, Lake View Terrace and Sylmar, the best first step is to check the individual property’s ZIP Code and characteristics through CRMP. A neighboring community or ZIP Code qualifying does not automatically mean your property will qualify.
For multi-unit owners, qualifying properties within the City of Los Angeles and Pasadena may be eligible for the EMR program, but the building must also meet the construction requirements and be subject to the applicable mandatory soft-story retrofit ordinance.
Check CRMP earthquake retrofit program ZIP Codes
Can Any Contractor Perform Work for an Earthquake Retrofit Grant?
No, and this is important to understand before hiring someone or beginning any work.
For EBB, homeowners have an owner-builder option under the program rules. If a contractor is hired, the contractor must meet CRMP requirements and be listed in the EBB Contractor Directory. Eligible contractors generally must hold a qualifying California Type A or B general contractor license.
ESS also has specific contractor requirements. Contractors must meet the required California licensing requirements, complete the applicable program training, and be listed in the ESS Contractor Directory.
For EMR, contractors must be California-licensed Type A or B general contractors in good standing, complete the required EMR training or orientation, and be listed in the EMR Contractor Directory. The multi-unit program also requires a qualified California-licensed design professional for the engineered plans.
Depending on the program and property, a licensed structural engineer, civil engineer, or architect may therefore be part of the process as well.
Find a participating earthquake retrofit contractor
Do You Need an Earthquake Retrofit Contractor’s Bid Before Applying?
Not simply to register for a program.
Registration begins with information about the owner and the property so CRMP can determine whether the property appears to qualify. If the property is selected and accepted, the more detailed pre-retrofit process begins.
That is when required bids, permits, photographs, plans, and other documentation come into play.
There is also an additional consumer protection built into EBB and ESS. If a contractor’s bid exceeds $10,000, the homeowner generally must obtain at least one additional bid from a contractor in the applicable CRMP directory.
How Long Does Earthquake Retrofit Grant Approval Take?
There isn’t one approval timeline that applies to all three programs.
EBB and ESS begin with registration and selection. After a registration period closes, applicants may be randomly selected for acceptance or placed on a waitlist.
For FEMA-funded EBB projects, FEMA review may take approximately four to ten weeks after the required pre-retrofit information has been submitted. EBB Supplemental Grant income approval may take approximately two weeks after all required forms and documentation have been submitted.
ESS homeowners generally have three months after acceptance to complete the required pre-retrofit steps. Once the pre-retrofit documentation is approved, homeowners generally have six months to complete the retrofit.
EMR owners have 120 days after acceptance to submit their required pre-retrofit documentation. After the required FEMA and CRMP approvals, they have 270 days to complete the retrofit.
In other words, this is not an apply-on-Monday-and-start-construction-on-Friday program.
Why Shouldn’t You Start an Earthquake Retrofit Before Your Grant Is Approved?
This may be the single most important thing to understand about these programs.
Apply first. Get accepted. Follow the program instructions. Receive the required approval. Then start the work.
For EBB and ESS, obtaining a permit or beginning retrofit construction before the required program acceptance can make the project ineligible for grant payment. FEMA-funded projects may also require an additional approval before construction begins.
For EMR, beginning construction before receiving CRMP approval can make the project ineligible for the incentive payment.
So don’t hire someone to begin bolting a foundation, bracing a crawl space, or rebuilding the structure around a garage and assume the grant will reimburse you afterward. The order matters.
Could an Earthquake Retrofit Lower Your Insurance?
Potentially, but it is important to distinguish between your regular homeowners insurance and separate earthquake insurance.
A qualifying seismic retrofit may make an older home eligible for a discount on earthquake insurance. The California Earthquake Authority currently offers a hazard-reduction discount of up to 25% for qualifying retrofitted older homes.
The retrofit generally needs to meet applicable requirements and be properly documented and verified. Homeowners should check directly with their earthquake insurance carrier before assuming a particular retrofit will result in a specific discount.
And remember, standard homeowners insurance generally does not cover earthquake damage. Earthquake insurance is separate coverage.
How Can La Crescenta, Glendale and Pasadena Property Owners Apply for an Earthquake Retrofit Grant?
Before calling a contractor, start with your property.
Check the home’s ZIP Code, year built, foundation type and whether there is living space above a garage. For a multi-unit building, determine the number of units, year built, type of construction, and whether the property is subject to a mandatory soft-story retrofit ordinance.
Then use CRMP’s eligibility tools to determine which of the three earthquake retrofit grant programs may apply. If registration for your program is not currently open, you can still learn whether the property appears to qualify and watch for the next registration period.
Check Your Property for an Earthquake Retrofit Grant
An earthquake retrofit isn’t going to make a building earthquake-proof. But if you own one of the many older homes or multi-unit properties throughout La Crescenta, La Cañada Flintridge, Glendale, Pasadena, Altadena, Sunland-Tujunga, Shadow Hills, Lake View Terrace or Sylmar, finding out whether your property qualifies for financial assistance is worth doing before the next registration period opens.