A soft-story building has a structurally weak lower level, typically where large garage openings or wide spans reduce lateral stability. These buildings are more prone to collapse in earthquakes if they haven’t been strengthened. San Francisco required many soft-story buildings to undergo seismic upgrades through the city’s mandatory retrofit program, but not all properties fall under that ordinance. When evaluating a soft-story building, you want to know whether the retrofit was completed, what work was done, and whether additional upgrades may be recommended. I help clients read engineering reports and permits carefully.
