01 · Daily Fines
Penalties compound day by day.
LADBS administrative fines escalate daily. 90 days of non-compliance equals tens of thousands in penalties, with no statutory cap.
April 2026 Deadline — Passed
Missed the LA Soft Story deadline?
PE-stamped retrofit plans in 14 days.
Engineering for Priority 2 buildings under Ordinance 183893. PE-stamped plans, LADBS submission included, response in one business day.
- LicensureCalifornia PE-Licensed
- ExpertiseASCE 41 Specialist
- Track Record60+ Soft Story Projects
- CoverageStatewide California
The Math
The cost of doing nothing.
Every week past the deadline adds penalties, liability, and pressure on title. The arithmetic gets worse, not better.
02 · Vacate Order
Tenants relocated at your expense.
LADBS can revoke your Certificate of Occupancy and order tenants relocated at your expense. Relocation for a 6-unit building: $80K+ before any retrofit work begins.
03 · Title Lien
Sale and refinance blocked.
Unpaid fines become recorded liens with LA County. Title clouds block any sale or refinance until paid.
Submitted plans stop the clock. Engineering compliance in 14 days. Cheaper than non-compliance, on every axis.
What You Get
One PE. Four deliverables.
Every artifact LADBS needs to receive your retrofit submission, prepared and stamped by a licensed California PE.
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01
PE-stamped structural drawings
4–6 sheets covering plans, sections, details, and the retrofit scheme.
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02
Structural calculations
Documented demand-capacity analysis, the technical basis for the retrofit scope.
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03
LADBS e-Plan check submission
Full Ordinance 183893 submittal filed on your behalf.
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04
Two rounds of plan check corrections
Responses to LADBS plan-check comments at no additional cost.
Plan set
Process
From site visit to LADBS approval.
Day-by-day, what we do and what happens next. Construction begins after LADBS approval, typically week 6.
01
Day 1
Site visit & ASCE 41 evaluation
PE walkthrough, document collection, evaluation of the soft-story line.
02
Day 7
Draft plans for client review
Retrofit scheme drafted, calculations complete, client preview before stamp.
03
Day 14
PE-stamped plans submitted to LADBS
Drawings wet-stamped, e-Plan check package filed on your behalf.
04
Week 6
LADBS approval; ready to bid construction
Plan check complete, contractor referrals available, ready for permit pull.
Why H2
An engineer's report, not a contractor's estimate.
01
PE-Stamped, Not Pencil-Whipped
Every plan reviewed and stamped personally by a licensed California PE. No junior engineer behind the curtain, no handoffs at submission.
02
60+ Soft Story Projects
Engineering experience across LA, Santa Monica, West Hollywood, Burbank, Pasadena, and Beverly Hills ordinances.
03
14 Days, Not 6 Weeks
AI-accelerated production plus dedicated PE review. The fastest credible turnaround in California.
Selected Projects
Soft-story retrofit work across LA.
Addresses withheld for client confidentiality. References available on request.
Priority 2
Mid-City · 8 units
Tuck-under retrofit, steel moment frame at street line.
Completed Mar 2026
Priority 2
Koreatown · 12 units
Plywood shear walls with foundation hold-down retrofit.
Completed Jan 2026
Priority 2
North Hollywood · 6 units
Mixed steel and plywood scheme, hillside footing reinforcement.
Completed Dec 2025
FAQ
Common questions.
Don't see your situation? Send it via the form below — the PE who would run your project answers the email.
My deadline already passed. Am I out of options?
No. LADBS prefers compliance over penalty, and submitting plans is the single fastest way to demonstrate good faith and slow the enforcement clock. We have helped owners with overdue Orders to Comply file plans and re-enter the compliance pathway. The longer you wait, the harder it gets — but waiting one more month is far worse than starting today.
How do I know if my building is covered by Ordinance 183893?
Three criteria: built before January 1, 1978; wood-frame construction; three or more residential units; and a "soft, weak, or open-front" first floor (tuck-under parking, ground-floor commercial space, or large window/door openings without adequate shear walls). If your building meets all three, it is almost certainly in scope. Send us the address and we will confirm against the LADBS list before you commit to anything.
What is the difference between Priority 1 and Priority 2?
Priority 1 covers buildings with 16 or more units, or three or more stories with ground-floor commercial occupancy. Their deadline was April 2024. Priority 2 covers all other soft-story buildings — typically two- or three-story residential buildings with tuck-under parking and fewer than 16 units. The Priority 2 deadline was April 2026.
How much will the actual retrofit construction cost?
Independent of engineering, construction typically runs $60,000 to $200,000 for small and medium Priority 2 buildings. Cost per unit averages $5,000 to $15,000. Cost depends on building size, site access, choice of retrofit system, and foundation conditions. We are an engineering firm and do not perform construction — but we will refer you to two or three qualified contractors after plans are stamped.
Can I pass retrofit costs to my tenants?
If your building is under LA's Rent Stabilization Ordinance (RSO), yes — partially. The LAHD Seismic Retrofit Work Cost Recovery Program allows pass-through of up to 50% of approved retrofit costs, divided equally among all rental units, capped at $38 per month per unit for 120 months. You must apply within 12 months of completing the retrofit. Properties not under RSO are governed by lease terms; consult a real estate attorney before relying on cost recovery in your underwriting.
Why is your fee lower than national firms but higher than the $5K quotes I have seen?
Because we are an established California PE-licensed firm that uses AI-accelerated production to reduce engineering hours, not an unlicensed shop racing to the bottom. Engineers quoting $5,000 for 40-unit jobs cannot deliver real engineering at that price, and plans frequently fail plan check, costing owners weeks of rework. National firms charge $15,000 to $30,000 because they overhead-load every project. We sit in between: fast, fixed-fee, properly licensed, properly stamped.
What happens after plans are stamped?
We submit plans to LADBS e-Plan check on your behalf. LADBS plan check typically takes 3 to 6 weeks. We respond to two rounds of plan check corrections at no additional cost. Once plans are approved, you select a contractor (we can refer two or three), pull the permit, and begin construction. Construction typically takes two to four months for a Priority 2 building.
Do you handle the Tenant Habitability Plan (THP)?
Not by default. LA requires a Tenant Habitability Plan for any retrofit affecting RSO units. THP filing is a separate service we offer at $1,500 flat, or you can use a tenant relocation specialist. THP is required before construction starts, not before plans are submitted, so you have time to address it during plan check.
Get a fee estimate
Send the address. Get a number in writing.
Free 15-minute scoping call with the licensed PE who would run your project. Written, fixed-fee estimate within one business day.
Every day of non-compliance compounds. Start the engineering today, stop the fines tomorrow.
- Office
- Dublin, CA 94568
- Hours
- Mon–Fri · 8:00am–5:00pm PT
- Response
- Within one business day