Program Rules

ESS Program Rules

In order to participate in the Earthquake Soft-Story (ESS) program, homeowners, contractors, and design professionals are required to agree to and follow the ESS Program Rules and the California Residential Mitigation Program's (CRMP) Terms of Use. A summary of the Program Rules and link to the complete Rules is included below.

For homeowners the rules include but are not limited to the following:

  • The house must be located within one of ESS's designated program ZIP Codes.
  • The house must be the participant's primary residence, and they must be the legal owner of record.
  • Only one ESS registration per household is allowed.
  • The house must have been built before 2000 and sit on level ground or a low slope.
  • The house must meet the structural requirements of FEMA P-1100 and be one of four types:
    • Type 1—House Over Garage + Ground Floor Finished Living Space
    • Type 2—Room Over Garage + Crawl Space Previously Retrofitted
    • Type 3—Room Over Garage + Crawl Space Needing Retrofit
    • Type 4—House Over Garage + No Ground Floor Finished Living Space
  • The house must have had no incentive payment previously received from ESS, or any other soft-story earthquake retrofit incentive grant program for the legal parcel.
    • Receipt of previous incentive payments exclusively for the retrofit of the crawlspace (Earthquake Brace + Bolt-type retrofit) does not exclude a homeowner from participation in the ESS program.
  • The homeowner must hire a contractor listed on the ESS Contractor Directory.
  • If a homeowner receives a contractor's bid for the retrofit that is more than $10,000, the homeowner must get another bid from a contractor in the ESS Directory and provide that bid to ESS.
    • If the contractor with the higher bid is chosen, the homeowner must state the reason.
  • The building permit must be received and dated after acceptance into ESS.
    • The building permit must state the retrofit is in accordance with FEMA P-1100.
  • If the retrofit is an engineered solution, the signed and stamped letter from the Design Professional must state the retrofit is in accordance with FEMA P-1100.
  • No partial retrofits are allowed.
  • In addition to the ESS retrofit, the water heater must be strapped and braced. If it's a tankless water heater, it must be secured according to the building code.
  • The house must successfully pass a final inspection by a local building inspector, confirming the retrofit was done in accordance with FEMA P-1100.
  • The homeowner must meet all program deadlines and submit the required documentation to ESS through the provided Homeowner Dashboard throughout the retrofit process.
  • If the final total amount of your ESS grant is greater than $5,000, and your house is in a FEMA-designated Special Flood Hazard Area, you will need to submit a signed, notarized, and recorded Special Flood Hazard Area Conditions form, and a copy of your flood insurance policy, to CRMP before an ESS grant payment is made.

Funding and Photos

Funding for ESS retrofit grants comes from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). Once you've been accepted into ESS, you will have access to a Homeowner Dashboard, where you will be prompted to upload required documentation, such as pre- and post-retrofit photos.

  • Look for specific instructions on your Homeowner Dashboard for what must be included in the images.
  • Provide ESS photos of house exterior, garage interior, and crawlspace photos (if required), with a date stamp, taken before the retrofit begins. These photos, along with your registration, will be forwarded to FEMA for review. After receiving approval from FEMA (approximately four-to-ten weeks after submission), ESS will inform you that your retrofit may begin. You will have six months from that day to complete the retrofit.
  • Additional photos must be taken with a date stamp and submitted after the retrofit work is completed. See your Homeowner Dashboard for directions.
  • Available Grants: up to 75% of the cost of the retrofit, up to $13,000, is funded through a CRMP grant from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA).

By participating in ESS, homeowners must acknowledge and agree to release CRMP, CEA, and Cal OES, of and from any and all manner of suits, liabilities, losses, damages, and claims, related to or arising out of or in any way related to homeowners participation in the Program, including but not limited to, homeowners receipt of a grant from ESS.

For contractors the rules include but are not limited to the following:

To participate in the ESS program, contractors must:

  • Perform all ESS retrofit work in accordance FEMA P-1100 or using plans prepared by a California Licensed Design Professional (structural engineer or architect).
  • Design all retrofits utilizing the appropriate seismic design category (information can be found here). If a retrofit is engineered, it must meet or exceed FEMA P-1100 plan set specifications and requirements.
  • Ensure that every building permit for an ESS retrofit states that the seismic retrofit is to be performed in accordance with FEMA P-1100.
    • If necessary, the building permit must state that the seismic retrofit is to be performed in accordance with FEMA P-1100 using plans prepared by a California Licensed Design Professional.
  • Be listed in the ESS Contractor Directory. To be listed in the ESS Contractor Directory, contractors must be a California-licensed, Type A or B (Type B-2 is not eligible to do retrofit work) general contractor in good standing, and have registered for, and successfully completed, the free FEMA ESS training.
    • Contractors may be removed from the Directory in the event CRMP determines that the participating Contractor has failed to meet ESS program requirements.
ESS has no obligation to maintain, keep current, or monitor licensing, financial condition, contracts, or competence of any Contractor or Design Professional listed on any directory or any other Contractor or Design Professional hired by a participating Homeowner.

For Design Professionals (engineers and architects) the rules include but are not limited to the following:

To participate in the ESS program, Design Professionals (engineers and architects) must:

  • Ensure all submissions (e.g., plans, design, letters) completed for an ESS retrofit are in accordance with FEMA P-1100.
  • Perform all ESS retrofits in accordance with FEMA P-1100 and ensure that an employee, worker, or other associated person who has taken and successfully completed the FEMA ESS training videos and quizzes offered on this website, oversees and approves all ESS retrofit work performed by the Participating Contractor.
  • Not be barred by the State of California or the federal government from bidding on, accepting, or performing any State of California or federal-government- funded public works contracts, either as a contractor or subcontractor.
  • Demonstrate a commitment to work within the local jurisdiction’s building construction process.
  • Provide good workmanship, reasonable pricing, and in good faith follow all ESS Program Rules.
  • If in the ESS Directory, California Licensed Design Professionals may be removed from the Directory in the event CRMP determines that the Design Professional has failed to meet the program requirements.

ESS has no obligation to maintain, keep current, or monitor licensing, financial condition, contracts, or competence of any Contractor or Design Professional listed on any directory or any other Contractor or Design Professional hired by a Participating Homeowner.

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