Next Steps After Acceptance: Retrofit Program Guide

Congratulations! If you’ve received notification that you’ve been accepted into one of CRMP’s residential seismic retrofit programs—EBB or ESS—you are one step closer to reducing your family’s risk from earthquake damage and increasing resilience in your community.

Getting Started

Once you have been notified that you’ve been accepted into either the EBB or ESS program, you will need to log into your Homeowner Dashboard. The Dashboard is where you will upload pre-retrofit and post-retrofit documents and photos for review, approval, and payment. The Dashboard will guide you through each step of your retrofit and notify you if additional information is needed.

Supplemental Grant (EBB Only)

A supplemental grant may be available for qualified income-eligible homeowners in the EBB Program, with an annual household income of $87,360 or less. If you applied for the Supplemental Grant, all income earners that reside in the household must complete the electronic Income Verification Form on your Dashboard within 30 days. Failure to submit the form within 30 days of acceptance into the EBB program will result in forfeiting the opportunity to receive a Supplemental Grant.

4 Steps to a Retrofit

After you've been notified that you have been accepted into a retrofit program, the entire retrofit process—from acceptance into the program to receiving your grant—can take as little as four months. To stay on track, you may wish to follow this suggested timeline, below.

STEP ONE: PRE-RETROFIT
You will have 90 days to gather the required pre-retrofit documents and photos and select a contractor from CRMP’s Contractor Directory. Experienced do-it-yourselfers may choose to do the work themselves if in the EBB program; ESS program homeowners must select a contractor from the Directory. We recommend you start your search for a contractor immediately after you receive approval from CRMP, as the process of obtaining bids and hiring a contractor can be time-consuming. Login and track your progress in your Homeowner Dashboard.
	Choose your retrofit contractor from CRMP’s Contractor Directory of licensed contractors, who have completed FEMA P-1100 seismic retrofit training. Contact contractors on the Contractor Directory and schedule appointments to get bids. Review What You Should Know Before Hiring a Contractor (PDF)
	Meet with contractors, receive and review bids. If the retrofit bid is more than $10,000, you must get more than one bid.
	Select a contractor. Choose and hire your contractor. Upload contractor(s') bid(s) to your Homeowner Dashboard. If the contractor's bid was over $10,000 and you submitted more than one bid, and you chose the contractor who submitted the higher bid; state the reason on your Dashboard.
	Get a building permit and upload it to your Homeowner Dashboard. Important! You or your contractor must get the building permit *after* your program acceptance date. If your permit is dated prior to your acceptance date, you will not be eligible for a grant. Before getting your permit, check your Homeowner Dashboard for specific directions on what wording must be included on your building permit. You or your contractor can get the building permit. You can use our Building Department resources page to help you find the right building department with which to apply for your permit.
	By week 12 (earlier if possible) you or your contractor must have uploaded these items to your Homeowner Dashboard for approval: Copy of your building permit Plans/Drawings Photos of house exterior, garage interior, and crawlspace photos if required; (your Dashboard will provide you with specific instructions and examples) Bid(s) Proof of occupancy such as a utility bill, if indicated on your Dashboard that it's required A completed W-9 form if indicated on your Dashboard that it’s required
Important! To remain eligible to receive a grant, do not begin your retrofit construction work before receiving CRMP’s approval of your uploaded documents (Step 2).
STEP TWO: APPROVAL OF PRE-RETROFIT DOCUMENTATION
Once the documents and photos you uploaded to your Dashboard have been reviewed and approved, you will receive notice from CRMP that you may proceed with your retrofit. Your Pre-Retrofit documentation will be reviewed. This step can take up to 10 weeks. CRMP will notify you when your documentation has been approved, and that you can move forward with your retrofit. Important! To remain eligible to receive a grant, you must not obtain a permit or begin ANY retrofit construction work before being accepted into one of the programs. Doing so will render your retrofit work ineligible for grant payment.
STEP THREE: THE RETROFIT
You will have six months from the day you received CRMP approval to schedule and complete your EBB or ESS retrofit.
	After CRMP has approved your uploaded pre-retrofit documentation, you will have six months from that approval date to complete your retrofit. Instructions on your Homeowner Dashboard will guide you through this process.
STEP FOUR: POST-RETROFIT
Within 30-days after completion of the retrofit, required documents and photos must be submitted via your Homeowner Dashboard to CRMP for review and payment.
	Upload the following post-retrofit documentation to your Homeowner Dashboard within 30-days after completion of the retrofit to CRMP for review and payment: Required photos, as indicated on your Homeowner Dashboard. Important! Your Homeowner Dashboard will have exact instructions and examples for what must be included in your photos, according to your retrofit program's rules. An image of the signed building permit after the retrofit is complete and signed off. Your contractor's invoice that includes: Your contractor's business name, address, phone number, and contractor license number; Address where the seismic retrofit was performed; Start and end dates of work performed; and Pricing broken out by labor, materials, overhead, and profit. If the final total amount of your grant is greater than $5,000, and your house is in Flood Zone, you will need to submit a signed, notarized, and recorded Special Flood Hazard Area Conditions Form (fillable PDF), and a copy of your flood insurance policy.
STEP FIVE: PAYMENT
Grant payments typically will be mailed within four weeks following final CRMP approval of your post-retrofit documentation.
	Follow directions on your Homeowner Dashboard for how to complete and submit an electronic Payment Authorization Form. Indicate whether the payment will be sent to you (the homeowner), or directly to the contractor.