Apply by March 19 for chance at $3,000 seismic upgrade grant

Berkeley homeowners can sign up starting February 19 for a chance at a $3,000 rebate for seismic upgrades to your home's foundation to help protect it from earthquake damage.

Property owners must register online or by calling (877) 232-4300 between February 19 and March 19, 2020. The program is open to owner-occupied single-family residences and small multifamily buildings (1-4 units) in Berkeley and other eligible zip codes. Qualifying applicants will be entered into a lottery for the funding.

You can learn more at a community workshop

Earthquake Brace + Bolt Workshop
Thursday, February 27, 6:30pm
Berkeley Fire Department Division of Training Building
997 Cedar Street

At the workshop, you'll hear from:

• Janiele Maffei, Chief Mitigation Officer of California Earthquake Authority, will speak about the Earthquake Brace + Bolt Program's rebates of up to $3,000 and earthquake risk as well as myths and tips about earthquake insurance.

• David Lopez, Assistant Building Official for the City of Berkeley, will answer questions about permitting seismic retrofits.

• Berkeley residents who have already benefitted from seismic upgrades to their homes and Earthquake Brace + Bolt rebates will share their experiences. 

Incentives from the California Earthquake Brace + Bolt Program help pay for seismic upgrades to houses most vulnerable to severe damage -- pre-1980, wood-framed houses with a raised foundations that may have unbraced "cripple walls," the short wood-framed wall surrounding the crawl space under the first floor. Bolting houses to their foundations and bracing the cripple walls helps prevent homes from sliding and collapsing during an earthquake.

Since March 2016, over 340 Berkeley homeowners have received Earthquake Brace + Bolt rebates, bringing over $1 million in state funding to Berkeley residents, while increasing the resilience of our community.

In addition to the state's Earthquake Brace + Bolt rebates, homeowners in Berkeley can get a  rebate on transfer taxes for seismic improvements made within a year of purchase. Commercial, multifamily and residential property owners can also use Property Assessed Clean Energy (PACE) financing to borrow money for seismic improvements, with no upfront costs and payback over time on their property bills. See the City of Berkeley's Seismic Safety Information and Programs for additional resources. 

Apply from Feb 19 through March 19, 2020 for a chance at the $3,000 rebate and to improve the safety of your home.