Property owners interested in retrofitting their buildings can get funding support through various programs. Owner-occupied single-family residences and small multifamily buildings (1-4 units) can apply for funding through the Earthquake Brace and Bolt program. Owner-occupied single-family buildings built prior to 2000 may be eligible for the Earthquake Soft-Story Retrofit Program. Commercial…

The Retrofit Grants Program reimburses property owners of eligible building types a portion of their design and/or construction costs. Retrofit grants from the City of Berkeley are available to multi-family homes of 3+ units, non-residential buildings, hotels/motels, and mixed-use buildings. Single-family homes and duplexes are not eligible. You can be reimbursed up to 75% of your design…

Sellers or buyers of buildings used exclusively for residential purposes, or mixed-use buildings with at least two residential units can receive a rebate of their real estate transfer tax for voluntary seismic upgrades. Building sellers or buyers can receive a rebate of up to 1/3 of the City of Berkeley's base 1.5% transfer tax for voluntary seismic upgrades expenses incurred …

Participating in the Building Occupancy Resumption Program will reduce your business inspection delays in the event of a major disaster, such as an earthquake, by enabling owners of private buildings to hire licensed engineers to create post-disaster inspection plans for their buildings. This program works for residential, commercial, industrial, and mixed-use buildings. In the event of an…

Berkeley’s Building Emissions Saving Ordinance (BESO) requires property owners to hire a qualified assessor to conduct an energy assessment and prepare a report about the building’s energy performance and opportunities for improvement. Learn more about the BESO…

Depending on your project, you may need to work with a contractor, engineer, and/or architect. For most construction projects, you will work with a licensed contractor. For projects in Berkeley, you must work with a contractor licensed in California with a valid…

Anyone may appeal an Administrative Use Permit decision, Staff-level Design Review, or any action by the Design Review Committee and the Zoning Adjustments Board (ZAB). To appeal a project, submit a letter which clearly and concisely describes the grounds for the appeal. Ensure your appeal is filed by the deadlines in the Berkeley…

Follow the conversion process to convert your property to a condominium so that individual units can be sold to new owners. The Residential Condominium Conversion Packet details the steps to ensure you are compliant with local laws and provides a…

All businesses in Berkeley must have a current business license and pay annual business license taxes for each location. Certain kinds of businesses must also pay other special business taxes outlined below. empty homes tax An annual tax on…

The City of Berkeley, in partnership with the California Green Business Network, offers free assistance to local businesses to help them reduce greenhouse gas emissions, improve energy efficiency, conserve water, and divert solid waste from the landfill. To get started, register on the Green Business Network website and you will be…