Earthquake retrofit
Anchor bolts through the sill plate and plywood on the cripple walls, so the house stays on its foundation when the ground moves. Permitted to LA City Standard Plan #1.
Foundations · Los Angeles · Since 2007
Your house, bolted to its foundation.
Earthquake retrofits and foundation repair for the house you have. New foundations for the one you're building, from ADUs to SB 9 projects.
Bolting and bracing, foundation repair, drainage and floor leveling. Brace + Bolt grants accepted.
Book an inspection Retrofit & repair servicesFootings, stem walls and slabs, poured to your structural plans.
Send plans for a bid New construction servicesOr call Shay directly: (310) 557-6971
- CSLB Lic. #914103
- B General · C-8 Concrete specialty
- Public works
- Bonded & insured
- Earthquake Brace + Bolt contractor
Detail 1Cripple wall bracing & sill anchorage
Ref.LA City Std. Plan #1
ScaleNTS
Detail 2New slab-on-grade foundation
Ref.Per structural plans
ScaleNTS
2007Licensed and building in Los Angeles
238Permitted projects on public record, from retrofits to ADUs
4.9★From 60+ reviews online
B + C-8One CSLB license: general building, C-8 concrete and public works
Repair & retrofit
Everything under the floor, and around the house.
Most of our work starts in the crawl space. We bolt and brace older homes for earthquakes, fix or replace failing foundations, and level floors that have settled. Outside, we handle drainage, slabs and retaining walls, and, with public works on our license, the sidewalk and driveway approach out to the street.
Foundation repair & replacement
Cracked or crumbling stem walls repaired, sistered or replaced in sections. We pour new footings with rebar and tie them into the existing structure.
Drainage & water control
Water against the foundation causes most of the damage we repair, and LA's recent storms showed which houses can shed it. We slope concrete away from the house, add drains and weep holes, and waterproof walls and planters so water stops reaching the footing.
Wood floor leveling
Sloping, bouncy or cracking floors brought back to level with new posts, piers and beams. We find the cause first so it doesn't come back.
Retaining walls & hillside hardscape
Engineered retaining walls, steps and hardscape for hillside lots, built to hold the slope and drain the water behind it.
Slab repair & replacement
Cracked, sunken or heaving slabs cut out and repoured, after we fix what moved the ground underneath.
Sidewalks & driveway approaches
Licensed for public works in the street right-of-way: sidewalk repair and replacement, and new driveway approaches from the street to your driveway.
Crawl space encapsulation
A sealed vapor barrier across the crawl space floor and walls to keep moisture, mold and pests away from the framing.
Also
- Foundation inspections with photos
- Water heater strapping & gas shut-off valves
New construction
Foundations for new homes, ADUs and SB 9 projects.
Building on your lot? We pour the footings, stem walls and slabs that everything else sits on, working from your architect's and engineer's plans and through each city inspection.
New home
New home foundations
Footings, stem walls and slab-on-grade for new houses and rebuilds, with rebar placed and ready for the city's pre-pour inspection.
ADU
ADU foundations
Slab or raised foundations for detached ADUs, garage conversions and additions. When a conversion needs it, we strengthen the existing structure too.
SB 9
SB 9 lot splits & two-unit builds
California's SB 9 lets owners of most single-family lots split the lot in two or build a second home. We build the foundations for the new units, plus the new driveway approach from the street.
Finaled
Two-story ADU, Mar Vista, 2025Detached garage converted and expanded into a two-story accessory dwelling unit, built per engineering. City permit closed out after final inspection.
New foundationExisting structure
Site planExample SB 9 lot split + ADU
ZoneSingle-family
ScaleNTS
Earthquake Brace + Bolt
Up to $3,000 from the state toward your retrofit.
We're an approved contractor in California's Earthquake Brace + Bolt program. If your house is in a participating ZIP code, the program pays up to $3,000 toward bolting and bracing. Households earning $94,480 a year or less can apply for up to $7,000 more.
- Check your ZIP code. Over 1,100 California ZIP codes take part.
- Register while it's open. Registration opens for a limited time each year.
- Choose us as your contractor. We inspect, write the estimate and pull the permit.
- We do the retrofit. After the work is finished and signed off, the grant is paid.
Is my house at risk?
Four things to look for before you call anyone.
Many Los Angeles houses built before 1980 sit on raised foundations with short cripple walls and few or no anchor bolts. They can look fine for decades. Here is what we check on every inspection.
No bolts along the sill
From the crawl space, look where the wood sits on the concrete. You should see bolts with square plate washers every few feet.
Bare cripple walls
Short stud walls between the foundation and floor with no plywood on them can fold sideways in a strong quake.
Cracks in the concrete
Hairline cracks are common. Cracks you can fit a coin into, or that step or offset, are worth a closer look.
Floors that slope
A marble that rolls, doors that stick or swing on their own, or gaps over door frames often mean something below has settled.
Book an inspection
We'll go under the house, take photos of what we find, and show you what's urgent and what can wait.
How a job works
From first visit to city sign-off.
The same five steps whether we're bolting an older house or pouring a new foundation. A typical retrofit takes one to three days on site; new foundations are scheduled around your build and the city's inspections.
Inspection or plan review
We crawl and photograph an existing foundation, or review your structural plans and walk the lot.
Written estimate
A clear scope and price, with the photos, so you can compare bids line by line.
Permit
We pull retrofit permits, usually under LA City Standard Plan #1. New builds go under your project permit.
The work
Bolting and bracing, or excavation, forms, rebar and pour. Our crew cleans up as it goes.
City inspection
The inspector signs off on the foundation work. You keep the paperwork for your records and for resale.
Reviews
What homeowners say.
Rated 4.9 or higher on Angi, Facebook, Yelp and BuildZoom. Read them all in full on each site.
Angi · HomeAdvisor
4.9
Read on Angi →
Facebook
5.0
Read on Facebook →
Yelp
4.9
Read on Yelp →
BuildZoom
5.0
Read on BuildZoom →
The work was completed on schedule, documented fully, and executed very nicely.
Steve got three foundation bids and hired a civil engineer to review them. The engineer recommended Doheny, and Doheny's bid was substantially lower than the other two.
He saved me tens of thousands of dollars.
They delivered on budget and on time, which is SO RARE these days.
He also didn't push us into doing more work than we needed to do.
He took care of the permit and inspection process and made sure I got copies of everything.
I would give him 6 stars if I could.
My husband is a Structural Engineer, so we know what to look for.
Questions
What people ask before we start.
Do I need a permit to retrofit my house?
Yes. In the City of Los Angeles, bolting and bracing is permitted work, usually under LA City Standard Plan #1. We pull the permit and schedule the city inspection. Keep the finaled permit; buyers and insurers may ask for it.
Can I get the Earthquake Brace + Bolt grant?
Possibly. EBB pays up to $3,000 toward a retrofit for wood-frame houses built before 1980 on raised foundations, in participating ZIP codes. Households earning $94,480 a year or less can apply for up to $7,000 more. Registration opens for a limited time each year at crmp.org, and the work has to be done by a contractor in the program's directory. We're in it.
How long does a retrofit take?
Most bolting and cripple-wall bracing jobs take one to three days on site. Foundation replacement, leveling and new construction take longer, and the estimate includes a schedule.
Can you pour the foundation for my ADU or new house?
Yes. Send us your approved plans or the structural sheets and we'll price the footings, stem walls and slab. If you're still in design, we can walk the lot with you and your engineer.
What is SB 9, and does it apply to my lot?
SB 9 is a California law, in effect since 2022, that lets owners of most single-family lots split the lot into two or build two homes on it. Some lots are excluded, such as historic districts and very high fire hazard zones. Check your lot with LADBS or your city first; once you have plans, we'll build the foundations.
Can you fix the sidewalk in front of my house or add a driveway approach?
Yes. Our state contractor license (CSLB #914103) covers general building, the C-8 concrete specialty and public works, so we can repair or replace the city sidewalk and build a new driveway approach from the street.
I'm buying or selling. Can you inspect the foundation?
Yes. We inspect the foundation and crawl space and give you photos of what we find, so you know what needs attention before you close.
Request an inspection
Tell us about your house, or your lot.
(310) 557-6971Call or send the form. For repairs and retrofits, we'll come out, inspect the foundation and walk you through the photos. For new construction, send plans and we'll price the foundation.
Shay Aboav, ownerYou'll talk with Shay directly about your house.
Where we work
- Los Angeles
- Beverly Hills
- West LA
- Mar Vista
- Mid-City
- Hollywood
- Echo Park
- Studio City
- North Hollywood
- Glendale
- South LA