Seismic Assessment

Earthquakes are a serious threat to life and property. Catastrophic earthquakes are rare, but even minor ones can cause substantial damage to homes that are not sufficiently reinforced. PCA Inspections is one of the few San Francisco Bay Area inspectors that are qualified to perform a Seismic Home Assessment on detached single family dwellings.  This inspection can reduce the risk of earthquake damage by identifying a potential weakness in the home and provide earthquake retrofitting suggestions.

Our seismic home assessment is based on the FEMA P-50 document which inspects the earthquake preparedness of a home.  The inspection provides a Seismic Performance Grade for the home and a list of suggested seismic improvements.  The seismic assessment calculates a variety of factors including:

–        Characteristics of the home

–        Soil conditions of the property

–        Proximity of property to an earthquake source zone

–        Earthquake Fault Ruptures

–        Soil Liquefaction

–        Landslides

Seismic Home Assessment allow you to be fully informed about the potential earthquake risks and weak spots in the property.  Some of the users of a seismic home assessment include homeowners, potential home buyers, building officials, design professionals, home builders, emergency planners, insurers, and lenders.

With a seismic home assessment, homes may qualify for a reduced rate in their earthquake insurance or receive $3,000 toward earthquake retrofitting the home through the Earthquake Brace + Bolt (EBB) program.

Download a sample Seismic Home Assessment Report below.