Earthquake Brace + Bolt Program Provides Contractors with New Work for the New Year

Earthquake Brace + Bolt (EBB), an earthquake retrofit program that provides a financial incentive for homes built before 1940, is expanding to 18 cities throughout California. EBB will offer homeowners up to $3,000 for seismic retrofits, which presents additional work opportunities for contractors.

Almost 95 percent of homeowners participating in EBB rely on the program's directory to hire skilled contractors for their retrofit projects. The searchable directory provides a list of licensed contractors trained for seismic retrofitting. Qualified workers can participate in the program at no charge and be added to a searchable contractor list by completing the online Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) education training. In addition to being added to the directory, participants will be eligible to receive free EBB marketing materials including brochures, job site checklists, and yard signs.

Contractors experienced in seismic retrofitting, specifically with California Existing Building Code (CEBC) Chapter 24, Title 10, Chapter A3, are being sought for this work. Contractors who want to participate should register and take the online FEMA training as soon as possible so they are on the program's list of contractors when homeowner registration opens. Homeowner registration ends February 20, 2016.

EBB's 2016 program will be offered in the following ZIP codes:

Northern California ZIP codes

• Albany: 94706

• Berkeley: 94702 94703 94704 94705 94707 94708 94709 94710

• Burlingame: 94010

• Emeryville: 94608

• Hillsborough: 94010

• Millbrae: 94030

• Piedmont: 94610 94611

• Oakland: 94602, 94607, 94601, 94610, 94603, 94605, 94606, 94612, 94619, 94621,

• San Francisco: 94112, 94121, 94127, 94132, 94102, 94103, 94107, 94108, 94109, 94110, 94112, 94114, 94115, 94116, 94117, 94118, 94123, 94124, 94131, 94133, 94134, 94145, 94151

• San Leandro: 94577, 94578, 94579

• Woodside: 94061, 94062
  
  

Southern California ZIP codes

• Los Angeles: 90026, 90031, 90039, 90041, 90042, 90065, 90004, 90005, 90006, 90012, 90014, 90015, 90017, 90019, 90020, 90023, 90027, 90028, 90029, 90033, 90036, 90038, 90046, 90048, 90057, 90063, 91608, 91604, 90065

• Pasadena: 91101, 91103, 91104, 91105, 91106, 91107

• Santa Monica: 90401, 90404, 90402, 90403, 90405

• San Bernardino: 90065, 90065, 90065, 90065, 90065, 90065, 9006,, 90065

• San Marino: 91108

• South Pasadena: 91030

• West Hollywood: 90046, 90048, 90069

Visit the Earthquake Brace + Bolt website for additional information.