West Hills is one of LA’s many suburbs situated to the west of downtown Los Angeles. This suburb is a mix of residential neighborhoods and commercial properties with the average age of residents being 35 and older. The area has an urban feel due to its proximity to Bell Canyon and the Upper Las Virgenes Preserve. Residents enjoy the many green parks and numerous coffee shops, along with the occasional earthquake. Earthquakes are considered a part of life to Southern California residents. They are usually quick and quite minor. But, occasionally, they turn out to be devastating, leaving behind considerable destruction. Like the Northridge Earthquake of 1994 that destroyed all types of structures. Everything from highway overpasses to utility lines, houses, and apartment buildings collapsed. Whole city blocks were in ruin and this major earthquake took the lives of 60 residents. Because of the destruction done by this earthquake, the city of Los Angeles took measures to ensure that buildings and structures would not suffer this type of damage in future quakes. West Hills’ soft-story retrofit contractors are available to help implement the new retrofitting policies. Is your building in need of an earthquake retrofit? LA’s mandatory retrofit program applies to any building that is classified as a “soft-story”. Structures in this classification include any building with three or more stories that are built over a ground floor with windows, doors and large open spaces. If these structures were built before 1994, they are on the list of buildings that need to be updated. Many of the structures around West Hills fall into this classification and are considered to be at risk when the next big earthquake rolls through the Valley. West Hills’ soft-story retrofit contractors are ready to help you bring your building up to code. To find out if your building is in need of an earthquake renovation, you can contact one of the soft story retrofit contractors in the area. They will send a professional seismic engineer out to your property to perform an assessment and determine what repairs need to be done. Many lives were lost in the Northridge Earthquake, so getting the work done now can prevent this in the future. What is involved in the process? The retrofitting process can be quite complicated, so don’t wait until the last minute to get started. Choose a professional retrofitting contractor in West Hills to complete an inspection of your building as soon as possible. When the inspection is done the engineer will submit create a work plan that details all of the repairs needed, the estimated cost, and a time frame to complete the work. If you approve the plan, they will acquire all of the necessary permits from the city so the work can begin. Some building retrofits are simple, like adding more steel beams to the ground floor, while others are more difficult. The soft-story retrofit contractor you hire should have all the necessary training and skills to complete every phase of the project. RetroFitting 360 serves the greater Los Angeles area and they can provide you with a knowledgeable contractor who will complete the job whether the retrofit is simple or complex.