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Appendix A — GUIDELINES FOR THE SEISMIC RETROFIT OF EXISTING BUILDINGS

Section A401 — GENERAL

2025 California Existing Building Code (Title 24, Part 10) · 2025 edition · updated 2026-07-27 · California

Italicized text is a California amendment to the model code, as printed in the official publication.

[BS] A401.1 Purpose. The purpose of this chapter is to promote public welfare and safety by reducing the risk of death or injury as a result of the effects of earthquakes on existing wood-frame, multiple-unit residential buildings. The ground motions of past earthquakes have caused the loss of human life, personal injury and property damage in these types of buildings. This chapter creates minimum standards to strengthen the more vulnerable portions of these structures. Where fully followed, these minimum standards will improve the performance of these buildings but will not necessarily prevent all earthquake-related damage.

[BS] A401.2 Scope. The provisions of this chapter apply to existing buildings of wood construction that contain residential occupancies and are assigned to Risk Category II, and where the structure has a soft, weak or open-front wall line, and there exists one or more stories above .

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▸ Contents — 2025 California Existing Building Code (Title 24, Part 10)
2025 California Existing Building Code (Title 24, Part 10)
  1. 104.11 for consideration of alternative means of compliance.
  2. Chapter 1 — ADMINISTRATION
  3. Chapter 2 — DEFINITIONS
  4. Chapter 3 — PROVISIONS FOR ALL COMPLIANCE METHODS
  5. Chapter 3A — PROVISIONS FOR ALL COMPLIANCE METHODS
  6. Chapter 4 — REPAIRS
  7. Chapter 4A — REPAIRS
  8. Chapter 5 — PRESCRIPTIVE COMPLIANCE METHOD
  9. Chapter 5A — PRESCRIPTIVE COMPLIANCE METHOD
  10. Chapter 6 — CLASSIFICATION OF WORK
  11. Chapter 7 — ALTERATIONS—LEVEL 1
  12. Chapter 8 — ALTERATIONS—LEVEL 2
  13. Chapter 9 — ALTERATIONS—LEVEL 3
  14. Chapter 10 — CHANGE OF OCCUPANCY
  15. Chapter 11 — ADDITIONS
  16. Chapter 12 — HISTORIC BUILDINGS
  17. Chapter 13 — PERFORMANCE COMPLIANCE METHODS
  18. Chapter 14 — RELOCATED OR MOVED BUILDINGS
  19. Chapter 15 — CONSTRUCTION SAFEGUARDS
  20. Chapter 16 — REFERENCED STANDARDS
  21. ▸ Appendix A — GUIDELINES FOR THE SEISMIC RETROFIT OF EXISTING B…
    Overview
    1. Section A100 — APPLICATION
    2. Section A101 — PURPOSE
    3. Section A102 — SCOPE
    4. Section A103 — DEFINITIONS
    5. Section A104 — SYMBOLS AND NOTATIONS
    6. Section A105 — GENERAL REQUIREMENTS
    7. Section A106 — MATERIALS REQUIREMENTS
    8. Section A107 — QUALITY CONTROL
    9. Section A108 — DESIGN STRENGTHS
    10. Section A109 — ANALYSIS AND DESIGN PROCEDURE
    11. Section A110 — GENERAL PROCEDURE
    12. Section A111 — SPECIAL PROCEDURE
    13. Section A112 — ANALYSIS AND DESIGN
    14. Section A113 — DETAILED BUILDING SYSTEM DESIGN REQUIREMENTS
    15. Section A114 — WALLS OF UNBURNED CLAY, ADOBE OR STONE MASONRY
    16. Section A201 — PURPOSE
    17. Section A202 — SCOPE
    18. Section A203 — DEFINITIONS
    19. Section A204 — SYMBOLS AND NOTATIONS
    20. Section A205 — GENERAL REQUIREMENTS
    21. Section A206 — ANALYSIS AND DESIGN
    22. Section A207 — MATERIALS OF CONSTRUCTION
    23. Section A301 — GENERAL
    24. Section A302 — DEFINITIONS
    25. Section A303 — STRUCTURAL WEAKNESSES
    26. Section A304 — STRENGTHENING REQUIREMENTS
    27. Section A401 — GENERAL
    28. Section A402 — DEFINITIONS
    29. Section A403 — ANALYSIS AND DESIGN
    30. Section A404 — PRESCRIPTIVE MEASURES FOR WEAK STORY
    31. Section A405 — MATERIALS OF CONSTRUCTION
    32. Section A406 — CONSTRUCTION DOCUMENTS
    33. Section A407 — QUALITY CONTROL
    34. Section A501 — REFERENCED STANDARDS
  22. Appendix B — SUPPLEMENTARY ACCESSIBILITY REQUIREMENTS FOR EXIS…
  23. Appendix C — GUIDELINES FOR THE WIND RETROFIT OF EXISTING BUIL…
  24. Appendix D — BOARD OF APPEALS
  25. Appendix E — TEMPORARY EMERGENCY USES
  26. Appendix A — GUIDELINES ON FIRE RATINGS OF ARCHAIC MATERIALS A…

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