earthquake-brace-bolt-program
The Earthquake Brace + Bolt Program: How to Get Up to $3,000 for Seismic Retrofitting in California
Learn how California homeowners can get up to $3000 in state grants for seismic retrofitting through the 2026 EBB program. Check your eligibility.
Living in Southern California means trading earthquakes for sunshine. It is a deal most of us are willing to make, but it also means we have a responsibility to protect our homes from the inevitable “Big One.” If you own an older home, the thought of a major tremor can be stressful—especially when you factor in the cost of structural upgrades.
Fortunately, the state wants to help you pay for it.
Through the Earthquake Brace and Bolt Program California, homeowners can access state-funded grants to dramatically improve their home’s structural integrity. Here is everything you need to know about the EBB program 2026, how to find out if your house qualifies, and how to claim up to $3,000 (and potentially more) in free grant money to protect your greatest asset.
The Earthquake Brace + Bolt (EBB) program is a state-funded initiative administered by the California Residential Mitigation Program (CRMP). Its sole purpose is to reduce property damage by helping homeowners pay for a specific type of structural upgrade. Securing older, wood-framed homes to their concrete foundations so they don’t slide off during violent ground shaking.
For eligible homes in designated ZIP codes, the EBB program provides a standard grant of up to $3,000 to cover the costs of a code-compliant retrofit. This is a true grant, meaning it does not need to be repaid. It is designed to offset the upfront costs of hiring qualified foundation bolting contractors to perform the work.
To make seismic upgrades accessible to everyone, the state also offers additional funding above the standard grant to help income-eligible homeowners complete a brace and bolt retrofit.
The EBB program targets the homes most at risk of catastrophic failure. To get the money, your house needs to check a few specific boxes.
The building codes in California changed dramatically after 1980 to account for seismic safety. Therefore, to qualify for a pre-1980 home retrofit grant, your house must meet these criteria:
The state releases funds based on high-risk seismic zones. Every year, the list of eligible ZIP codes shifts slightly, but it consistently targets vulnerable coastal and inland fault lines, making seismic retrofitting Los Angeles, Orange County, and surrounding areas a major priority.
So, what exactly happens under your house during a retrofit? While the engineering is precise, the concept is straightforward. Our crews focus on three primary upgrades to keep your home stable.
During an earthquake, the violent shaking can literally bounce a house off its concrete foundation. To prevent this, we drill deep into the existing concrete and install heavy-duty steel anchor bolts. These bolts firmly lock the wooden frame of your house (the mudsill) to the concrete foundation beneath it.
Many older homes have short, wooden walls in the crawl space that sit between the foundation and the first floor. These are called “cripple walls,” and they carry the entire weight of your home. During a quake, unreinforced cripple walls can sway and collapse like a house of cards. Cripple wall bracing involves installing structural-grade plywood along these walls, transforming them into rigid shear panels that resist side-to-side shaking.
A sliding water heater can snap gas lines and cause devastating fires after an earthquake. As a mandatory part of the EBB program, your water heater will be securely strapped and braced to the adjacent wall studs to ensure it stays exactly where it belongs.
While navigating the grant process takes a little bit of paperwork, the return on investment is massive.
The state operates this program on a lottery system during specific enrollment windows. Here is your game plan:
Navigating government grants, securing building permits, and performing structural engineering in a cramped crawl space isn’t a DIY weekend project. You need a team that knows the California building codes inside and out.
At Home Renew 360, we specialize in seamless, stress-free structural upgrades. We can evaluate your crawl space, tell you exactly what your home needs, and ensure the work is done flawlessly so you can claim your grant money without a hitch.
Not sure if your crawl space has cripple walls? Want to get your house inspected before the next EBB registration window opens? Contact Home Renew 360 today for a free foundation inspection.
No. The EBB program provides a true grant, not a loan. As long as the work is completed by a FEMA-trained contractor in accordance with Chapter A3 of the California Existing Building Code, you do not have to repay the funds.
If your house has a crawl space underneath the first floor, meaning you have to walk up a few steps to get to your front door, you likely have a raised foundation. Homes built directly on flat concrete slabs do not qualify for this specific grant.
To qualify for the additional $7,000 (bringing the total potential grant to $10,000), your annual household income must be at or below $89,040. If your income is higher, you can still easily qualify for the standard $3,000 grant.
No. To receive the grant reimbursement, you must hire a licensed contractor who is officially listed on the state’s EBB Contractor Directory. These contractors, like the team at Home Renew 360, have completed specific FEMA training for seismic retrofitting.
