California Expands Brace & Bolt Program to Lakewood Zip Codes

August 29, 2025

Registration is open now through Oct. 1 to receive up to $3,000 to seismically retrofit your house. A brace and bolt seismic retrofit is an important way to mitigate damage from an earthquake. 

For the first time, Lakewood zip codes will be included in the Earthquake Brace & Bolt Program. 

Non-owner-occupied houses including rental and investment properties also now qualify. A Supplement Grant (SG) may be available for owner-occupied, income-eligible homeowners for households with an annual income at or below $89,040. Funds are limited.

In an Earthquake Brace + Bolt (EBB) seismic retrofit, the foundation is “bolted” to the frame of the house, and when there are walls called “cripple walls” in the crawl space under the house, they are “braced” with plywood. This helps prevent the house from sliding or toppling off of its foundation during an earthquake. An EBB seismic retrofit is only done on wood-framed, pre-1980 homes with a raised foundation.