ANCHOR BOLTING/BRACING FOUNDATION:

General

The Los Angeles Department of Building and Safety (LADBS) Electronic Permit System (e-Permit system) allows for the issuance of a permit to seismically retrofit cripple walls in residential wood framed buildings of one to four dwelling units and three stories maximum height per LADBS Standard Plan No. 1. The e-Permit system does not allow for the issuance of a permit to seismically retrofit cripple walls in the following situations:

  1. For residential wood framed buildings containing over four dwelling units or over three stories in height,
  2. For any non-residential wood framed building regardless of height, or
  3. For a seismic retrofit of cripple walls in residential wood framed buildings of one to four dwelling units and three stories maximum height per structural plans and calculations prepared by a civil engineer, structural engineer, or architect licensed by the State of California.

A plan check is required for items 1, 2 and 3 above and the required permit must be issued at a LADBS Construction Services Center. Two sets of indelible plans and calculations prepared by a civil engineer, structural engineer, or architect licensed by the State of California are required for plan check.

LADBS Standard Plan No.1

Follow the construction plans and details contained within LADBS Standard Plan No. 1 to seismically retrofit the cripple walls in the residential wood framed building. To obtain a copy of the 30" x 40" standard plan, call the LADBS Customer Call Center at 888-LA4BUILD (888-524-2845) for calls originating inside of Los Angeles County. For calls originating outside of Los Angeles County, call (213) 482-0000. Important things to note about LADBS Standard Plan No. 1 are:

  1. The intent of this standard plan is to promote public safety and welfare by reducing the risk of earthquake induced damage in existing wood frame residential buildings. The requirements represented are minimum prescriptive standards which do not meet the requirements for new buildings. These standards are intended to improve the seismic performance of these existing buildings but will not necessarily prevent their damage in an earthquake. Their primary purpose is to reduce the likelihood that these buildings will fall off their foundations.
  2. The standard plan provides prescriptive construction plans and details on the seismic retrofit of cripple walls in residential wood framed buildings and must be followed exactly as prescribed. Any deviation or special details for a specific project must be approved by a LADBS Construction Services Center before the permit is issued. Structural plans and calculations prepared by a civil engineer, structural engineer, or architect licensed by the State of California may be required.
  3. If the seismic retrofit is not done per structural plans and calculations prepared by a civil engineer, structural engineer, or architect licensed by the State of California, the use of LADBS Standard Plan No. 1 is the only way to receive LADBS credit for cripple wall retrofit work meeting insurance or property tax credit requirements.

This standard plan applies to one, two and three-story residential buildings with raised wood floors if they meet the following criteria:

  1. Cripple wall stud height does not exceed 48 inches in one or two story buildings and does not exceed 14 inch stud height in three story buildings.
  2. The building is supported at its perimeter by a continuous concrete footing and stem wall.
  3. All of the floors in each story are at the same elevation.
  4. The building does not exceed a maximum of 4 dwelling units and /or guest rooms.
  5. The cripple walls are sheathed with materials other than wood structural panels or diagonal sheathing.
  6. No portion of the building is constructed over a slope steeper than 3 horizontal to 1 vertical.
Inspection Requirements



NOTE: No inspection will be given if the following plans are not at the job site and made accessible to the inspector:
 
 
  1. A copy of LADBS Standard Plan No. 1.
  2. A foundation plan, prepared for the specific job site, that shows which standard plan details will be used on the various portions of the foundation and cripple wall system to comply with the provision of the standard plan. A sample foundation plan is illustrated on the standard plan.
  Failure to provide the required plans at the job site may result in the payment of an additional inspection trip fee which must be paid at a LADBS Construction Services Center.

In most cases where no replacement of any portion of the foundation is involved, only one inspection is required after the work is completed but before the screens for the ventilation holes at the sill plate anchors are completely fastened. If the project involves replacement of any portion of the foundation, two inspections are required. The first inspection is required after the forms, rebar, and anchor bolts are installed but before any foundation or stem wall replacement is poured. The second inspection is required after the work is completed but before the screens for the ventilation holes at the sill plate anchors are completely fastened. For anchor bolting/bracing foundation permits issued using the LADBS e-Permit system, the inspector will provide the required inspection signature card at the first (or only) inspection. To reach your inspector to verify inspection requirements for your project, call the LADBS Customer Call Center at 888-LA4BUILD (888-524-2845) for calls originating inside of Los Angeles County. For calls originating outside of Los Angeles County, call (213) 482-0000.

Inspection Requests

You can schedule an inspection by using our Automated Inspection Request System (AIRS) which is available anytime (except between 2am and 3am) or by contacting our Customer Call Center (CCC) during our regular business hours (7am to 5pm). Both are available at 888-LA4BUILD (888-524-2845) for calls originating inside of Los Angeles County. For calls originating outside of Los Angeles County, call (213) 482-0000. To reach AIRS select option 1, to reach CCC select option 2. When calling for an inspection you will need to know the permit number, the site address, the date and type of inspection needed, and the name and phone number of the person to receive a confirmation call on the morning of the inspection. Inspections are available for the next business day until 3pm on the previous business day using AIRS and until 2pm on the previous business day using CCC. An AIRS Sequence Chart is helpful when scheduling an inspection request using AIRS.

For a foundation replacement inspection, use the "300 - Footing/Foundation/Slab" AIRS inspection code. When the anchor bolting/bracing foundation is complete, use the "335 - Final" AIRS inspection code. When using AIRS to schedule an inspection request, it is recommended that you write down your inspection request confirmation number for future reference. This confirmation number can be obtained by pressing the "1" key in step 10 as shown on the AIRS Sequence Chart.