California Seismic Safety Commission

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The Homeowner's Guide to Earthquake Safety contains many internet based resources. The purpose of this web page is to provide hyperlinks to for homeowners interested in improving the earthquake safety of their homes. This web page is intended to provide a quick reference to such web sites and files. Below are hyperlinks to selected resources on the pages of the Homeowner's Guide to Earthquake Safety.
Homeowner's Guide to Earthquake Safety 2005 Edition 5.6MB [pdf] Homeowner's Guide to Earthquake Safety 2005 Edition in Spanish 6.6MB [pdf] The 2005 Edition of the Homeowner's Guide to Earthquake Safety replaced the 2002 Edition (no longer available) effective July 1, 2005. Quick Download [pdf] 2005 version 2.5MB (contains reduced quality images)
Have a comment? Send a Comment to the Seismic Safety Commission staff.
Pages	Hyperlink
4		State Law Government Code Section 8897.1 to 8897.5 that authorized the creation of: Homeowner's Guide to Earthquake Safety
		Water Heater Bracing Law Health and Safety Code 19211
		Disclosing Weaknesses Law Civil Code 1102
		Disclosing Natural Hazards Law Civil Code 1103
		Alquist-Priolo Earthquake Fault Zoning Act Public Resources Code 2621
		Natural Hazards Disclosure Form
		Seismic Hazards Mapping Act Public Resources Code 2694
		Publishing this guide Business and Professions Code 10149
5		Property Tax Reappraisal Exclusion Revenue and Tax Code 74.5
		California Earthquake Authority
		California Department of Insurance
8		Detailed Earthquake Fault Map of California
9		Simplified Earthquake Shaking Potential Map for California Publication 03-02
10		Federal Emergency Management Agency
13		Guidelines for Earthquake Bracing of Residential Water Heaters
		How to Brace Your Water Heater
		How to Secure Your Water Heater
15, 17, 19, 21, 23, 25 27		International Existing Building Code, International Code Council
		How You Can Strengthen Your Home for the Next Big Earthquake in the Los Angeles Area
		Voluntary Earthquake Hazard Reduction in Existing Hillside Buildings
		Reconstruction and Replacement of Earthquake Damaged Masonry Chimneys
33		Seismic Gas Shutoff Valve Requirements in Los Angeles
		Improving Natural Gas Safety in Earthquakes
		Division of the State Architect Gas Shutoff Valve Certification Program
35		Contractor's State License Board
38		California Building Code
		Alquist-Priolo Earthquake Fault Maps
		Seismic Hazard Zone Maps
		Tsunami Inundation and Evacuation Route Maps
		Association of Bay Area Governments Tsunami Information
		Dam Inundation Maps
41		Red Cross
44		Office of Emergency Services
		California Seismic Safety Commission
		American Institute of Architects
		American Society of Home Inspectors
		Building Education Center
		California Real Estate Inspection Association
		Consulting Engineers and Land Surveyors of California
45		International Code Council
		Association of Bay Area Governments
		California Geological Survey
		Southern California Earthquake Center
		United States Geological Survey
		Federal Emergency Management Agency
		California Earthquake Authority
		American Red Cross
Publications for Further Reading:
How You Can Strengthen Your Home for the Next Big Earthquake in the Los Angeles Area Basic Retrofitting Blueprint by the International Code Council Chapters in the San Francisco Bay Area Earthquake Hazards and Wood Frame Houses, 46 pages, by the Center for Environmental Design, 390 Wurster Hall, University of California, Berkeley, CA 94720 520-642-02896 Seismic Retrofit Training Introduction to Earthquake Retrofitting, 80 pages, by the Building Education Center, 812 Page Street, Berkeley, CA 94710 International Existing Building Code, by the International Code Council, This Code has requirements for retrofitting existing dwellings in Appendix Chapter 3 and for soft story apartments in Appendix Chapter 4. Consumer's Guide to Professional Engineering and Land Surveying Services, by the Board of Professional Engineers and Land Surveyors, 2535 Capitol Oaks Dr. Suite 300, Sacramento, CA 95833, Free Download Consumer's Guide to Hiring an Architect, by California Board of Architectural Examiners, 400 R Street, Suite 4000, Sacramento, CA 95814, Free Download What You Should Know Before You Hire a Contractor, by Contractor's State License Board, PO Box 26000, Sacramento, CA 95826, Free Download Bolt it Down! This video and reference guide demonstrates how to strengthen a one-story, raised-floor, wood-framed home against the potential damaging effects of an earthquake. You will learn how to inspect the crawl space underneath your house, identify the type of foundation, draw a floor plan, select the best method to attach your house to the foundation, brace walls, and choose the appropriate tools and materials. (25 minutes) Your Family's Disaster Plan