California is waiting for "The Big One." It’s a cliché because it’s true. If you own an older home in Los Angeles, the Bay Area, or basically anywhere near a fault line, your house might just slide off its foundation during a major quake. This isn't fear-mongering; it's physics. Older homes—specifically those built before 1980 with a "raised" foundation—often have a crawl space that acts like a set of weak knees. When the ground shakes, those knees buckle.
That’s where the Earthquake Brace and Bolt program (EBB) comes in.
It’s essentially a government-backed grant that gives homeowners up to $3,000 to help pay for a seismic retrofit. Sometimes there’s even more money for low-income households. But honestly, people hear "government grant" and "seismic retrofit" and immediately think of a bureaucratic nightmare involving endless paperwork and contractors who overcharge the second they see a subsidy.
The reality? It’s one of the few programs that actually functions the way it’s supposed to, though it has some quirks that can trip you up if you aren't paying attention.
What the Earthquake Brace and Bolt Program Actually Does
Most people think a retrofit makes their house "earthquake proof." It doesn't. Nothing does. What the Earthquake Brace and Bolt program focuses on is preventing the most catastrophic, house-leveling type of damage: the house sliding off the foundation.
If your home has a crawl space, there are "crimper walls" (short wood-framed walls) between the foundation and the first floor. In a big shake, these walls collapse. The EBB grant pays to bolt the house to the concrete foundation and, if necessary, add plywood "bracing" to those walls to stiffen them up.
It’s about stability.
The program is managed by the California Residential Mitigation Program (CRMP), which is a joint effort between the California Earthquake Authority (CEA) and the Governor’s Office of Emergency Services (Cal OES). They don't just hand out checks to everyone. You have to live in a high-risk zip code, and your house has to meet very specific structural criteria.
✨ Don't miss: The Long Haired Russian Cat Explained: Why the Siberian is Basically a Living Legend
The $3,000 Question
Is $3,000 enough? Probably not for the whole job.
While the grant is a massive help, a typical retrofit in California usually runs between $3,500 and $7,000. If you have a massive house or a complicated crawl space with dry rot issues, you might be looking at more. You’re still going to have some skin in the game. However, for many standard bungalows, that $3,000 covers a huge chunk of the invoice.
If you qualify for the Supplemental Deficit Grant (SDG) because your household income is under a certain threshold (usually around $72,000, though this fluctuates), you might get the entire project paid for. That’s a game changer for residents on fixed incomes who are living in vulnerable, historic neighborhoods.
Why Most People Miss Out on the Money
The biggest hurdle isn't the eligibility—it's the timing.
The Earthquake Brace and Bolt program doesn't stay open year-round. It’s a lottery system. They open up registration for a few weeks once a year (usually in the fall or early winter), and then they randomly select homeowners from the pool of applicants. You can’t just decide on a Tuesday in July that you want the money and expect a check.
You have to wait for the window.
When that window opens, the rush is real. Tens of thousands of people apply for a limited number of slots. If you’re lucky enough to be selected, you’re "provisionally approved," which means the clock starts ticking. You have to get bids, submit photos, and get permits within specific deadlines.
🔗 Read more: Why Every Mom and Daughter Photo You Take Actually Matters
The "Before" Rule
This is where people get burned. You cannot start the work before you are officially accepted into the program. If you’ve already bolted your house or if you start drilling before your "Authorization to Proceed," you get zero dollars. Period. The CRMP is very strict about this because they need to verify the "before" state of the home to prove the tax dollars actually went toward a new mitigation.
Finding a Contractor Without Getting Ripped Off
You can technically do the work yourself if you’re a serious DIYer and follow the "Plan Set A" or "Standard Plan Set 1" guidelines. But honestly? Most people shouldn't. Crawling around in a 24-inch space with a rotary hammer is miserable work.
The EBB maintains a "Contractor Directory." These are people who have completed a FEMA training video on how to do these specific retrofits.
- Don't just pick the first name. Get three bids.
- Watch for "The EBB Tax." Some contractors might inflate their price because they know you’re getting $3,000. Tell them you’re getting bids from multiple people on the EBB list to keep them honest.
- Permit fees matter. The grant can often cover the cost of the building permit, so make sure your contractor includes that in the line-item estimate.
Janice, a homeowner in Echo Park, told me last year that her first bid was $5,500. The second was $3,800 for the exact same scope of work. That’s the difference between paying $800 out of pocket and paying $2,500.
The Technical Reality: Bolts and Plywood
What are they actually doing down there?
First, they install anchor bolts. These are long steel bolts that go through the "sill plate" (the wood that sits directly on the concrete) and deep into the foundation. This stops the house from sliding horizontally.
Second, they add bracing. If your cripple walls are just open studs, they’ll nail high-grade plywood across them. This creates a "shear wall" that prevents the house from leaning or "racking" until it collapses.
💡 You might also like: Sport watch water resist explained: why 50 meters doesn't mean you can dive
Finally, they might add "universal foundation plates" if the clearance is too low to get a drill in from the top. It’s basically heavy-duty hardware that connects the side of the wood to the side of the concrete. It’s ugly, it’s hidden, and it’s the only thing keeping your kitchen from becoming a basement during a 7.0 magnitude event.
Does it Lower Your Insurance?
Maybe. If you have earthquake insurance through the CEA, completing a retrofit through the Earthquake Brace and Bolt program can land you a discount of up to 25% on your premiums. Over a decade, that adds up to thousands of dollars. It’s one of the few "home improvements" that actually pays you back in both safety and cold, hard cash.
Common Misconceptions and Nuances
There’s a lot of bad info floating around neighborhood Facebook groups.
One big myth is that if you have a slab-on-grade house (no crawl space), you can still get the grant. You can't. This program is specifically for raised foundations. If your house was built in 2005, you also won't qualify because modern building codes already required these bolts.
Another weird detail: The grant is considered taxable income at the federal level. You’ll get a 1099-G. California, however, passed a law (SB 1246) that makes these grants tax-exempt at the state level. So, you’ll owe the IRS a little bit of that money back, but the state won't touch it. It’s a bit of a bummer, but $3,000 minus a small tax hit is still a lot better than $0.
How to Prepare for the Next Registration Window
Since the program isn't always open, you need to be ready.
- Check your zip code. Go to the official Earthquake Brace and Bolt website and use their search tool. If your area isn't listed, it usually means the soil type or fault proximity doesn't meet their current funding priority, or the program hasn't expanded there yet.
- Look at your foundation. Grab a flashlight. Go into the crawl space. Do you see bolts? Do you see plywood? If you see bare wood and old concrete with no steel connectors, you’re a prime candidate.
- Gather your docs. You’ll need proof of occupancy and photos of the exterior of your house.
- Sign up for notifications. The EBB website has an email list. Join it. They’ll blast out a message a few weeks before the next lottery begins.
The Earthquake Brace and Bolt program isn't perfect. The lottery system means some people who desperately need the help won't get it this year. But for those who do, it’s the difference between a house that needs some drywall repair after a quake and a house that is red-tagged and uninhabitable.
If you live in a house built in the 1920s with a "post and pier" or raised foundation, this isn't just a home improvement project. It's an insurance policy for your life. Don't wait until the ground starts moving to wish you’d spent twenty minutes filling out an application.
Actionable Steps for Homeowners
- Audit your crawl space today: Identify if your home is "bolt-ready" by checking for existing anchor bolts every 4-6 feet along the sill plate.
- Verify your Zip Code: Visit the CRMP website to see if your area is currently eligible for the next funding cycle.
- Set a Calendar Alert: Historically, registration windows open in the latter half of the year. Set a monthly reminder to check the status starting in August.
- Research Supplemental Grants: If your annual household income is $72,080 or less, prepare your tax returns to prove eligibility for the extra funding that can cover 100% of the costs.
- Interview Contractors Early: Even if the window is closed, you can talk to EBB-registered contractors to get "ballpark" figures so you know exactly how much of a gap you'll need to bridge once you get the grant.