How to work with a licensed contractor for a soft story seismic retrofit to obtain cost and time estimates, including special inspections and permits, all in a timely manner is of course best.

https://www.cslb.ca.gov/consumers/

A few diligent ways to check is to:

Ask for project references of similar jobs.

Double-check in project type and verify the ability to complete projects on the schedule made and on budget.

Request a site visit, written proposal and an anticipated schedule

Remember not all recommended contractors are necessarily a good fit for you because of the size of your job, their location vs. your location, availability of the necessary materials, their creditworthiness and buying power, their current workload and their staff turnover. Things can change very fast in a new company in this new-found opportunity.

All permitted construction is subject to City Inspections and is the responsibility of the

Soft Story building owner to make sure it gets done in a timely manner.

Common inspections include foundation & concrete work, wood framing, steel framing and all new connections.

Special inspections are required for steel welding, steel moment frames, steel beams, wood shear walls and final stucco before cosmetic finishes.

However, in the “Real World”, there are a few hard truths that one might encounter.

Why are contractors commonly despised and why do so many construction jobs turn out to be quite stressful and nightmarish?

While most people look for the lowest price in the hopes that everything they need will be seamlessly taken care of without further expenses or effort, it is almost never that straightforward, certainly never easy and even if expected, additional expenses are rarely welcomed