Earthquake prep: strapping, bolting, and safety upgrades
Water heater unstrapped, 75" TV un-tethered, bookcase tipping on its own in a windy week. Three hardware fixes — water heater, anti-tip straps, secondary TV tether — handle the injuries that actually happen in LA quakes.
What earthquake prep covers
DIY vs. hire — which makes sense for your job
When DIY works
Strapping a water heater is a clean DIY — two metal straps, lag bolts into studs, plumber's tape. The kit costs $15-30 at Home Depot. Anchoring a bookcase to a stud with L-brackets is similarly straightforward. These two items cover the highest-injury-risk items in a quake.
When to hire
Foundation bolt inspection, cripple-wall bracing, automatic gas shut-off valve installation, and chimney bracing all require either crawlspace work, gas-line modification, or roof access. A pro handles a full-home earthquake prep audit and install in 4-8 hours.
Permits, codes, and safety
Water heater strapping: no permit. Furniture anchoring: no permit. Automatic gas shut-off valve: no permit for the valve itself, but gas line modification requires a licensed plumber. Foundation bolting: may require a permit if structural work exceeds prescriptive standards (most standard bolt-and-brace retrofits follow FEMA P-1100 and are permit-exempt in many jurisdictions). Soft-story retrofit: always requires engineering, permits, and licensed contractor.
This hub covers earthquake prep generally. For LA-specific pricing, neighborhood detail, and local codes, see our Los Angeles earthquake prep page.
Related reading
A few pieces we wrote for LA homeowners thinking about this category:
- LA earthquake prep: anti-tip strapping — Water heaters, bookcases, TVs — which straps actually hold under a PGA-0.3 event.
Related services
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