Mandatory California compliance for multifamily residential buildings (Health & Safety Code §17973)
California Senate Bill 721 (Health & Safety Code §17973) requires mandatory safety inspections of all exterior elevated elements (balconies, decks, stairways, walkways) in multi-family residential rental buildings with three or more units. Inspections must be performed by a licensed general building contractor with at least five years of experience, a licensed civil/structural engineer, or architect. PiersPro conducts non-destructive borescope testing, moisture mapping, and issues official compliance reports. If structural issues are discovered, our crews provide turnkey repairs with closed city building permits.
We review building plans and identify all exterior elevated elements requiring inspection.
Our team conducts visual inspections and minimally invasive borescope testing to check for hidden dry rot.
You receive a complete compliance report outlining the condition of each element and any required repairs.
If repairs are needed, our licensed crew executes structural fixes and closes city building permits.
The initial statutory inspection deadline for SB-721 was January 1, 2025. Properties that have not yet completed inspection are currently out of compliance and should schedule immediately to avoid daily municipal fines and insurance cancellation.
Under Health & Safety Code §17973, inspections must be performed by a licensed General Building Contractor (Class B) with at least five years of relevant experience, a licensed civil/structural engineer, or architect. PiersPro holds CSLB #1110475 (Class B) and is fully authorized to conduct and sign SB-721 inspections.
If an immediate hazard is found, it must be reported to the local building official within 15 days, and emergency shoring must be installed. For non-immediate hazards, the owner has 120 days to apply for a repair permit and 30 days after permit issuance to start work.
SB-721 inspections are performed under California Health & Safety Code §17973 by a licensed general building contractor with more than five years of relevant experience. SB-326 inspections under California Civil Code §5551 must be performed by a licensed structural engineer, civil engineer, or architect. We do not perform SB-326 inspections; we execute the repairs identified in the inspecting professional's report and manage the project on the association's behalf. When you work with PiersPro, we coordinate and provide a licensed engineer for your project, so you do not need to search for one yourself. We do not provide structural engineering services directly. Evaluations of structural capacity, load analysis, and stamped design documents are prepared by a licensed engineer.
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