Whittier, Los Angeles County
Whittier Remodeling and Seismic Strengthening
Whittier remodeling: seismic strengthening, restoration in kind, additions on sloped lots, ADUs and kitchens, through the city's permits.
Whittier's building department is its own, and some streets sit inside a historic district with its own review. A craftsman or period house built long ago may need seismic strengthening before anything else, and a sloped lot needs footings designed for the grade. We take on seismic work, restoration, additions and ADUs here, starting with the structure on any older house.
Strengthening older houses
Raised-floor houses built before modern codes can slide off their foundations or have their cripple walls fold in a strong earthquake. Foundation anchor bolts and plywood bracing on the cripple walls address both, and they are usually done from the crawlspace without disturbing the rooms above. Brick chimneys are checked and, where an engineer recommends it, braced or rebuilt in lighter materials. We do this work as its own project or as the first phase of a remodel, since it is easiest before new finishes go in.
Restoration and sloped lots
In the historic district, exterior changes are reviewed, so siding, windows and porches are repaired to match the original. On a sloped lot, additions and decks sit on footings designed for the grade, and drainage is planned to keep water off the hillside. We prepare drawings that answer the questions each review will ask. Inside, kitchens and baths can be modernized while built-ins and trim are kept, and each part of the work is priced apart from the others. Where street parking is tight, crew parking is planned.
What we take on in Whittier
The shell of the house first, then everything else.
Have a house in Whittier?
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