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Earthquake Retrofitting and Insurance

By Richard Sweet. Reviewed by Richard Sweet. Updated June 26, 2026.

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Earthquake retrofitting is about keeping a home on its foundation and standing. It is a safety measure first, and it can also matter for insurance. Here is how the two connect.

The two most common retrofits

Oregon’s Construction Contractors Board describes two common methods: bolting the house to its foundation, and reinforcing cripple walls with plywood sheathing. Foundation bolting uses anchor bolts to tie the wood framing to the concrete foundation. Cripple wall bracing strengthens the short walls between the foundation and the first floor so they do not collapse in shaking.

What retrofitting does and does not do

Portland’s residential seismic strengthening guidance is clear that these measures are designed to reduce the likelihood of a home being severely damaged by sliding off its foundation or losing its cripple walls. It also notes they do not bring an older building fully up to current code. In other words, retrofitting meaningfully reduces a specific, common failure mode. It does not make a house earthquake-proof.

Water heaters and smaller steps

Washington’s Office of the Insurance Commissioner notes that earthquake policies may carry requirements such as strapping the water heater and bracing interior walls. Strapping a water heater is a small, inexpensive step that reduces fire and water risk after a quake, and some policies expect it.

How it connects to coverage

Retrofitting can affect earthquake insurance in a few ways. It may improve eligibility with carriers that have construction requirements, it may affect pricing with some markets, and it changes the underlying risk of the home regardless of the policy. The effect varies by carrier, so treat it as a possible benefit to confirm, not a guaranteed discount.

An important boundary

Retrofitting is a construction and engineering matter. Vantage Point Risk does not provide engineering, construction, or building-code advice. Bolting, bracing, and structural work should be evaluated and performed by qualified contractors, engineers, or local building officials, who can assess your specific home and what it needs.

A sensible sequence

For many older homes, the practical order is: get the home evaluated, complete the retrofitting that qualified professionals recommend, document it, and then review earthquake coverage with that work in view. You end up safer and, in some cases, in a better insurance position. We can help with the insurance side once the building side is handled. Compare your coverage when you are ready.

Questions to ask your advisor

  • Does this carrier consider a documented retrofit in eligibility or pricing?
  • What retrofit documentation should I keep and provide?
  • Does the policy expect smaller steps like a strapped water heater or braced interior walls?
  • Should I complete the building work before we compare earthquake options?
  • Who should evaluate and perform the structural work, since that is outside insurance?

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Continue the series

You are reading part 10 of Earthquake Insurance in Oregon and Washington: What Homeowners Should Know.

Previous: Earthquake Insurance for Older Homes

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What many people don't realize

The part that catches owners off guard

  • Common retrofits include bolting the home to the foundation and bracing cripple walls.
  • Retrofitting can improve safety and may affect eligibility or pricing with some carriers.
  • Retrofitting is a construction matter for qualified professionals, not insurance advice.
  • Some policies expect smaller steps, such as strapping the water heater.
The Vantage Point

What we see most often

Retrofitting and insurance are two different tools that work together. Retrofitting reduces the chance your home is badly damaged or knocked off its foundation. Insurance handles the financial loss if it is. Doing one does not replace the other, but doing the retrofit can sometimes help with the insurance, and it almost always helps with safety.

The practical mistake is treating these as either-or. A retrofit is not a reason to skip coverage, and a policy is not a reason to skip the retrofit. The owners who come out ahead usually do the building work first, document it, and then review coverage with that work in view.

A real example

An owner of an older raised-foundation home wanted to know whether retrofitting would lower the earthquake premium. The honest answer was that it might affect eligibility or pricing with some carriers, but the bigger reason to do it was safety, and the building decision belonged with qualified professionals, not with us.

The owner had the home evaluated, completed the bolting and cripple-wall bracing a contractor recommended, and kept the documentation. When we then compared earthquake options, the retrofit was part of the picture the carriers could see. The figures are illustrative, but the sequence is the point: building first, coverage second.

Details changed to protect privacy. Shared to illustrate, not to promise an outcome.

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When to review

It may be time for a coverage review if:

  • You own an older home with a raised foundation
  • You want to reduce earthquake risk and possibly improve eligibility
  • You have completed a retrofit and want it reflected in your coverage review
  • A carrier asked whether the home is bolted, braced, or has a strapped water heater
  • You are deciding the order of building work and buying coverage
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Frequently asked

Frequently asked

What is foundation bolting?
It is a retrofit that connects the home's wood framing to its concrete foundation with anchor bolts, so the house is less likely to slide off in an earthquake.
What is cripple wall bracing?
It reinforces the short walls between the foundation and the floor, often with plywood sheathing, so they are less likely to collapse during shaking.
Does retrofitting lower earthquake insurance cost?
It may affect eligibility or pricing with some carriers, but results vary. Retrofitting should be done for safety first, evaluated by qualified professionals.
Does retrofitting make a home earthquake-proof?
No. Portland's residential seismic strengthening guidance notes these measures reduce a specific, common failure mode but do not bring an older building fully up to current code. They reduce risk; they do not eliminate it.
Should I retrofit before or after buying coverage?
A common sequence is to have the home evaluated, complete the retrofit qualified professionals recommend, document it, and then review earthquake coverage with that work in view.
RS
Written and reviewed by

Richard Sweet

Founder and Principal Advisor, Vantage Point Risk

Richard Sweet runs Vantage Point Risk, an independent insurance and risk advisory for property owners, real estate investors, business owners, and families. He works with investors every week on the coverage decisions that decide how a claim actually turns out, and writes the Learning Center to put those decisions in plain language.

Reviewed for accuracy by Richard Sweet. Last updated June 26, 2026.

Richard also writes The Vantage Point, notes on building a better business.

This information is general education, not a coverage determination, engineering recommendation, or legal advice. Earthquake coverage varies by carrier, policy form, state, property characteristics, endorsements, exclusions, limits, deductibles, and underwriting eligibility. Actual coverage is determined only by the policy contract and the facts of a specific loss.

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