BedrockMatch is a free service that connects homeowners with vetted local seismic and storm retrofit contractors. See what retrofitting actually fixes, what it typically costs, what grants like Brace + Bolt can pay for — and compare contractors. You own the home and choose who to hire.
BedrockMatch is a free matching service, not a contractor or engineer. Matching is free to homeowners; we never take a cut of the job cost. You compare and choose who to hire.
The house frame can slide off its foundation; weak cripple walls buckle.
Anchor bolts and plywood bracing tie the home to its foundation.
A few plain questions that point to the retrofits most likely worth asking a contractor about. This is general guidance, not an inspection.
Was your home built before the 1980s on a raised foundation with a crawl space?
Why it matters: Older raised-foundation homes are often not bolted down and have unbraced cripple walls.
Does your home have a garage or open space under living rooms (a 'soft story')?
Why it matters: A weak open ground floor can collapse sideways in a strong quake.
Do you live in an earthquake, hurricane, or high-wind region?
Why it matters: Where the hazard is higher, retrofitting matters more — and grants are more likely.
Do you have an unreinforced masonry chimney or an unstrapped water heater?
Why it matters: These are cheap to brace and prevent fire, gas leaks, and falling-debris injuries.
Has your home never had a structural retrofit or seismic upgrade?
Why it matters: If no one has bolted, braced, or tied it down, the original weak points are still there.
Answered yes to any of these? It's worth getting a free assessment. Get matched with a vetted local contractor — you compare and choose. Get matched, free →
The common weak points in a home — and the work that strengthens each one. Which ones apply depends on your home; a licensed contractor confirms after an on-site look.
Anchors the wooden house frame to its concrete foundation with anchor bolts so it can't slide off in a quake.
Which homes need itOlder homes on a raised (crawl-space) foundation that were built before modern bolting was required.
Adds plywood bracing to the short stud walls between the foundation and the first floor so they don't buckle.
Which homes need itHouses with a crawl space and unbraced 'cripple' walls — a very common weak point in older homes.
Reinforces a weak ground level — usually an open garage or carport under living space — with a steel frame.
Which homes need itHomes and small apartment buildings with a tuck-under garage or large open first floor.
Metal connectors tie the roof to the walls and the walls to the foundation so high winds can't peel them off.
Which homes need itHomes in hurricane, high-wind, and severe-storm zones, especially older wood-frame houses.
Braces an unreinforced masonry chimney and straps the water heater so they don't topple or rupture a gas line.
Which homes need itAlmost any older home — these are low-cost fixes that prevent fire, gas leaks, and falling-debris injuries.
Adds shear panels and hold-downs at weak wall lines so the structure resists side-to-side shaking and wind.
Which homes need itHomes with large openings, wide windows, or additions that left a wall line under-supported.
The kinds of strengthening work the licensed contractors we match you with handle.
Typical ranges only — not quotes. What you pay depends on your home, your region, and the scope a contractor confirms. Grants like California's Brace + Bolt can help pay for the work.
| Work | Typical range |
|---|---|
| Foundation bolting (anchor bolts only) | $1,500 - $4,000 |
| Cripple-wall bracing + bolting (typical house) | $3,000 - $7,000 |
| Full seismic retrofit (older raised-foundation home) | $5,000 - $10,000 |
| Soft-story strengthening (steel frame) | $10,000 - $80,000+ |
| Hurricane straps & roof tie-downs | $1,000 - $5,000 |
| Chimney bracing / water-heater strapping | $200 - $3,000 |
| CA Earthquake Brace + Bolt grant (toward the work) | up to $3,000 if you qualify |
Many states and FEMA programs offer retrofit grants or insurance discounts. Ask whether your home qualifies.
Four clear steps — and you stay in control the whole way.
Where it is, the age and type of home, and how to reach you. Home basics and contact details only — never financial accounts or immigration status.
We introduce you to vetted local seismic and storm retrofit contractors near your home, at no cost to you.
A contractor looks at your home's weak points and gives you a written scope and price. Ask whether engineer's plans or a permit are needed.
You decide who to hire and confirm the scope, the engineering, and the price in writing before any work starts.
Get matched, free, with vetted local seismic and storm retrofit contractors near you. You compare the scope and price, then choose who to hire.
Always verify a contractor's license, bond, and insurance, and confirm the scope and price in writing before any work starts.
Get matched, free, with vetted local retrofit contractors. Compare the scope and price — and confirm the engineering and the cost in writing before any work starts. You compare and choose who to hire.