Missed the SB 721 balcony deadline? Get compliant before it gets expensive.

SB 721's daily civil penalty of $100 to $500 attaches to required repairs, not to the missed inspection itself: when repairs identified by an inspection go unaddressed, the inspector notifies the local enforcement agency, and repairs still incomplete 30 days after that notice can be assessed the penalty each day until they are done, at a level set by the local authority's fee schedule, unless the local enforcement agency grants an extension of time. An assessed penalty can also become a recorded building safety lien with the force of a judgment lien, and enforcement costs can be recovered. An uninspected building is still in violation of the State Housing Law, which carries its own separate enforcement exposure, and the City of Los Angeles runs balcony compliance as a code enforcement program. Acting now is how you keep any of it from starting.

SB 721 applies to multifamily buildings with three or more dwelling units that have balconies, decks, porches, stairways, or walkways more than six feet off the ground and built with wood or wood-based materials, along with their waterproofing systems. Timing depends on the building's age: if the building permit application was submitted on or after January 1, 2019, the building is still covered, but its first inspection is due six years after the certificate of occupancy instead of on the statewide date. Depending on when it was occupied, that can mean it is current with no inspection yet, or that its date has already passed.

No. The most valuable thing you can do after a missed deadline is get inspected and get a documented repair plan moving. We take you from the inspection findings to budgeted, permitted, completed repairs with the closeout records that support compliance.

SB 721 requires inspection of at least 15 percent of each type of exterior elevated element on the property.

A licensed architect, a licensed civil or structural engineer, certain qualified contractors with the required experience, or certain certified building inspectors, as allowed by statute. We coordinate with qualified inspection professionals and carry the repair side of the work.

We review the findings, clarify the likely repair scope and probable cost, coordinate permits and any required engineering, and complete the work, then provide the documentation you need for closeout. The statute puts repairs on their own clocks, so we move quickly.

SB 721 covers multifamily buildings with three or more dwelling units, with re-inspection by January 1 every six years. SB 326 covers condominium associations, with re-inspection every nine years. Both are exterior elevated element inspection laws, not seismic retrofit requirements.