1370 Industrial Ave Ste G, Petaluma, CA 94952
  • Seismic Retrofit/Earthquake Brace + Bolt (EBB/ESS)

    Seismic Retrofit / Earthquake Brace + Bolt (EBB/ESS)


Our Services

Get a free estimate! Call Now: (707) 658-1282

Protect Your Home Against Earthquakes

Did you know you can significantly reduce the risk of earthquake damage to your older house by completing an earthquake retrofit? CRMP has provided over $95 million to help homeowners complete more than 30,000 retrofits to-date — and we would like to help you too.

Giovacchini Construction is an approved CRMP Earthquake Brace + Bolt (EBB) and Earthquake Soft-Story (ESS) contractor. We follow all program guidelines to ensure your retrofit meets FEMA and EBB standards. If you’re not eligible for the grant program, we can still complete a code-compliant seismic retrofit to help protect your home.

The California Residential Mitigation Program (CRMP) helps homeowners strengthen their houses against earthquake damage through affordable retrofitting solutions.

Proudly serving Marin, Napa, Sonoma, Solano, and Mendocino Counties.
From the San Francisco Bay Area to as far north as Ukiah.

How it Works

    Seismic Retrofit/Earthquake Brace + Bolt (EBB/ESS)
  1. Estimate Confirmation: Clients are asked to review, sign, and return the provided estimate. The signed estimate should be uploaded to the EBB dashboard, with Giovacchini Construction designated as the contractor and granted editing rights. Proof of residence must also be uploaded in the Permit Section. The remainder of this section will be completed by the contractor.
  2. Deposit Invoice: An invoice for the deposit will be issued. Payment may be made via ACH, credit card (4% fee), or check.
  3. File Setup and Plan Creation: Upon receipt of the deposit, the project file will be set up, before photos uploaded, and Plan Set A will be created.
  4. Permit Application: The contractor will submit the permit application to the local County or City permitting agency. This approval process may take several weeks.
  5. Uploading Permits and FEMA Submission: Once permits and plans are approved, documents will be uploaded to the dashboard and submitted for FEMA review. This step can take 2 to 4 weeks or longer, depending on review outcomes. The dashboard will be monitored daily, and any necessary revisions will be promptly addressed.
  6. FEMA Approval and Scheduling: After receiving FEMA clearance, retrofit work will be scheduled.
  7. Onsite Work: Onsite retrofit work typically takes 2–3 days and is completed by a skilled crew. The exact timeline may vary by project.
  8. Final Inspection and Submission: After work completion, after photos will be uploaded, and the final inspection will be coordinated with the permitting authority. A crew member will be present to meet the inspector, and homeowner presence is not required if the crawl space access is external and accessible. Virtual sign-off is often possible.
  9. Program Final Review: Once the final inspection is approved, the contractor will submit all documentation for the program’s final review. The homeowner must select the grant recipient and will receive the check directly. Grant funds cannot be sent to the contractor. Guidance will be provided when this step is ready.
  10. Final Invoice: The final invoice for the remaining balance will be issued.
  11. Grant Refund: After program approval, the grant refund check will be sent directly to the homeowner within a few weeks.
  12. Project Completion: The project will be officially closed out with delivery of all permitting documents, photos of seismic work, and any relevant project records.

Happy Customers

2/14/25 ★★★★★
Great from start to finish, I highly recommend them. Started with a much more thorough full-perimeter crawlspace inspection than the other bidders did... I would not hesitate to use them again.

1/31/25 ★★★★★
Extremely professional, courteous, and helpful. They even did an extra courtesy inspection after being paid. Reliable, honest, and very fairly priced.

1/15/25 ★★★★★
Very pleased with the work and support. Lowest bid and fast paperwork. Check arrived in record time. On time, tidy, and respectful. Five stars from us!

1/6/25 ★★★★★
Desired a contractor with experience, and the Giovacchini Team delivered. Knowledgeable, clean, and efficient. 5 stars. — Captain S A. Quan

12/24/24 ★★★★★
Excellent from start to finish. Easy communication, reasonable quote, punctual and great work.

12/13/24 ★★★★★
Jesus, Joe, Jorge, and Anna were amazing! No micromanaging needed. Highly recommend for general contracting and future home projects.

11/20/24 ★★★★★
Previous experience + new retrofit. Office team handled documentation well. Highly recommend.

11/19/24 ★★★★★
Excellent job and very courteous staff. Highly recommend for EBB or general work!

11/8/24 ★★★★★
Responsive, knowledgeable, pleasant. Zero complaints.

11/8/24 ★★★★★
Clear steps, quick work, city inspection passed, dashboard updates handled. Recommend for anyone in the EBB program.

10/29/24 ★★★★★
Jean Bashi: Great experience from estimate to finish. Anna was patient and helpful. Team respectful. Very satisfied.

10/25/24 ★★★★★
Jesus did a thorough crawlspace review. Anna kept everything moving. Great communication. Highly recommend.

10/1/24 ★★★★★
Easy process. Professional, kind, helpful. Recommend for EBB retrofits!

9/20/24 ★★★★★
Quality job, professional staff, and timely completion. Very happy!

8/28/24 ★★★★★
Outstanding job — and almost 50% less than another bid.

8/24/24 ★★★★★
Delightful to work with. Knew the requirements. Guided me through. Did 90% of the work. Highly recommend!

8/9/24 ★★★★★
Great experience! Anna and Jennifer were helpful, Jesus and Austin were clean, pleasant, and professional. — Edna Facio

7/21/24 ★★★★★
Professional, responsive, reasonable. Would hire again!

3/27/24 ★★★★★
Great job. Kept me informed. Also did extra vent work. Happy customer.

3/23/24 ★★★★★
Smooth project. Workers punctual and clean. Jennifer kept things organized.

3/16/24 ★★★★★
Very manageable thanks to their EBB experience. Great communication. Highly recommended.

3/4/24 ★★★★★
Responsive, timely, helpful, hardworking. Passed inspection and now feel safer. Highly recommend!

2/15/24 ★★★★★
Owner answered questions directly. Quick, efficient, competitive pricing. Got 6 bids — chose the best. — D Flohr

1/28/24 ★★★★★
Great experience from start to finish. Highly recommend. — Christopher Faville, San Anselmo