Structural Risks

Some types of houses built before 1980 may benefit from retrofitting with foundation anchoring, which reduces the possibility of a house sliding off of its foundation in an earthquake.

Cripple-wall houses have short, wood-framed walls between the foundation and the wood-framed first floor, and a crawl space under the house.

Because a post-and-pier house has no continuous concrete perimeter foundation, it is particularly vulnerable to shifting, and potentially collapsing, in an earthquake.

This house has one or more floors of living space over an attached garage.

Hillside houses may not be properly braced to withstand earthquakes, leading to significant damage and even collapse during an earthquake.