Earthquake Services
24-Hour Emergency Earthquake Damage Restoration · Residential & Commercial
Structural assessment, stabilization and repair for California seismic damage.
Earthquake Services, handled end to end.
In Southern California, it's not if but when. After a quake, the cracks you can see are rarely the whole story — the real risk is in the foundation, the framing and the load paths that hold the building up. As a licensed general contractor, Tri-Tech assesses structural integrity, stabilizes what's unsafe, and completes the repairs — from foundation reinforcement and seismic bracing to finishes — so your home or business is safe, sound and back to pre-earthquake condition. We respond 24/7 and guide you through the insurance claim from the first inspection.
Structural assessment & stabilization
Licensed evaluation of structural integrity, with temporary shoring to make unsafe areas secure right away.
Foundation repair & reinforcement
Crack repair, foundation bolting and strengthening to re-establish a stable, code-compliant base.
Seismic retrofit & bracing
Cripple-wall bracing, soft-story retrofit and anchoring to help your property stand up to the next quake.
Water & utility-line damage
Mitigation of the water and gas-line damage that so often follows a quake, before it compounds the loss.
Content recovery
Furniture, electronics, documents and valuables recovered, cleaned and restored — or documented for your claim.
Full reconstruction
Structural, systems and cosmetic repairs finished under one licensed roof — from framing to the final coat of paint.
Every earthquake job includes
One licensed team from emergency response to final rebuild — nothing handed off, nothing falling through the cracks.
Get a free assessment- 24/7 emergency response and structural assessment
- Temporary shoring and stabilization of unsafe areas
- Emergency board-up and site security
- Debris and hazardous-material removal
- Foundation crack repair, bolting and reinforcement
- Cripple-wall and soft-story seismic retrofit
- Chimney and masonry repair
- Water and gas-line damage mitigation
- Structural framing and load-path repair
- Drywall, finishes and cosmetic restoration
- Content recovery, pack-out and restoration
- Full reconstruction to pre-earthquake condition
- Insurance documentation and claim coordination
Our 7-step earthquake restoration process
Structural Assessment & Stabilization
We evaluate the damage from the seismic event, identify what's unsafe, and put safety measures and temporary stabilization in place — building a plan to restore structural integrity and prevent further deterioration.
Emergency Board-Up & Temporary Repairs
We secure the property against weather and unauthorized access with board-up and temporary repairs, preventing additional damage while the site is prepared for full reconstruction.
Debris Removal
We clear earthquake-generated debris and any hazardous materials from the property, creating a safe working environment for the restoration phases that follow.
Foundation Repair
We restore and reinforce the property's foundation systems — repairing cracks, bolting and strengthening — to re-establish structural stability and safety compliance.
Repairs & Reconstruction
We restore the property to its pre-earthquake condition with comprehensive repairs — structural, cosmetic and systems — handled by our licensed construction team.
Insurance Assistance
We document the damage thoroughly and support you through the claims process, coordinating with your carrier and adjuster so the paperwork doesn't slow your recovery.
Content Recovery & Restoration
We salvage and restore personal belongings damaged in the quake — furniture, documents, electronics and valuables — recovering what can be saved.
Types of earthquake damage
Earthquake damage ranges from hairline cracks to compromised load paths — and what you can see is rarely the whole story. We assess all four, because the cosmetic cracks on the wall can sit above serious structural damage below.
Foundation & footing
Cracks, shifting and settling in the base the whole structure rests on. Left unrepaired, it keeps moving and undermines everything above it.
Structural framing & load paths
Racked walls and broken connections that change how the building carries its load — the damage most likely to be dangerous and least likely to be visible.
Soft-story & cripple walls
Common in older California homes and apartments built over garages or on short stud walls. A well-known collapse risk that seismic retrofit is designed to fix.
Cosmetic & non-structural
Drywall cracks, broken glass, fallen fixtures and chimney or masonry damage. Visible and unsettling, but not load-bearing — restored after the structure is made safe.
Content recovery & restoration
An earthquake throws everything that isn't secured — shelving, electronics, artwork, records and keepsakes. We carefully recover what can be saved, inventory and pack it out to our secure storage and restoration facility, and clean, repair and store each piece until it's ready to return. Everything stays protected and documented so you can focus on getting your home or business back on its feet.
Common questions, answered.
Is it safe to stay in my home after an earthquake?
Not until it's been checked. Look for gas odors, leaning or racked walls, large foundation cracks, and jammed doors or windows — all signs of structural movement. Our line is answered 24/7; we assess structural integrity, shore up anything unsafe, and tell you plainly whether the building can be occupied.
The cracks look minor — do I still need an inspection?
Yes. Hairline cracks on the surface can sit directly above serious foundation or framing damage, and aftershocks widen what the first quake started. A professional structural assessment finds the hidden damage before it becomes a bigger, more expensive — or more dangerous — problem.
What is a soft-story building, and what is seismic retrofit?
A soft-story building has a weak ground floor — think living space over an open garage or on short 'cripple' walls — that can collapse in a quake. Seismic retrofit reinforces it: bolting the structure to the foundation, bracing cripple walls and strengthening soft-story frames. Los Angeles requires retrofits for many older wood-frame and soft-story buildings, and we handle that work.
Does my homeowner insurance cover earthquake damage?
Usually not on its own. Standard homeowner and commercial policies in California typically exclude earthquake damage — that coverage comes from a separate earthquake policy, often through the California Earthquake Authority (CEA). Some resulting damage, like a fire or a burst pipe caused by the quake, may still be covered under your standard policy. We document everything and help you work the claim either way.
How soon should I act after an earthquake?
Right away for safety and stabilization. Aftershocks can turn a cracked wall into a failed one, and unaddressed structural movement gets worse over time. Fast documentation also protects your insurance claim — the sooner we assess and stabilize, the more options you keep.
Do you handle both the structural repair and the rebuild?
Yes. We're a licensed general contractor (B-501801), so the same team that assesses and stabilizes the structure also completes the foundation work, seismic reinforcement, framing and every cosmetic repair — one contract, one point of contact, from unsafe to fully restored.
Can you retrofit my property to prevent future earthquake damage?
Yes. Beyond repairing damage, we perform seismic retrofits — foundation bolting, cripple-wall bracing and soft-story reinforcement — to reduce the risk of serious damage in the next quake and bring older buildings up to current standards.
What should I do in the first minutes after a quake?
If you smell gas, shut it off at the meter and leave; don't switch anything electrical. Stay clear of leaning walls, fallen power lines and damaged chimneys, and don't re-enter a visibly compromised building. Then document what you can safely photograph and call us — we'll take it from there.
We work directly with your carrier.
Fire, water and smoke losses are covered by most homeowner and commercial policies. We document the damage, coordinate with your adjuster, and bill your insurance directly — so recovery starts now, not after the paperwork.