Are you a licensed California contractor with a class “A” or “B” classification? If so, you may qualify to join the Earthquake Brace + Bolt (EBB) program. This free online Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) course trains qualified licensees to provide residential seismic retrofit services. FEMA awarded an additional $80 million to fund 21,000 EBB retrofits.
The program was developed by the California Earthquake Authority (CEA) and the California Governor’s Office of Emergency Services (Cal OES). EBB issues grants to eligible homeowners to complete code-compliant retrofits to their home and lessen potential earthquake damage. EBB involves residential seismic retrofits that bolt the house to its foundation and add bracing, if required, around the perimeter of the crawl space making it more resistant to earthquake activity.
Qualifying general contractors will be listed as Participating Contractors in the EBB Directory. Homeowners accepted into EBB program must choose a contractor from the EBB Contractor Directory.
To join, contractors must:
- Be a California licensed “General Engineering (class A)” or “General Building (class B)” contractor in good standing;
- Complete registration on the EBB website;
- Complete the two-hour retrofit education course.
To assist qualified contractors with marketing retrofit services, the EBB provides free marketing materials including yard signs, EBB brochures, and an “EBB FEMA-Trained” logo to use online.
Contractors experienced in seismic retrofitting are highly sought after and contractors can help boost their business by taking part in the EBB program. Help homeowners learn how to protect their homes and take the opportunity to get free training and marketing assistance. For more information on the EBB program and to register contact EBB.
About Business Consumer Alliance
Business Consumer Alliance (BCA) is a non-profit company that started in 1928. The broad purpose of BCA is to promote business self-regulation. BCA's mission is achieved by assisting consumers in resolving complaints with businesses and using that complaint information, along with other relevant information such as customer reviews, to forecast business reliability. With community support, BCA can identify trustworthy and ethical businesses and warn the public to avoid unscrupulous businesses whose purpose is to defraud the marketplace. BCA also helps businesses promote themselves by providing services and tools to protect their business and reach out to their customers. BCA obtains its funding from member businesses who support the mission and purpose of the organization and who agree to abide by high standards of ethical business practices.