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About CEA Brace + Bolt

CEA developed the CEA Brace + Bolt program (CEA BB) to help policyholders reduce the risk of damage to their older house during an earthquake with a code-compliant brace and bolt retrofit. CEA BB provides policyholders up to $3,000 to strengthen their foundation and lessen the potential for earthquake damage. As part of the program, once the retrofit is complete, policyholders may qualify for up to a 25 percent discount on their CEA earthquake insurance premium. Learn more about the CEA Brace + Bolt retrofit.

Qualifying for CEA BB

Only policyholders invited by CEA into CEA BB may participate. Invited policyholders can Register Here.

To qualify for the CEA BB program:

  • You must have been invited by letter to participate in the CEA BB program,
  • You must be losing the 5% and 10% deductible option for Coverage A (dwelling) on your property,
  • You must have a valid CEA earthquake insurance policy on the qualifying house, and
  • The qualifying house must be a pre-1980 house with pre-1980 construction with a raised or “other” foundation type in determining the CEA policy premium.

If you've received a letter inviting you to CEA BB, our data shows your house has characteristics that would qualify for what is known as a Chapter A3 retrofit. To verify your house needs a Chapter A3 retrofit, and therefore is eligible for CEA BB, you will create a login to the CEA BB Policyholder Dashboard and complete the registration questions. Once we confirm your house qualifies, you will receive an email notification and get access to your CEA BB Policyholder Dashboard. Information on next steps will be provided through the Dashboard, including what information you will need to provide and when, and how to upload it to your Dashboard.

ACCESS THE HOMEOWNER RETROFIT GUIDE

This homeowner retrofit guide is a useful resource for you to view and download to help you throughout your retrofit process.

You can also view a simple CEA BB one-sheet:

CEA Brace + Bolt Program FAQs

Q. Why should I retrofit my house?

A. California has two-thirds of our nation's earthquake risk. Structures that lack adequate sill plate bolting and cripple-wall bracing are more susceptible to earthquake damage.

The frames of older houses are often not bolted to their foundations, and their cripple walls may lack bracing. Houses without adequate bolting and bracing can slide or topple off their foundation during an earthquake, requiring potentially very expensive repairs. But this serious damage can be prevented with a proper seismic retrofit.

You may be eligible for financial help to pay for your house's retrofit. Learn more about our program—Earthquake Brace + Bolt—that offer grants of up to $3,000 to help pay for a seismic retrofit.

CEA policyholders with properly retrofitted houses are eligible for a discount of up to 25% off your CEA policy premium.

Q. Will a seismic retrofit ‘earthquake-proof’ my house?
A. There is no such thing as an “earthquake-proof structure.” But there are straightforward measures that will likely reduce the potential for (or severity of) earthquake damage. The California Existing Building Code (CEBC) states that its retrofit provisions are "minimum standards intended to improve the seismic performance of residential buildings; however, they will not necessarily prevent earthquake damage."
Q. How much of a discount can I get on my CEA policy premium if I’ve retrofit my house?
A. If your home has been properly retrofitted, you can receive up to 25% off of your CEA policy premium. Learn more about how to qualify for this Hazard Reduction Discount.

See all FAQs

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