You could win a $3K grant to retrofit your home against earthquakes

LOS ANGELES, Calif. (FOX 11) - Is your home earthquake ready? Southern California homeowners could win up to $3,000 toward an earthquake retrofit on their house.

There are more than 1.2 million houses in California estimated to be particularly vulnerable to earthquakes because of how they were constructed, according to officials.

The Earthquake Brace + Bolt (EBB) program provides homeowners the grant to strengthen their foundation and lessen the potential for earthquake damage. Officials are accepting applications from Jan. 23 through Feb. 23 to get grants of up to $3,000 to retrofit single-family homes with a common structural flaw that can cause houses to fall off their foundation.

Officials say a typical retrofit may cost between $3,000 and $7,000 depending on the location and size of the house, contractor fees and the amount of materials and work involved. If the homeowner is an experienced do-it-yourselfer, a retrofit can cost less than $3,000.

Homes in more than 150 ZIP codes in California will be eligible for the grants. In Southern California, they include areas of Los Angeles, Pasadena, South Pasadena, Santa Monica, West Hollywood and San Bernardino.

The grants are run by a program that receives money from the state and the nonprofit California Earthquake Authority.

Authorities expect as many as 1,600 grants to be available. Homeowners can register at earthquakebracebolt.com.

Janielle Maffei with the California Earthquake Authority joined us on Good Day LA to explain how it works and how to register for the grant.