If you’re a property owner in the Bay Area, chances are you’ve heard about seismic retrofits—and how expensive they can be. What you may not have heard is that not all costs are created equal. In fact, one cost category determines more than any other whether your retrofit will stay on budget or spiral out of control.
According to Connor Daly, founder of Connor Daly Construction, “The cost of a seismic retrofit has four main factors: measuring the building, engineering, permitting, and construction.” Each one plays a role in the final price, but only one stands out.
“Construction is the big variable cost,” says Daly, “and that will depend on how your building was originally built”. Older buildings, especially soft story structures common in San Francisco and Oakland, may have less shear wall strength, outdated materials, or minimal foundation work. That means more reinforcement is required—driving up costs.
This is exactly where Daly and his team come in. “What makes us different is the way we go about coming up with our proposal for your seismic retrofit,” he explains. “My engineer and I are able to come up with a preliminary design based on publicly available info online” before even visiting your site.
That preliminary work allows Connor Daly Construction to move faster, more efficiently, and with greater cost control than most other contractors. “I can come out, take a look at your building, verify it is the way we’ve expected, and turn around a proposal to you within a couple days,” says Daly.
From there, the company handles the entire process—from engineering to permitting to inspections—ensuring the retrofit is done right the first time, and at a cost that makes sense for you. This approach reflects what their clients care about most: trust, transparency, and efficiency.
“For us, it’s about doing it at the fastest, most affordable way for you,” Daly notes. His process is built on experience—having completed hundreds of retrofits—and clear communication with building departments and engineers, which keeps surprises (and costs) to a minimum.
Thinking about a seismic retrofit? Get a fast, accurate estimate from a team that gets it done right the first time. Contact Connor Daly Construction today.
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