Should You Retrofit Before or After Renovating? Timing Your Seismic Upgrades for Maximum Impact

If you're planning a home renovation in Seattle, there's a good chance you're also thinking about safety upgrades, like seismic retrofitting. And if you're not, maybe you should be. Living in the Pacific Northwest means living with the risk of earthquakes, and retrofitting your home can be one of the smartest moves you make to protect your investment and your loved ones. 

But one question comes up a lot: Should you retrofit before you renovate, or is it better to wait until after? Timing is everything when it comes to construction, and seismic retrofitting is no exception. So let's break it down.

Why Retrofit at All?

Before we get into the timing, it’s worth pausing to talk about why seismic retrofitting matters. In short: older homes, especially those built before modern building codes were adopted (typically anything before the 1980s), weren’t designed with earthquakes in mind. That means the foundation might not be securely anchored, cripple walls (the short wood walls in crawl spaces) might be vulnerable to collapse, and the entire structure could become compromised. 

A seismic retrofit strengthens these weak spots. It usually involves bolting the home to its foundation, reinforcing crawl spaces, and installing shear walls. The goal is to keep your house from shifting or collapsing during seismic activity.

Renovating? Our Experts at Seattle Seismic Recommend Retrofitting First. In most cases, retrofitting before your renovation makes the most sense. Here’s why:

1. Access Is Easier Before Finishes Go In

If you’re planning to tear out drywall, open up walls, or redo flooring, it’s the perfect time to retrofit. Contractors will have easier access to the framing and foundation areas they need to reinforce. Once your renovation is done, these areas might be covered up, which means that retrofitting them afterward involves tearing into your brand-new finishes.

2. It Protects Your Investment

Why put in all that money and effort into a gorgeous new kitchen or updated second story if the structure underneath isn’t solid? Seismic upgrades are like insurance. They protect what you build. Our seismic-proofing pros at Seattle Seismic prioritize the value of your investment by  ensuring your home’s stability before you start adding on or upgrading the finishes. 

3. It Can Save You Money in the Long Run

Retrofitting before renovations can actually reduce costs. If you wait until after, the crew might need to demolish parts of your renovation to reach key structural areas. That’s added time, labor, and materials. Doing the seismic work first can streamline both projects.

4. You’ll Have More Flexibility with Design

If the retrofit work is already done, your renovation team won’t have to redesign around structural vulnerabilities. They can plan with confidence, knowing the home is secure.

When Waiting Might Make Sense

There are a few situations where it might make sense to hold off on retrofitting until after a renovation, though these are more the exception than the rule.

1. You’re Only Doing Minor Cosmetic Updates

If your renovation is limited to surface-level updates—like painting, replacing fixtures, or updating cabinet fronts—retrofit timing is less urgent. There’s little risk of obstructing access to structural areas.

2. You Need Time to Budget

Let’s be real, construction costs add up quickly. If it’s not financially feasible to do both at once, it’s okay to phase your projects. Just be sure your contractor knows you’re planning to retrofit later so they don’t design something that blocks access to critical areas.

3. Your Renovation Will Include a Major Structural Overhaul

In some cases, the renovation itself includes major structural work—like removing walls or building additions. If that’s the case, the retrofit can be incorporated into the same project scope. It’s all about coordination between your seismic retrofit contractor and your general contractor or architect.

How to Coordinate Both Projects

If you’re planning to renovate and retrofit, here are some tips to keep things organized:

1. Talk to Both Contractors Early

Get everyone on the same page from the beginning. Share your plans and timeline with your retrofit contractor and your renovation team. This helps prevent overlap, delays, or conflicts in the scope of work.

2. Get a Seismic Assessment First

A structural engineer or retrofit specialist can evaluate your home and tell you exactly what needs to be done to bring it up to modern seismic standards. This assessment can also help guide your renovation plans. At Seattle Seismic, our owner, Ryan Vytlacil is a licensed P.E who oversees the project to ensure everything runs smoothly during the retrofit. 

3. Prioritize Permits

In Seattle, a lot of seismic retrofit projects need permits, just like most big renovations. If you do the retrofit first, you won’t have to deal with two separate permit processes at the same time. Our team at Seattle Seismic handles the permits for you, so you don’t have to worry about it.

4. Think About Logistics

If you’re living in the home during work, retrofitting can be disruptive, especially in crawl spaces or basements. Scheduling it before your renovation could minimize downtime and avoid extra mess during your main project.

Real-Life Example: The Kitchen Remodel That Had to Be Redone

We’ve seen it happen more than once. A homeowner finishes a high-end kitchen remodel. New cabinetry, stone counters, custom tile – then learns their home needs a seismic retrofit. The retrofit requires bracing walls behind the kitchen or bolting through the floor. In some cases, parts of the beautiful new kitchen need to be torn out to access the areas beneath.

Avoid that scenario. Retrofit first. It’s much easier to build on top of strong bones than to try to work around them later.

Final Thoughts

In most cases, it’s smarter to retrofit before you renovate. It protects your investment, saves you money in the long run, and gives you more freedom in your design. There are a few cases where waiting makes sense, but if you’re unsure, talk to a seismic retrofit expert early in the process.

Seattle homeowners have a unique set of challenges thanks to our seismic risk, but planning ahead can make all the difference. Whether you’re dreaming of a new bathroom, expanding your living space, or just making your old home feel new again, don’t skip the step that could keep it all standing.

Start with safety. Then go from there.

If you’re thinking about renovating and have questions about when to retrofit, Seattle Seismic is here to help. Our team at Seattle Seismic can walk you through the process, evaluate your home, and help you make a plan that works for your timeline and your budget.

Interested in learning more about retrofitting or getting a seismic assessment? Reach out to our team today. We’ve been helping Seattle homeowners since 2016, and we’re happy to help you figure out what makes the most sense for your project. 

Call us at 206-800-6417 or book your free seismic retrofitting evaluation online through our website!