You may understand the value of seismic and wildfire safety upgrades to your building. They enhance life safety, protect your investment, and may help you qualify for a discount on your insurance. For wildfire, they may even be needed to qualify for insurance. But if you have looked into it, you know there are substantial costs involved in many types of improvements.
You’ve probably heard of PACE, the program that allows building owners to pay for energy upgrades to their property through a long-term, fixed-rate loan billed as an assessment on their property tax bill. Sonoma County has expanded that program to enable building owners to finance seismic and wildfire safety improvements on their commercial and residential properties.
The Sonoma County Energy Independence Program (SCEIP) offers property improvement financing for buildings located in Sonoma County. SCEIP financing pays for up to 100% of the project’s costs at a fixed interest rate and is repaid over a 10- or 20-year term as an assessment on your property tax bill. With no money down and an easy qualification process, SCEIP offers a simple way to finance energy efficiency, solar and storage, water conservation, seismic strengthening, and wildfire safety improvements.
You can finance up to 10% of your property market value. No credit check or income qualifications are required. The interest payments may be tax deductible (consult your tax professional).
For wildfire safety, improvements eligible for the program include roofing, gutter guards, decks, vents, soffits, siding, windows, and hardscaping. Eligible seismic improvements include foundation and soil treatment, lateral support systems, shear walls, moment and brace frames, new steel columns, foundation and structural connection systems, masonry reinforcement, sill plate anchoring, bolting of mud sill to foundation, and bracing of cripple walls. Column, diaphragm, and frame strengthening also qualify, along with indirect costs such as architecture and engineering fees and surveys and permitting.
You can get more information from the County of Sonoma Energy and Sustainability Office at 707-565-6470 gsenergy@sonoma-county.org.
Jurisdictions throughout California have the authority to enact programs like SCEIP. If you live outside Sonoma County, ask your city councilmember or county supervisor if the program is available in your area. If they say no, ask why not, and then encourage other community members to ask the same thing. Your area builders exchange or contractors’ association may also be interested in lobbying for the program.
There are so many aspects to emergency preparedness. If you know a business owner or manager who is concerned about improving their company’s level of preparedness, let them know there’s an expert who can help them do it efficiently and effectively. Send them to my website, where they can book a complementary preparedness strategy session with me.
Schedule a Call
