Rotting wood, rusted support beams, and deteriorated waterproofing can compromise the structural integrity of your balcony, posing safety risks for your residents and those walking underneath it. Under California’s SB-721 and SB-326 balcony laws, owners of multifamily properties are legally required to have their exterior elevated elements inspected, and both initial deadlines have now passed.
Balcony1 offers professional balcony inspections in California to bring non-compliant properties current and resolve dangerous structural issues before an accident occurs. With over 20 years of experience, our team uses thorough destructive and non-destructive inspection techniques to assess your balcony’s safety. Our dedicated project managers provide detailed inspection reports and perform necessary repairs, bringing your balcony up to code and closing your exposure to daily civil penalties.
If your building missed its deadline, book your balcony inspection with Balcony1 today.
323-225-2669
323-(BALCONY)
California SB-326 and SB-721 were enacted in 2019 and 2018 respectively, in response to a deadly balcony collapse in Berkeley, California, in June of 2015. They mandate inspection of exterior elevated elements on all multifamily buildings, with recurring cycles thereafter. The obligation is statewide, but the affected building stock concentrates in the oldest, densest rental markets, which is why demand for balcony inspections in Los Angeles has been heaviest, followed by San Diego and San Francisco.
Both initial deadlines are behind us. Missing one does not close the obligation. It moves you into the enforcement window with an unaddressed statutory duty on record.
Buildings with a certificate of occupancy issued after January 1, 2019 are due six years from occupancy instead. General contractors cannot sign an SB-326 report, so hiring the wrong professional produces a report that does not satisfy the statute.
Mixed portfolios carry both: apartment stock in Long Beach and an HOA-governed building in Orange County fall under two statutes, two inspector standards, and two cycles.
Following your inspection, we provide a full list of repairs required for SB-721 and SB-326 compliance. What happens next depends on the findings and on how fast you act.
From there, you can schedule balcony repairs with our certified professionals to ensure your property remains safe and compliant. Repair scope is handled by the same project manager who ran your inspection, whether the property sits in the Valley or requires a crew for balcony repairs in San Francisco or San Diego.
With over 20 years of construction and design experience, Balcony1 has completed hundreds of balcony inspections, repairs, and renovations. Our licensed structural engineers and contractors provide inspection services for walkways, balconies, decks, railings, and waterproofing systems.
Our dedicated project managers will oversee every step of your balcony inspection, ensuring you’re fully informed about any repairs or issues that arise. Our crews dispatch from our Tarzana office, which puts most of the San Fernando Valley and the surrounding basin within a same-week window, including Burbank, Glendale, Pasadena and Santa Clarita.
Whether you need an inspection to meet legal requirements or repairs to keep the property safe, our team protects the structural integrity of every exterior elevated element. Owners with multiple buildings can also move onto a construction management and maintenance plan so the next cycle is budgeted, not reactive.
From initial consultation to final reporting, Balcony1’s dedicated project managers will oversee every step of your balcony inspection process to ensure safety and legal compliance. Here’s what you can expect during your balcony inspection in California:
We begin our balcony inspection process with an initial consultation to discuss your concerns about your exterior elevated elements. Our team will answer your questions, provide an overview of the California balcony inspection process, and determine the best inspection approach for your property.
After your initial consultation, we provide a detailed proposal and estimate for all balcony inspection services. Our contractors will outline the scope of work and provide transparent pricing, so you’ll have a clear understanding of your balcony inspection costs before we begin work.
We schedule around your operations to minimize disruption to residents. Windows vary by region: Southern California properties book within days, while Northern California work in San Mateo County and Alameda County is batched to keep travel costs off your estimate.
Our team performs visual inspections, non-destructive and destructive testing as needed, and assesses waterproofing systems. We inspect a minimum of 15% of each element type as the statute requires, opening finishes where visual assessment alone cannot establish the condition of load-bearing components.
You receive a detailed report within the statutory 45-day window, covering findings, photographs, expected service life, and a repair plan. Reports are approved by structural engineers and serve as proof of inspection under SB-721 and SB-326. Filing expectations are not uniform: building departments in Los Angeles and Ventura County handle documentation differently, and we format to whatever your jurisdiction accepts.
Yes. The statutory obligation does not expire with the deadline. An owner who is late and completes an inspection has a documented good-faith compliance record. An owner with nothing on file has open exposure to local enforcement, and no documentation to produce when an insurance carrier or lender asks for it. If a structural incident occurs on an uninspected element, the absence of a report becomes the central fact.
In California, balcony inspections are legally mandated to ensure that property owners comply with safety regulations. Regular balcony inspections identify potential hazards that could lead to accidents or structural failures. With regular maintenance and inspections, you can prolong the life of your balconies and ensure lasting structural durability.
Exterior Elevated Elements (EEE) refer to any structures attached to the exterior of a building that are elevated above the ground, such as balconies, decks, and walkways. These elements can deteriorate over time if not properly maintained, but regular inspections and repairs can ensure safety and maintain structural integrity.
Typically, property owners and management companies are responsible for balcony inspections. Depending on the terms outlined in lease agreements or property management policies, inspection costs may be shared among property owners in multifamily buildings.
Waterproofing elements prevent water from penetrating the structure of a balcony or building. When applied to exterior elevated elements, membranes, coatings, and sealants can prevent rot, corrosion, and mold. Failure rates run higher on coastal buildings, which is why inspections in Santa Monica and Long Beach put more weight on sealant condition at the wall-to-deck joint.
Load-bearing components are beams, columns, or supports that distribute weight within a building. These components must be properly designed and maintained to ensure the safety and stability of balconies and other exterior elevated elements.
To learn more about safeguarding your property with our balcony services in California, contact Balcony1 today.
323-225-2669
323-(BALCONY)
Balcony1
19326 Ventura Blvd #201
Tarzana CA 91356
Until Balcony Completion is Due
If you own a multifamily building in California and haven’t completed your SB-721 and SB-326 balcony inspection yet, time is running out. When you book an inspection with Balcony1, our team will thoroughly inspect your balcony’s structural integrity and complete any necessary repairs to bring your property up to code.
Book your inspection today and ensure your building’s compliance with California balcony laws by January 1st, 2026.