Project Overview
- Service Type
- SB 326 Inspection · Structural Repair · Waterproofing
- Location
- Oakland, CA (Lake Merritt)
- Property Type
- Condominium association (62 units, 5 storeys)
- Timeline
- 4-day inspection · 12 working days repairs
- Completed
- April 2026
Project at a Glance
The Problem
The association's lender asked for proof of SB 326 compliance during a refinance, and the board discovered the inspection had never been done. Reserve funds were healthy; what the board could not absorb was an open-ended repair scope discovered halfway through escrow.
The visual survey covered every balcony. Ponding at the outboard edge, a coating gone chalky under Bay sun, and door thresholds sitting flush with the deck surface all pointed at the same failure. Nine openings confirmed it: at two balconies water had reached the framing, and moisture readings at the ledger stayed above 28% three days after rain.
Under SB 326 — Civil Code §5551 — an inspector who finds a condition posing an immediate threat must notify the association and the local enforcement agency within 15 days, and the association must restrict access until repairs are made. We issued that notice on the two balconies, closed them, and had the scope priced before the board's next meeting. Our SB 326 inspection service runs the sampling, the report and the repairs under one contract.
The Solution
A licensed structural engineer led the survey and set a random, statistically significant sample sized to support 95% confidence across the population — the standard §5551 requires. All 62 balconies were assessed visually; nine received exploratory openings, weighted toward the elevations with the hardest exposure.
Eleven balconies were repaired. Two had framing replaced at the ledger; the rest received full membrane replacement, new pan flashing at the door thresholds, corrected slope to the drainage edge, and stainless anchors at the guard posts. The board received an engineer-certified report that satisfied the lender and sets the next inspection at 2035.
- Engineer-led SB 326 inspection & sampling plan
- Visual assessment of all 62 balconies
- Nine exploratory openings with multi-day moisture logging
- 15-day immediate-threat notice & access restriction
- Membrane, flashing and slope reconstruction on 11 balconies
- Engineer-certified report for the nine-year cycle
How the Project Ran
-
Board meeting & sampling plan (Week 1)
Scope and sampling methodology presented to the board, with the sample sized and distributed so the engineer could certify findings across all 62 balconies.
-
Inspection (4 days)
Every balcony assessed and photographed; nine openings cut at the ledger and threshold; moisture logged at each opening over three days.
-
Notice & board decision (Week 3)
Two balconies flagged as an immediate threat, reported to Oakland code enforcement inside the 15-day window and closed off; the board approved the repair scope from reserves at its regular meeting.
-
Repairs & certification (12 working days)
Framing repairs, membrane replacement and flashing on eleven balconies; openings closed and re-coated; the engineer's final report issued with full photo documentation.
Materials Used
- Westcoat ALX system multi-layer traffic-bearing membrane
- Sheet-metal threshold pans door-to-deck transition flashing
- Stainless steel post anchors guard post base connections
- Pressure-treated Douglas fir ledger and blocking replacement
Before & After
Engineer-certified SB 326 report delivered — the refinance closed on schedule, next inspection due 2035.
Our lender wanted the report in three weeks and we hadn't started. ABD ran the inspection, gave us a number we could take to the board, and finished the repairs out of reserves. No special assessment, no delay on the loan.
Questions About This Project
Who is allowed to perform an SB 326 inspection?
Only a licensed structural engineer or architect may sign the report. Repairs can be carried out by a licensed contractor — on this project both sat under one contract, which is why the notice, the scope and the fix did not each need a separate procurement.
Does every balcony have to be opened up?
No. §5551 calls for a random, statistically significant sample, sized so findings can be projected across the population with 95% confidence. Here that meant nine openings — but every balcony still received a visual assessment, and openings get added wherever the visual survey points.
Will an inspection force a special assessment?
That depends on what is found and what the reserves hold. Associations that inspect on schedule usually fund repairs from reserves; the assessments happen when a failure has been running for a decade. Getting a scope and a number early is what keeps the decision in the board's hands.
