Project Overview
- Service Type
- SB 721 Inspection · Structural Repair
- Location
- West Sacramento, CA
- Property Type
- Apartment Building (10 units)
- Timeline
- 12 working days
- Completed
- July 2025
Project at a Glance
The Problem
SB 721 covers more than balconies — exterior stairways and landings are elevated elements too. At this 10-unit building, the inspection found rusted stringer connections, rotted landing framing under failed waterproofing, and guardrails below current code height on both stair towers.
The complication: these stairs were the only egress for the upper-floor units, so nothing could be closed for more than a few hours.
Every step of the phasing had to satisfy both HSC §17973 and fire-code egress rules. Our SB 721 inspections cover stairs and landings as standard scope.
The Solution
We rebuilt one stair tower at a time with temporary egress routing agreed with the fire marshal. New pressure-treated stringers and landing framing went in on hot-dip galvanized hardware, landings received a Westcoat MACoat waterproofing system, and both towers got code-height guardrails and graspable handrails.
Twelve working days after mobilization, both systems passed final inspection — without a single night of blocked egress.
- SB 721 inspection of stairs & landings
- Temporary egress routing
- Stringer & landing framing replacement
- Waterproofing of landing surfaces
- Code-height guardrails & handrails
How the Project Ran
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Inspection & egress plan
The SB 721 report flagged both towers; a temporary egress routing plan was agreed with the fire marshal before any demolition.
-
Tower one (Days 1–6)
Stringers and landing framing replaced on hot-dip galvanized hardware; landings waterproofed with Westcoat MACoat; code-height guardrails set.
-
Tower two (Days 7–11)
Same scope, with residents routed through the completed first tower.
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Final inspection (Day 12)
Both towers passed final inspection; compliance documentation delivered to the owner.
Materials Used
- Pressure-treated stringers & landing framing
- Westcoat MACoat landing waterproofing
- Galvanized guardrails & handrails current code heights
- Hot-dip galvanized hardware corrosion resistance
Before & After
Both stair systems passed final inspection — egress stayed open throughout the job.
The crew rebuilt both staircases without a single night where my tenants could not reach their doors. Coordination with the fire marshal was handled entirely by ABD.
Questions About This Project
Does SB 721 really cover stairways?
Yes — exterior stairs, landings and their railings are exterior elevated elements under HSC §17973, inspected on the same six-year cycle as balconies.
How can stairs be rebuilt if they are the only egress?
One tower at a time, with a fire-marshal-approved temporary routing plan. Egress stayed open every night of the project.
Why did the railings need replacing too?
The originals sat below current code height and their anchors were in rotted framing — replacing them during the rebuild avoided a second mobilization later.
