SB 721 Inspection Reports for South Bay & Los Angeles Apartment Buildings

Matte Black Construction, Inc. · CSLB #1060902 Class B General Contractor

California requires owners of apartment buildings with three or more units to have their wood-framed balconies, decks, walkways, stairways, and similar exterior elevated elements inspected on a set schedule. We perform the inspection, deliver a signed written report, and, if something needs to be fixed, we can permit and complete the repairs as your general contractor.

Call (310) 893-7041 or use the request form below.

Who this is for

This service is for owners and property managers of rental apartment buildings with three or more dwelling units in the South Bay and greater Los Angeles area.

It applies if the building has exterior elevated elements more than six feet above the ground that people walk on, including balconies, decks, porches, stairways, walkways, and entry structures, and those elements rely in whole or in substantial part on wood or wood-based products for support.

It does not apply to condominiums or other common-interest developments (HOAs), and we do not perform inspections for those buildings.

What SB 721 requires

SB 721 is written into California Health and Safety Code section 17973. In plain terms, the owner of a qualifying apartment building must hire a qualified inspector to check the building’s exterior elevated elements and the waterproofing that protects them (flashings, membranes, coatings, and sealants).

The inspection determines whether those elements are in a generally safe condition, in adequate working order, and free from hazardous conditions caused by fungus, deterioration, decay, or improper alteration.

At least 15 percent of each type of exterior elevated element must be inspected.

The inspector must give the owner or the owner’s agent a written, signed report within 45 days of completing the inspection.

If the report finds an immediate threat to occupant safety, or says that access should be blocked or emergency repairs (including shoring) are needed, the inspector must provide that report to the owner and the local enforcement agency within 15 days.

The first inspection was due by January 1, 2026. Inspections are then due every six years after that.

Buildings that pulled a building permit on or after January 1, 2019 have until six years after the certificate of occupancy for their first inspection.

Owners must keep copies of the reports for at least two inspection cycles and give them to a buyer when the building is sold.

If you have not yet completed the initial inspection, the building is out of compliance now. We can get the inspection scheduled and the report in your hands.

What’s in the report

Each report is written so you, a buyer, a lender, or the city can understand the condition of the building today and compare it to later inspections. It includes:

Identification of each type of exterior elevated element that could threaten occupant safety if it were defective, decayed, or deteriorated

An assessment of the load-bearing components and associated waterproofing, based on direct visual examination or a comparable method

The current condition of the elements inspected

Expected future performance and projected service life

Recommendations for any further inspection that is needed

Photographs, any test results, and a written narrative that establishes a baseline for the next cycle

A clear statement of whether any element poses an immediate threat to occupant safety, and whether access should be restricted or emergency repairs are needed

The inspector’s signature

If you later ask us to confirm that required repairs have been completed, we can prepare that follow-up report as well. Later-cycle reports incorporate prior reports, including the locations previously inspected.

How the process works

Step 1: Tell us about the property. Share the address, the number of units, and what you know about the balconies, decks, walkways, or stairs. We will confirm that SB 721 applies and give you a clear proposal before we start.

Step 2: We inspect the building. We document a sample of at least 15 percent of each type of exterior elevated element, along with the waterproofing that protects the structure. We work around your residents and keep the visit organized.

Step 3: You receive the signed report. You get a photo-documented written report within 45 days of the inspection, prepared to the requirements of Health and Safety Code section 17973.

Step 4: If repairs are needed, we can handle them. You are not left with a report and no one to do the work. As a licensed general contractor, we can pull the permits and complete the repairs, from waterproofing and framing corrections to full balcony reconstruction, so the building is safe and the file is complete.

If the report finds work to do

The owner is responsible for keeping these elements safe and for completing required repairs.

An immediate safety threat is an emergency. Occupant access should be restricted right away, and emergency repairs must follow. We can help you close off the area and get the work underway.

For conditions that are not an immediate threat, the owner must apply for a permit within 120 days of receiving the report, then complete the repairs within 120 days after the permit is approved, unless the city grants more time.

If required repairs are not completed on the statutory timeline, the law allows the local agency to assess a civil penalty of $100 to $500 per day until the work is done.

We can take you from the inspection through permitting and construction, with one point of contact.

Service area

We serve apartment owners and property managers throughout Los Angeles’s South Bay and nearby communities, including Redondo Beach, Manhattan Beach, Hermosa Beach, El Segundo, Torrance, Hawthorne, Inglewood, and surrounding cities.

Who performs the inspection

Inspections are performed by Matte Black Construction, Inc., a California licensed Class B general contractor, CSLB #1060902.

Health and Safety Code section 17973 allows these inspections to be performed by a licensed architect, a licensed civil or structural engineer, certain certified building inspectors, or a building contractor holding an A, B, or C-5 license with at least five years’ experience, as a holder of that license, constructing multistory wood-frame buildings. The inspector cannot be employed by the local building department while performing the inspection, and must be hired by the building owner.

A contractor-prepared SB 721 report is signed by the inspector. It is not an architect’s or engineer’s stamp, and we will not describe it as one.

Request an SB 721 inspection

Call (310) 893-7041 or email info@matteblackconstruction.com. Please include the property address, the number of units, and anything you already know about the balconies, decks, walkways, or stairs. We will follow up with next steps and a proposal.

Matte Black Construction, Inc. | 1732 Aviation Blvd, Unit #1561, Redondo Beach, CA 90278 | (310) 893-7041 | CSLB #1060902