Short answer: California Health & Safety Code section 17973, added by SB 721, requires owners of apartment buildings with three or more dwelling units to have exterior elevated elements inspected by a qualified inspector, then re-inspected every six years. AB 2579 moved the first-inspection deadline to January 1, 2026. Condominiums fall under a separate law, SB 326, administered through the HOA.
What counts as an exterior elevated element
Balconies, decks, porches, stairways, walkways, and their railings — more than six feet above ground, designed for human occupancy, and supported substantially by wood or wood-based products. Concrete or steel balconies with no wood structural support are outside the SB 721 scope, though a prudent owner still inspects them.
Deadlines and cycle
| Requirement | Detail |
|---|---|
| First inspection | January 1, 2026 (extended from January 1, 2025 by AB 2579) |
| Re-inspection cycle | Every 6 years |
| Buildings covered | Apartment buildings with 3 or more dwelling units |
| Sample size | Statistically significant sample — a minimum of 15% of each type of element, with a result that can be extrapolated to the whole building |
| Report retention | Report kept for two inspection cycles and provided to the local enforcement agency on request |
| New construction | Buildings with a certificate of occupancy issued after January 1, 2019 start their clock six years from that date |
Who is allowed to perform it
Section 17973 restricts the inspection to a licensed architect, a licensed civil or structural engineer, a contractor holding an A, B or C-5 license with specified experience and not performing the repairs, or a certified building inspector or official from a recognized state, national or international association. A general home inspector without one of those credentials cannot sign the report. Ask for the credential in writing before you engage anyone.
What the inspection actually involves
- Inventory. Every exterior elevated element by type, so the 15 percent sample is drawn correctly rather than from whatever was easiest to reach.
- Visual survey. Waterproofing membranes, flashings, deck coatings, guardrail attachment, ledger connections, and drainage.
- Intrusive inspection where required. Where load-bearing components are not visible, the inspector must open up or use approved testing to evaluate the concealed condition. Moisture meters and probing are common; small openings and patching are sometimes unavoidable.
- Report. Current condition, expected future performance and useful life, photographs, and identification of any element posing an immediate threat.
- Emergency conditions. If an element is an immediate threat to safety, the owner must restrict access and notify the local enforcement agency within 15 days; preventive repairs must be corrected within 180 days of the report unless an extension is granted.
What it costs
Pricing follows unit count, element count and access difficulty rather than square footage. Typical market ranges we see in Southern California:
| Building size | Typical range |
|---|---|
| 3–10 units | $1,000–$2,500 |
| 11–50 units | $2,000–$6,000 |
| 51–150 units | $5,000–$15,000 |
| 150+ units / multi-building | Quoted per building |
Add cost for lift or scaffold access, and for the destructive testing and patching where concealed framing must be opened. Repairs are separate — and by statute, the inspector cannot be the contractor doing them.
Missing the deadline
Non-compliance is enforced locally. Exposure includes citations and civil penalties, a building-code lien against the property where the owner fails to correct, and — the practical one — a lender or buyer discovering there is no current report during escrow. Insurers increasingly ask for it at renewal. If you are behind, get the inventory and sample inspection scheduled now; the report date is what matters.
Buying or refinancing multifamily
Ask for the SB 721 report the same day you ask for the rent roll. No report, or a report listing uncorrected preventive repairs, belongs in the immediate-repairs table of the property condition assessment, not in a side email. Related reading: California balcony inspection requirements and apartment complex commercial inspections.
Need this scoped? USCBI performs commercial inspections across San Diego, Orange, Los Angeles, Riverside and San Bernardino counties. Request scope and fee and we normally reply the same business day.