Sound Seismic Earthquake Retrofitting

What Sound Seismic Earthquake Retrofitting does

Sound Seismic Earthquake Retrofitting is a Seattle-based, privately held specialty trade contractor founded in 1999 by owner Leif Jackson that focuses exclusively on residential seismic retrofitting in the greater Seattle metropolitan area. The company secures older homes, typically pre-1970s construction that is not fastened to its foundation, using engineered anchor bolts, hold-downs, shear walls, framing connectors, and plywood shear panels installed to Project Impact or structural engineer specifications. All staff are trained through the Washington Association of Building Officials (WABO) Earthquake Home Retrofit Training program, and the company holds an EPA Lead Renovator certification and a Washington State contractor license.

The business operates a direct-to-consumer, project-based revenue model with one-time revenue per installation. Pricing is quote-based and not publicly disclosed but typically ranges from $5,000 to $12,000 for standard retrofits on average homes with crawl space or unfinished basements, $15,000 to $20,000 for finished basements, and higher for structurally complex projects such as block or brick foundations, large floorplans, or especially tall cripple walls. The sales process begins with a free phone consultation and rough ballpark, proceeds to a paid in-home assessment, and concludes with a fixed-price proposal that bundles permits, structural engineering, installation, inspection coordination, and finish restoration. Optional add-ons include seismic gas shutoff valve installation and finish removal/replacement.

The customer base consists of individual residential homeowners in Seattle, Shoreline, Kirkland, Bellevue, and surrounding Eastside communities seeking earthquake risk mitigation, earthquake insurance qualification, or pre-sale structural assurance. The company serves this market through a multi-channel approach combining a content-rich website, active presence on six social platforms, educational webinars with the NE Seattle Tool Library, community classes at the Phinney Neighborhood Association, and a strong review footprint on Angi, Google, and Yelp. Operations are delivered by a small full-time team including the owner, a project manager, two lead carpenters, three carpenters, three crew members, and office support, with subcontracted finish repair handled through a partnership with Barber's Drywall.

Name

Sound Seismic Earthquake Retrofitting

Legal name

Sound Seismic LLC

Website

https://soundseismic.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1999

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Sound Seismic is a Seattle-based specialty contractor founded in 1999 that performs residential seismic retrofitting for pre-1970s homes in the Seattle metro area, including foundation anchoring, shear walls, permits, and engineering.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Residential Seismic Retrofitting Services

NAICS

Residential Remodelers (236118)

SIC

Services-To Dwellings & Other Buildings (7340), Services-Miscellaneous Repair Services (7600)

akta.pro primary industry

Architectural Reconfiguration & Structural Alterations (HSAPAEAB)

Keywords

• Seismic retrofitting services
• Earthquake retrofitting contractor
• Foundation anchor installation
• Residential structural reinforcement
• Cripple wall bracing

Headquarters

HQ city

Seattle

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Supply Chain, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Seismic Retrofit Installation Services: One-time project-based revenue from seismic retrofitting services. Projects include assessment, fixed-price proposal, building permit acquisition, engineering design, hardware installation, and inspection coordination. Revenue varies by project scope and home complexity.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Sound Seismic Earthquake Retrofitting provides turnkey residential seismic/earthquake retrofitting services in the Seattle metro area, securing pre-1970s homes to their foundations using anchor bolts, shear walls, hold-downs, framing connectors, and cripple wall bracing installed to engineered (Project Impact or structural engineer) standards. The offering includes an initial phone consultation, in-home assessment, fixed-price proposal, in-house permit acquisition, engineering design, installation by WABO-trained crews, city inspection coordination, and finish restoration. The company serves homeowners in Seattle, Shoreline, Kirkland, Bellevue, and surrounding areas seeking earthquake resilience and insurance certification.

Product overview

Sound Seismic Earthquake Retrofitting is a single-service company providing specialized earthquake retrofitting for residential homes in the greater Seattle area. Their core offering is comprehensive earthquake retrofit services that include structural reinforcement (anchor bolts, hold-downs, shear panels, framing connectors), integrated with permit acquisition and engineering plans. Additional services include seismic gas shutoff valve installation and finish removal/replacement for finished basements. The company follows a three-phase process: home assessment, hardware installation, and final restoration with cleanup.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Earthquake Retrofit Services Turnkey residential earthquake/seismic retrofitting for homeowners in the Seattle metro area (Seattle, Shoreline, Kirkland, Bellevue, and surrounding communities). Includes initial phone consultation, in-home vulnerability assessment, fixed-price proposal, in-house building permit acquisition and engineering design, installation of foundation anchor bolts, hold-downs, shear walls (plywood shear panels), framing connectors, cripple wall bracing, and other engineered elements to Project Impact or structural engineer specifications. Also includes city inspection coordination and finish restoration, with a certificate of completion provided for insurance or resale use.
• Seismic Gas Shutoff Valve Installation

Quantifiable outcome

• Typical project costs between $5,000-$12,000 for standard retrofits, providing quantifiable cost clarity for homeowners
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered minor.

• NE Seattle Tool LibraryminorGTM or Marketing PartnerCo-host of free earthquake retrofitting webinars educating homeowners about permits, anchor bolts, cripple wall bracing, framing connections, hold-downs, and rough costs/timeframes. Partnership provides educational content to potential customers.
• Barber's DrywallminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerSubcontractor partnership for finish repair work including drywall patching after retrofit installation is complete.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Matvey Construction: All-in-one Seattle-area foundation, drainage, and seismic retrofit contractor serving older homes. Highly comparable business in terms of regional focus, customer base (pre-1970s homeowners), and retrofit service line.
• Seismic Safety & Property Improvement: California-based specialist in residential seismic retrofitting, including foundation bolting and cripple wall bracing. Comparable as a dedicated seismic-only residential retrofit contractor, though operating in a different seismic regulatory environment.
• Bay Area Retrofit: Northern California seismic retrofitting specialist focusing on older homes and foundation bolting. Direct functional peer - same narrow service line (residential seismic only), same customer pain point, but in California.
• Pacific Foundation Repair: Pacific Northwest structural and foundation repair contractor offering seismic retrofit-adjacent services including foundation bolting and seismic bracing. Directly comparable as another regional specialist addressing earthquake vulnerability in older PNW homes.

Broad incumbents

• JES Foundation Repair: National residential foundation repair company operating across multiple US regions. Comparable where seismic/structural reinforcement work overlaps with their foundation stabilization and structural support offerings.
• Groundworks (formerly K Basements / Structural): Large national foundation and structural repair network. Comparable as an established incumbent in foundation/structural work that can absorb seismic retrofit scope at scale, though not a dedicated retrofit specialist.
• Ram Jack Systems Distribution: National foundation repair franchise system with capabilities including seismic retrofit support. A broader incumbent offering foundation services at scale, comparable where seismic retrofit overlaps with foundation stabilization work.

Others

• Washington Association of Building Officials (WABO): Industry association that administers the Earthquake Home Retrofit Training program that trains all Sound Seismic staff. Not a competitor but an enabling organization whose certification framework defines the specialist labor pool Sound Seismic draws from.
• Earthquake Brace + Bolt (EBB) Program: California-braced retrofit program providing grants and an approved-contractor directory. Adjacent rather than competitive - Sound Seismic operates as a contractor in Washington, while EBB influences homeowner demand and contractor selection in California for the same retrofit type.

Regional players

• ABS Foundation Repair & Structural Issues: Regional Pacific Northwest foundation and structural repair contractor. Adjacent to Sound Seismic's service line, addressing similar older-home structural vulnerabilities but with a broader foundation-repair focus rather than seismic specialization.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks1 record

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xtwitter.com/SoundSeismic
• YouTubeyoutu.be/AlbxO8NCU6I
• Facebookfacebook.com/soundseismic
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/soundseismic
• Instagraminstagram.com/Soundseismic
• Pinterestpinterest.com/Soundseismic

Compliance3 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Sound Seismic Earthquake Retrofitting