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    Elevated exterior walkway on an older multifamily building
    Case Study · SB 721 Structural Rehabilitation

    A failed SB 721 inspection, fully rebuilt and back in compliance.

    A multifamily brief for owners and managers facing a failed SB 721 balcony and walkway inspection. When water intrusion is confirmed and the structure runs into occupied units, the scope has to plan for the worst case before the first board comes off. Here is how we did it.

    OAKLAND MULTIFAMILY · 112 LF ELEVATED WALKWAY · 448 SF DECK · 2 NEW STAIR SYSTEMS · OCCUPIED BUILDING · $469,000 BUDGET · 
    OAKLAND MULTIFAMILY · 112 LF ELEVATED WALKWAY · 448 SF DECK · 2 NEW STAIR SYSTEMS · OCCUPIED BUILDING · $469,000 BUDGET · 

    An Oakland multifamily property failed its SB 721 inspection. The inspector confirmed water intrusion into the elevated exterior walkway, with likely hidden structural damage underneath. The walkway is cantilevered, meaning its framing runs back into the occupied units, so it could not be fixed from outside alone. GBS scoped it on a conservative, worst-case basis, exposed the full system, rebuilt the structure, and replaced the waterproofing, railings and stairs to code. The work was sequenced so tenants kept a safe way in and out the whole time.

    Real results from a recent GBS client

    Elevated walkway system, occupied multifamily, Oakland

    112 LF
    Cantilevered walkway structure rebuilt
    448 SF
    New waterproof pedestrian deck
    112 LF
    New code-compliant metal guardrail
    2
    New stair systems
    $38,500
    Engineering, permits and special inspections
    $469,000
    Total project budget

    Why it matters

    →SB 721 is not optional. A failed inspection on elevated walkways has to be corrected, and the clock starts when the report lands.
    →Budget for what you can't see. Water intrusion usually means hidden rot. A worst-case scope means no surprise doubling halfway through.
    →Tenants keep their egress. Work is phased so required exits stay open at the end of every day.
    →One team inside and out. The cantilever runs into the units, so interior access, subfloor, carpet and paint touch-up are part of the same scope.
    →Water goes where it should. New flashing, weather barrier and waterproof door pans stop the leak that caused the failure.
    →Engineered and permitted. Structural design, plan check and special inspections are built into the budget, not added later.

    What we did

    • Structural engineering and repair design for the cantilevered framing
    • Permits, plan check and expediting
    • Special inspections
    • Demolition, protection of occupied areas below, daily dry-in and egress control
    • Structural rehabilitation of 112 LF of cantilever framing (new or sistered beams, rim and edge framing, blocking, hardware)
    • Interior access and restoration inside affected units (subfloor, carpet, paint touch-up)
    • Building envelope at the wall-to-deck line (stucco, weather barrier, flashing)
    • Waterproof pan systems at unit door thresholds
    • 448 SF waterproof pedestrian deck coating with slope correction
    • 112 LF new metal guardrail
    • Two new stair systems
    • Exterior and interior paint at repair areas

    Built for an occupied building

    The walkway framing extends into tenant units, so this job could not be run like an empty-building rebuild.

    • Phased sequencing so required exits stay open
    • Protection of occupied areas below the walkway
    • Temporary waterproofing and daily dry-in while the structure is open
    • Selective interior access only where the framing requires it
    • Patch and restore inside each affected unit once the structure is done

    How we delivered it

    1Review the SB 721 inspection report
    2Site walk and quantity takeoff
    3Worst-case budget and scope
    4Structural engineering and repair design
    5Permits and plan check
    6Phased demolition with egress maintained
    7Structural rebuild and envelope integration
    8Deck waterproofing, railings and stairs
    9Special inspections and final sign-off

    Figures reflect a specific completed GBS project. Cost on any other building depends on the conditions found once the structure is opened. Every building is scoped individually.

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    Failed your SB 721 inspection?

    Send us the inspection report. We will tell you what it takes to fix it, what it should cost, and how we keep your tenants safe while we do it, the same way we did here.

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    Global Building Solutions Management, Inc.
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    San Francisco Bay Area and beyond