FEMA Benefit Cost Analysis for Unreinforced Masonry (URM) Building Seismic Retrofits

The City of Seattle is seeking qualifications for FEMA Benefit Cost Analysis for Unreinforced Masonry (URM) Building Seismic Retrofits . Qualifications are due no later than 5:00 pm on Friday, September 26, 2025 . All questions are to be submitted through the e-procurement portal at https://procurement.opengov.com/portal/seattle no later than 5:00 pm on Friday, September 19, 2025 .

The City of Seattle is seeking qualifications to conduct FEMA Benefit Cost Analysis (BCA) for Unreinforced Masonry (URM) building seismic structural retrofits. This work is funded through FY2023 FEMA Building Resilient Infrastructure and Community (BRIC) funds and supports implementation of City of Seattle Resolution 32033 and future mandatory compliance of Seattle Seismic Regulations pursuant to 2021 SEBC 304.5.

Unreinforced Masonry (URM) buildings require structural improvements to reduce their probability of collapse in an earthquake. Seattle recently adopted the Alternate Method for retrofit, a reduced scope of seismic retrofit, informed by California’s Bolts+, that minimizes collapse probability in addition to construction costs. Prior to mandating compliance with the new seismic regulations, development of additional financial resources are needed to reduce the economic burden of retrofits on building owners and tenants. Following the successful URM retrofit model used in Berkeley, California, the consultant will coordinate with SDCI to develop four cost-effective seismic retrofits of prototype, or "pre-qualified" URM buildings in the Chinatown International District and Pioneer Square neighborhoods.

The awarded contract will be funded by a Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) grant through the Washington State Military Department, Grant Number D25-048, and is subject to the requirements set forth by the grant, which is incorporated herein and will be made a part of the contract resulting from this solicitation.

FEMA mitigation grant funding requires projects to demonstrate they are a wise expenditure of public funds through the positive completion of a benefit cost analysis using FEMA’s software. FEMA allows for “pre-calculated” benefits, based on research and statistical analysis or computer modeling, eliminating the need for a full benefit-cost analysis.

The city of Berkeley, California was successful in establishing pre-qualified benefits for the structural earthquake retrofit of unreinforced masonry (URM) structures. FEMA grant funding was available to partially reimburse owners of URMs matching the pre-qualified or “prototype” structures without conducting a separate BCA for every project.

The city of Seattle aims to replicate the successful model used in Berkeley and will apply for a FEMA construction grant for earthquake retrofit reimbursement funds upon successful completion of this benefit cost analysis. To increase the probability of success in developing pre-qualified structural earthquake retrofits of URMs, quantification of project benefits must be maximized. This project will explore integration of energy efficiency and emissions reductions into the retrofit scope of work to maximize mitigation benefits and promote multi-hazard resilience.