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A couple of years ago, Jay Wilson wanted to perform a seismic retrofit before remodeling the basement of his Southeast Portland home, which was built in 1906. However, when Wilson called the city to inquire about any formal requirements or advice it might have, he found little information was available.

鈥淎t the time, there were some general guidelines, but since (retrofits) are voluntary there wasn’t a strict permitting process involved,鈥� he said.

Wilson did some research and found a detailed brochure distributed by the city of Los Angeles. Over the course of several weekends, he used several hundred dollars worth of materials to improve the sturdiness of his house. Wilson, hazard mitigation coordinator with Clackamas County Emergency Management, says Oregon generally lacks information on earthquakes.

鈥淲e’re a void between California and Washington, which have much more robust earthquake retrofitting codes, training for homeowners, training for contractors and licensing, tool-lending libraries, and that background seismicity that generates public interest,鈥� Wilson said.

But the recent earthquake in Japan reminded people that a large one could hit Oregon in the near future. In fact, demand for home seismic retrofits has surged.

鈥淏efore the earthquake, three calls a week would have been a good week. Now, if I don’t get three calls in a day, I think something is wrong,鈥� said Michael Wieber of . His schedule for retrofits, which each usually require about two days, is now booked through July.

鈥淚 went through this last year with Haiti and Chile, but that was nothing compared to this,鈥� said Steve Gemmell, president of .

To perform a retrofit, a contractor or motivated homeowner can acquire a permit from the city of Portland. The permit is not required, though it can help for insurance and liability reasons.

鈥淪ince we don’t have a code, retrofit installers can install anything 鈥� and they do,鈥� Wieber said. Many contractors have entered the seismic retrofit business, and some don’t seem to know what they are doing, he added. 鈥淐ontractors have clearly been making this up.鈥�

Last week, however, Portland’s Bureau of Development Services released its Residential Seismic Strengthening program, a detailed brochure that establishes standards for seismic retrofits in the city. The program is based on recommendations from the Federal Emergency Management Agency and the International Existing Building Code, and creates a set of city-sanctioned 鈥渂est practices,鈥� said Jim Nicks, inspections manager for the BDS.

The seismic strengthening program has been in the works for several years, but has suffered delays because of staff cutbacks. Its release so soon after the Japan quake is simply a coincidence, Nicks said.

The program is intended to help educate homeowners considering a retrofit project, Nicks said.

The BDS and the Portland Office of Emergency Management are planning a series of educational events for contractors and homeowners; the first will take place April 25.

The city will still issue permits for retrofits that don’t follow the guidelines set in the new program, but the BDS will now be able to compare permits to the new standards and make recommendations, Nicks said.

鈥淣ow getting a permit will actually mean something,鈥� Wieber said.

Portland could do more: In the Bay Area, for example, local governments hold trainings for contractors and can release a list of trained firms when residents call for information, Wilson said.

The city also could do more to educate people about the importance of hiring contractors insured to perform seismic strengthening work, Gemmell said.

The new city program should apply to many older Portland homes that were built before the state’s first building code was adopted in 1974. These homes may not be bolted to their foundations, or have cripple walls not braced properly. Those fixes are included in the brochure. The recommendations apply to houses with three floors or fewer with continuous concrete in good condition; homes on steep slopes or with foundations in bad shape will need additional work.

A seismic retrofit will not bring a home into the building code, Nicks said, but it can make a house safer. Many insurance companies won’t approve earthquake insurance for a home until a seismic retrofit takes place.

Until a 鈥渂ig quake鈥� hits Portland, no one really knows what its impact will be, Wilson said. But preparation can only be done beforehand.

鈥淭here’s no price for the peace of mind in knowing I got this done,鈥� Wilson said. 鈥淚 don’t go to sleep worrying that my house is going to be rocked off its foundation.鈥�