California Senate Bill 721 requires owners of apartment buildings with three or more units to hire a qualified professional to inspect balconies, decks, stairways, walkways, and other exterior elevated wood structures every six years, and to repair any deficiencies on a strict timeline or face daily fines and a lien against the property. The law is codified at Health and Safety Code Section 17973. Initial inspections were due by January 1, 2026 under the AB 2579 extension of the original 2025 deadline.
Which Buildings and Structures Are Covered
SB-721 applies to buildings with three or more multifamily dwelling units. Single-family homes and duplexes are outside the law. Most apartment complexes and many mixed-use buildings fall inside it.
The structures the inspector must look at are what the statute calls “exterior elevated elements”: balconies, decks, porches, stairways, walkways, and entry structures that extend beyond the building’s exterior walls, sit more than six feet above ground level, are designed for human use, and rely on wood or wood-based products for structural support. Concrete-framed structures are not covered. The inspection also has to evaluate “associated waterproofing elements” — flashings, membranes, coatings, and sealants that protect the load-bearing wood from water.1California Legislative Information. California Health and Safety Code HSC 17973
Inspection Deadlines
The first inspection was originally due January 1, 2025. AB 2579 pushed that to January 1, 2026 for buildings that had not yet been inspected. After the first inspection, each building must be reinspected every six years.2California Legislative Information. SB-721 Building Standards Decks and Balconies Inspection
Owners who had their building inspected within three years before January 1, 2019 were exempt from the initial deadline. They still have to follow the six-year cycle going forward.
Who Can Perform the Inspection
The building owner hires and pays the inspector, but the statute limits who qualifies:
- Licensed architects
- Licensed civil or structural engineers
- Building contractors holding an A (general engineering), B (general building), or C-5 (framing and rough carpentry) license from the Contractors State License Board, with at least five years of experience constructing multistory wood-frame buildings
- Certified building inspectors or officials from a recognized state, national, or international association, as approved by the local jurisdiction
Inspectors cannot be employees of the local enforcement agency while performing SB-721 inspections.1California Legislative Information. California Health and Safety Code HSC 17973
What Gets Inspected and What the Report Must Include
Inspectors do not have to examine every balcony or stairway. They must inspect a sample of at least 15 percent of each type of exterior elevated element, chosen to represent the range of conditions across the building.2California Legislative Information. SB-721 Building Standards Decks and Balconies Inspection On a building with 40 balconies, that is at least six. Inspectors commonly pick units on different sides or levels of the building to capture varying exposure.
The inspection is a direct visual examination of load-bearing components and waterproofing elements and may include exploratory openings where the inspector cuts into finishes to see hidden structural members. The question being answered is whether the elements are in generally safe condition, in adequate working order, and free from hazards caused by fungus, deterioration, decay, or improper alterations.1California Legislative Information. California Health and Safety Code HSC 17973 Water damage is the most common finding, because it tends to develop behind finishes long before anything shows on the surface.
The inspector must deliver a stamped or signed written report to the owner within 45 days of completing the inspection. The report has to contain:2California Legislative Information. SB-721 Building Standards Decks and Balconies Inspection
- An assessment of each inspected element’s structural and waterproofing condition as of the inspection date
- Expectations for future performance and projected remaining service life
- Any recommendations for further or more invasive evaluation
- Photographs and test results sufficient to establish a baseline for comparison with future inspections
- A determination of whether any element poses an immediate safety threat and whether emergency repairs or restricted access are needed
Every subsequent report must incorporate copies of prior reports so changes can be tracked over time. Owners must keep reports on file for at least two inspection cycles, or 12 years, and the records should transfer with the property on sale.2California Legislative Information. SB-721 Building Standards Decks and Balconies Inspection
When the inspector finds an immediate safety threat, the timeline tightens. A copy of the report goes to both the owner and the local enforcement agency within 15 days of completion, which brings the jurisdiction into the matter from the start.2California Legislative Information. SB-721 Building Standards Decks and Balconies Inspection Expect the agency to demand immediate action, which may include restricting occupant access and ordering shoring or emergency repairs. For non-emergency deficiencies, only the owner gets the report, and the agency becomes involved only if repairs are not made on time.
Repair Timelines After the Report
If the report flags deficiencies that are not an immediate threat, you work on two 120-day clocks:
- 120 days from receiving the report to apply for a repair permit with the local building department
- 120 days from permit approval to complete the repairs, unless the local enforcement agency grants an extension
If repairs are not finished within 180 days, the inspector must notify both the owner and the local enforcement agency.2California Legislative Information. SB-721 Building Standards Decks and Balconies Inspection That notice starts a 30-day grace period. Daily civil penalties begin when it expires.
Penalties and Liens for Non-Compliance
Owners who miss repair deadlines face civil penalties of $100 to $500 per day, with the specific amount set by the local jurisdiction’s fee schedule. Penalties keep accruing until repairs are complete or the local agency grants an extension.2California Legislative Information. SB-721 Building Standards Decks and Balconies Inspection At the top of the range, a six-month delay runs past $90,000 before any repair work begins. Buildings with multiple deficient elements can see those numbers climb faster.
The local enforcement agency can also record a building safety lien against the property with the county recorder. Once recorded, the lien carries the force and priority of a judgment lien, so it attaches to the property and interferes with sale and refinancing. The jurisdiction can foreclose on the lien in court to recover unpaid penalties.2California Legislative Information. SB-721 Building Standards Decks and Balconies Inspection The lien has to list the penalty amount, the agency imposing it, the street address, legal description, assessor’s parcel number, and the recorded owner’s name and address.
What Inspections Cost
SB-721 inspections typically run $75 to $400 per unit, depending on building size, the number and type of exterior elevated elements, how accessible those elements are, and the inspector’s rates in the local market. A 20-unit building might pay $1,500 to $8,000 for one inspection cycle. Repairs identified in the report are separate and can range from minor waterproofing touch-ups to structural rebuilds costing tens of thousands of dollars per element.
Catching water intrusion early, before it rots load-bearing joists, is almost always cheaper than emergency structural repairs on a short statutory clock with daily penalties running.
SB-721 vs. SB-326
If your property is a condominium or other common interest development, SB-721 is not your law. SB-326 governs those buildings, with inspections required every nine years instead of six and inspections limited to licensed structural engineers or architects. SB-721 applies to apartment and rental buildings with three or more units, and it allows the broader list of qualified inspectors above, including certain licensed contractors.