SB 721 Balcony Inspection Report Template & Example (HSC 17973)

Alder Court Apartments, 1180 Kestrel Way, Sacramento, California. Two four-storey wood-frame residential buildings containing 24 dwelling units in total, constructed 1998 under permit records reviewed at the City of Sacramento. The property contains exterior elevated elements as defined at Health & Safety Code section 17973: eighteen cantilevered balconies, four exterior stair systems with associated landings, and two elevated walkways serving the fourth floor of building B. All are designed for human occupancy or use, are elevated more than six feet above ground level, and rely in whole or in substantial part on wood-based products for structural support. Inspection conducted 12 November 2025, with a return visit on 13 November 2025 to complete invasive openings. Inspector: J. Mercado, licensed civil engineer, California licence C-XXXXX. The inspector is not employed by the City of Sacramento or by any local enforcement agency in connection with this property.

Population, counted on site and verified against the architectural drawings provided by the owner: 18 balconies within scope — 9 per building, three per floor across floors two, three and four; the buildings are four storeys, and the ground-floor patios are at grade, more than six feet below the definition at section 17973(b)(2), so they are not exterior elevated elements and are not counted here; 4 exterior stair systems, each with two intermediate landings; 2 elevated walkways at building B fourth floor, approximately 44 feet and 38 feet in length. Total elements within scope: 24.

Types identified for the purposes of Health & Safety Code section 17973(c)(1) and (c)(2): three — cantilevered wood-framed balconies (18), exterior wood stair systems with landings (4), and elevated wood-framed walkways (2). They were separated on the basis of framing type and load path, since the section does not define "type".

Elements inspected: all 24, that is 100 percent of each of the three types, taken across the property as a whole. Section 17973(c)(2) sets a minimum of 15 percent of each type; a census exceeds it. Applied to this property that minimum would have been 3 balconies, 1 stair system and 1 walkway. The section does not state whether the percentage is measured per building or across the property; here the distinction is moot because every element was inspected, and it is recorded so that the next inspector, if sampling, knows what this baseline covers. Every balcony, stair system and walkway on the property was visually inspected in its entirety from above and, where the underside was accessible, from below.

Method: visual inspection of all accessible surfaces, supplemented by probing of exposed wood with an awl at every element, moisture meter readings at the balcony-to-wall interface of all 18 balconies, and invasive openings at four locations selected on the basis of the visual and moisture findings. The openings were made on 13 November 2025 by the inspector, each approximately 12 by 12 inches through the underside soffit, and each was closed and sealed the same day. The four opened were balcony B-3-2 (elevated moisture readings), balcony B-2-2 (directly below B-3-2), balcony A-3-1 (staining at the soffit), and walkway B-W1 at its midpoint (deflection observed underfoot).

Balconies, building A (9 elements, identifiers A-2-1 through A-3-3). Construction: cantilevered wood joists extending from the floor framing, plywood sheathing, elastomeric deck coating, wood guardrails with painted metal balusters. Condition: the deck coating is intact at all nine, with hairline cracking at the coating-to-wall transition at A-2-1, A-3-1 and A-3-3, and no separation. Guardrails are secure at all nine; probing at the post bases found no soft wood. A-3-1 exhibits staining at the underside soffit and a moisture reading of 21 percent at the wall interface; the invasive opening at this element found framing sound with localised staining at one joist end and no decay. The condition at A-3-1 is therefore characterised as evidence of past or intermittent water presence without loss of structural material as of this inspection, and it is the element on this building most likely to change before the next cycle.

Balconies, building B (9 elements, B-2-1 through B-3-3). Same construction as building A. Seven are in condition comparable to building A. Two are not. B-3-2: the deck coating has failed at the wall interface across approximately 30 inches, with the underlying sheathing exposed and darkened; the guardrail post at the north corner moves under hand pressure; the moisture reading at the wall interface was 28 percent; and the invasive opening found advanced decay across an estimated 60 percent of the exposed framing at the ledger connection, with corroded fasteners and absent ledger flashing. B-2-2, directly below, exhibits staining across the underside soffit and a moisture reading of 24 percent; the opening found framing sound and the staining consistent with water passing from the balcony above.

Exterior stairs (4 systems, S-A1, S-A2, S-B1, S-B2). Construction: wood stringers on concrete pads, wood treads, painted steel handrails. Condition: stringers sound on probing at all four systems. Tread wear is moderate throughout, with two cracked treads at S-B2 (fourth and seventh risers from grade) which are a trip and failure concern rather than a structural one. Handrail connections are secure at all four. Coating failure at the base of the stringers at S-A2 and S-B2 exposes bare wood at grade contact, which is the location where these systems will deteriorate first.

Elevated walkways (2 elements, B-W1 and B-W2). Construction: wood joists on wood posts, plywood decking, elastomeric coating, guardrails as at the balconies. Condition: coating intact at both, with wear at the traffic path. B-W1 exhibits perceptible deflection underfoot at its midpoint; the invasive opening found the framing sound, and the deflection attributable to decking fastener withdrawal. B-W2: no deflection observed, coating and framing sound where visible.

This section states the inspector's expectations of the performance of these elements until the next inspection cycle, and their projected service lives, as required by Health & Safety Code section 17973. These are professional projections rather than guarantees, and each is qualified by the maintenance it assumes.

Building A balconies (9 elements): expected to perform adequately through the next six-year cycle, provided the elastomeric deck coating is maintained. That coating is the primary barrier protecting the framing, and it is at approximately 27 years of service against an assumed 10 to 15 years between recoats for this system in this exposure — an assumption used for this fictional building, not a published figure. The absence of observed decay behind an aged coating is fortunate rather than reliable. Projected service life of the coating as installed: 0 to 2 years, i.e. recoating is due now. Projected service life of the balcony structures themselves, assuming the coating is renewed within that window and maintained thereafter: in excess of 20 years. Without recoating, the projection falls sharply, and the condition observed at A-3-1 is what the beginning of that failure looks like.

Building B balconies: as for building A at the seven sound elements, with the same coating qualification. B-3-2 has no remaining service life in its present condition and is addressed below. B-2-2 is expected to perform adequately through the cycle once the source of water from B-3-2 above is eliminated; if that source is not eliminated, the projection for B-2-2 is 2 to 4 years before decay of the kind found at B-3-2 becomes likely.

Exterior stairs: expected to perform through the next cycle. Projected service life of the stringers, assuming the coating at the grade-contact areas at S-A2 and S-B2 is restored within the next 12 months: 10 to 15 years. The two cracked treads at S-B2 should be replaced as maintenance; they are not expected to fail catastrophically but will continue to deteriorate.

Elevated walkways: expected to perform through the next cycle. Projected service life in excess of 15 years for the structures, subject to the same coating maintenance as the balconies. The decking fasteners at B-W1 should be re-secured; the deflection will otherwise increase and will eventually work the decking loose at the fasteners.

Further inspection is recommended at three points. First, at balcony B-3-2 during the permanent repair: the extent of decay into the building's floor framing at the ledger cannot be determined without removing the balcony framing, and it should be assessed by a qualified professional once opened, before reconstruction is designed. Second, at balcony B-2-2 within 12 months: it is directly below B-3-2, exhibits elevated moisture, and its condition depends on whether the water source above is genuinely eliminated by the repair. A moisture reading and visual inspection at that point would establish it. Third, across all balconies at the time of recoating: the coating is the barrier that everything else depends on, and its removal is the only opportunity to observe the substrate at low cost. The elements at highest risk based on this inspection are A-3-1, A-2-1 and A-3-3, in that order, on the basis of their moisture readings and coating cracking.

Ninety-four photographs accompany this report, indexed at Appendix A and keyed to the element identifiers used throughout. Each element within scope carries at minimum an overall photograph, a photograph of the walking surface, and a photograph of the balcony-to-wall or stringer-to-structure interface. Elements with observed deterioration carry additional photographs of each deficiency, with a scale in frame.

Moisture readings, pin-type meter, taken at the balcony-to-wall interface of all 18 balconies on 12 November 2025, recorded at Appendix B. Readings ranged from 9 to 14 percent at 15 balconies, which is unremarkable for the season and exposure. Three exceeded 20 percent: B-3-2 at 28 percent, B-2-2 at 24 percent, and A-3-1 at 21 percent. Ambient conditions at the time of readings: 52°F, overcast, no precipitation for the preceding four days.

Invasive openings, 13 November 2025, results at Appendix C with photographs. B-3-2: framing at the ledger connection exhibits advanced decay across an estimated 60 percent of the exposed area; fasteners heavily corroded; the ledger flashing is absent at the opened section, with staining and water tracking evident on the sheathing below. B-2-2: framing sound, with staining on the underside of the sheathing consistent with water passing from above rather than entering at this level. A-3-1: framing sound; localised staining at the joist end nearest the opening, no decay detected on probing. B-W1: framing sound at the opening; the deflection observed appears attributable to decking fastener withdrawal rather than to framing loss.

This narrative, the photograph index and the recorded readings are intended together to serve as the baseline required by Health & Safety Code section 17973(c)(4). Element identifiers were marked on the underside of each element in the course of this inspection so the same element can be located at the next cycle. Where a later inspector finds a reading or a condition at a numbered element that differs from what is recorded here, the difference is the finding.

One element poses an immediate threat to the safety of occupants: balcony B-3-2. The basis for that determination is the combination of advanced decay across an estimated 60 percent of the framing exposed at the ledger connection, heavily corroded fasteners at that connection, absent ledger flashing permitting continued water entry, and a guardrail post that moves under hand pressure. In the inspector's professional opinion the load path at the ledger connection cannot be relied upon in its observed condition.

No other element on the property poses an immediate threat to occupant safety. That includes B-2-2, which exhibits elevated moisture and staining but was found on opening to retain sound framing, and B-W1, whose deflection was found to originate in fastener withdrawal rather than in loss of framing. This statement is made explicitly for all 24 elements within scope, not only for those with findings.

Preventing occupant access is necessary at balcony B-3-2, and access was prevented on the day of the finding. The condition was identified during the invasive opening on 13 November 2025. The inspector notified the owner's representative, Ms. A. Villanueva, by telephone at 14:20 the same day, followed by email at 14:48. The unit door to the balcony was secured and placarded by property staff at approximately 15:30 on 13 November 2025 in the inspector's presence, and the resident of unit B-32 was relocated by management to a vacant unit the same evening.

Emergency repairs, in the form of temporary shoring, are necessary at balcony B-3-2 and were performed on 13 November 2025 by Sierra Structural Services under the inspector's direction: two adjustable steel posts on distributed bearing at grade, supporting a timber header beneath the outboard third of the balcony, installed to arrest movement pending permanent repair. The shoring is temporary and is not a repair. Permanent repair requires removal of the affected framing, evaluation of the extent of decay into the floor framing at the ledger — which cannot be established without that removal — and reconstruction with flashing installed. That work should be designed and permitted, and the design must address the flashing detail, whose absence is the cause rather than the symptom.

Preventing occupant access is not necessary at any other element. Emergency repairs are not necessary at any other element.

The inspection was completed on 13 November 2025. This report was completed on 19 November 2025. Two statutory clocks apply and both are recorded here because they run from different events.

Health & Safety Code section 17973(c)(4) requires the written report to be presented to the owner or the owner's designated agent within 45 days of completion of the inspection — here, by 28 December 2025.

Section 17973(d)(1) requires a copy of any report that recommends immediate repairs, advises that a building assembly poses an immediate threat to occupant safety, or states that preventing occupant access or emergency repairs including shoring are necessary, to be provided to the owner and to the local enforcement agency within 15 days of completion of the report — here, by 4 December 2025. This report does all three, so 17973(d)(1) applies.

Delivery: to the owner by email on 20 November 2025 with delivery confirmation, and to the City of Sacramento's local enforcement agency by its online submission portal on 20 November 2025, confirmation number retained. Both deliveries were made one day after the report was completed and satisfy both clocks.

The finding of an immediate threat and the shoring performed were separately communicated to the owner's representative by telephone and email on 13 November 2025, the day of the finding, rather than held for the report.

A copy of this report is to be retained in the owner's permanent records for not less than two inspection cycles and disclosed and delivered to the buyer on any subsequent sale of the building, as Health & Safety Code section 17973(d)(1) requires.

J. Mercado, licensed civil engineer, State of California, licence C-XXXXX, in good standing at the date of this report. The qualifying basis under Health & Safety Code section 17973(a) is licensure as a civil engineer. The inspector is not employed by the City of Sacramento or by any other local enforcement agency, and was not so employed while performing this inspection; the engagement is with the building owner.

Standard of care and limitations. The inspection was a direct visual examination of the load-bearing components and associated waterproofing elements, supplemented by probing, moisture readings at all 18 balconies, and the four invasive openings described at Appendix C. Conditions concealed behind finishes and outside those four openings were not observed and are not reported on. The projections of future performance and service life required by section 17973(c)(3)(B) are professional opinions rather than guarantees, and each assumes the maintenance stated alongside it. This report is stamped and signed below and dated 19 November 2025.