Mid-century residential home typical of the Santa Cruz area

General Contractor in Santa Cruz, CA

Framing and additions built to current seismic code for the county's mix of older and newer homes.

Santa Cruz is the county seat and the largest, most established housing market on this part of the coast — a mix of older Victorian-era homes near downtown, mid-century bungalows closer to the beach, and newer construction further from the water. The Santa Cruz Mountains just inland are among the more seismically active parts of the Central Coast, which puts extra weight on getting structural connections right, especially on the area's older housing stock built before current code.

Santa Cruz also has a more competitive construction market than Watsonville, with more established contractors already working the area — we take on Santa Cruz projects, but it's a market we're still building a name in compared to our home base.

Local Considerations for Santa Cruz

Seismic retrofitting and code-compliant structural connections come up more often here than in newer-built areas, given how much of Santa Cruz's housing predates current standards. Coastal fog is a factor too, similar to Watsonville, and affects the same moisture-management details on exterior framing and siding work.

Santa Cruz Service Area

Frequently Asked Questions

Do you work on older Santa Cruz homes near downtown?
Yes — a lot of our framing and addition work in Santa Cruz involves older houses that need structural upgrades to meet current seismic requirements when we tie in new framing.
Why does seismic code matter so much for Santa Cruz specifically?
The Santa Cruz Mountains are one of the more seismically active parts of the Central Coast, so building departments here pay close attention to shear wall and connection details on any structural work.
How far is Santa Cruz from your Watsonville base?
About 20 to 25 minutes, and a regular part of our service area.

Get a Santa Cruz Estimate

Call Double Y Framing for code-compliant framing and additions.