It differs house by house. Hokuriku farmhouses usually have a sound frame; what they lack is bracing walls, connectors and foundations. We judge after seeing the house.
Whether an old house is weak in an earthquake differs from house to house, and the frame of a Hokuriku house is often still sound.
What matters is the amount of wall, the metal fittings joining posts and beams, and the foundation.
Damaged posts and beams can be replaced with new timber without taking the building down.
Seismic reinforcement costs about ¥2.5–7 million, and re-roofing about ¥2–4.5 million.
The on-site survey is free, and we show you the reinforcement needed and the cost in writing first.
A kominka is often lumped together as “weak against earthquakes,” but in reality every house differs. Houses in Hokuriku are framed with thick beams and posts, so the frame itself is often still sound. What matters is the amount of wall, the metal fittings, and the foundation. We decide after seeing the current state.
What we look at
The six points checked on site: walls, foundation, joints, roof, termites and extensions.
At the site survey we look at the main structural members to see whether the posts and beams can stay. Rotten posts, or ones with signs of termites, are replaced. Where a post can be saved by splicing and where it cannot is explained in Can a termite-eaten house be repaired?.
Amount and placement of walls. A house of open connecting rooms lacks walls to take the earthquake load
Foundations: posts on stones, cobble footings, or unreinforced concrete — each changes the approach
Joints. Most houses have no metal connectors between posts and beams
Roof weight. Replacing tiles with a lighter material alone reduces the load on the building
Termites and rot. Damage to the underfloor and sills comes before any seismic question
Extensions. The junction with rooms added later is a common weak point
Connectors are an aid to keep post and beam joints from pulling apart. If the post itself is rotten or termite-eaten, adding connectors does nothing. The more load you concentrate on a damaged member, the sooner it fails.
We can replace damaged structural timber with new while the building stands. Not rebuilding, but swapping posts and beams and re-forming the frame. This is where a builder's skill shows. A firm that can only add connectors leaves the damaged posts in place.
Cost guide
Seismic reinforcement (walls, hardware, foundation)¥2.5–7 million
Re-roofing (lighter roof, snow measures)¥2–4.5 million
All figures are construction costs. The range depends on the assessment and the target level.
After the Noto earthquake
After the 2024 earthquake, more people in Toyama Prefecture too have started worrying about the state of their buildings. Among the enquiries we get, shifted roof tiles, cracked walls and sticking fittings come up often as worries. Visible symptoms don't necessarily match damage to the frame. If you're concerned, show us the current state.
For "tilting" — doors that won't close, sloping floors — the fixes and costs by cause are in Can a leaning house be fixed?.
If your house in Ishikawa was damaged in the earthquake and you are torn between repairing and selling as is, see Buying vacant houses and kominka in Ishikawa, which sets out the options by damage certificate category.
Snow and earthquakes are one question
In Hokuriku, an earthquake can strike while snow is still sitting on the roof. Once snow piles up, the weight on the building changes a great deal. Lighten the roof, and you deal with the snow and with seismic reinforcement at the same time. If you're considering re-roofing, thinking about it together with seismic reinforcement gets you more effect for the money you spend.
Doing the seismic work first
If the budget for a full renovation is not there yet, you can do the seismic work and the roof first and leave the interior for a few years. The reverse — finishing the interior and then reinforcing — means breaking walls you just made good. Getting the order right keeps the cost down.
FAQ
Can I ask for a seismic assessment only?＋−
We check the current condition as part of the free site survey. If you need a formal assessment report, for a subsidy application for instance, there is a separate fee.
Doesn't replacing posts cost as much as rebuilding?＋−
No. We don't take the building down; we replace only the damaged members. The foundation, roof and the sound posts and beams stay, so the starting point is completely different from a rebuild.
Can an old house be brought up to today's seismic standard?＋−
We reinforce to a target level agreed with you. Cost depends on how far you go, so we set out the reinforcement needed and its price in writing first and decide with your budget in mind.
Ready for the shaking
We come and look at how this house would fare.
The site survey is free. We set out the reinforcement needed and its cost in writing first.
