California seismic building codes are pretty solid. The state does its own earthquake research and has definitely lead the US in terms of building codes. In t

California seismic building codes are pretty solid. The state does its own earthquake research and has definitely lead the US in terms of building codes. In the US, CA's seismic exam for structural engineers is considered the most rigorous in the country. Generally, the seismic codes are roughly at Japanese levels. However, CA's buildings are mostly older.