Wildfire Protection
Fire-Rated Balcony and Soffit Vents for SB 326 and SB 721 Buildings
California's balcony inspection laws have property managers and HOA boards opening up balconies, decks, and eaves across the state. The moment that soffit is open is the moment to think about embers.
If your building sits in a fire-prone area, an ordinary soffit vent is an open door for wind-driven embers to reach the framing and the units above. While the balcony is already apart for inspection and repair, we harden it with fire-rated vents and a noncombustible metal soffit, so the building comes back together safer than it went in.
The Metal Roof Pros supply and install fire-rated venting and metal soffit enclosures for multifamily and commercial buildings across Los Angeles, Orange, Ventura, and Riverside counties.
What Are SB 326 and SB 721?
SB 326 and SB 721 are California laws that require multifamily buildings to have their elevated balconies, decks, stairways, and walkways inspected on a set schedule. They exist to catch dry rot and structural damage in elevated wood-framed elements before one fails.
SB 721 covers apartment buildings with three or more units and calls for an inspection about every six years. SB 326 covers condominiums and homeowner associations and calls for one about every nine years. A licensed engineer or architect performs the inspection, and any damage they find gets repaired.
Both laws are about structure and waterproofing, not fire. The fire opportunity comes from the timing: to inspect and repair a balcony, the soffit and eaves get opened up, and that is the ideal moment to upgrade the venting.
Where Do Fire-Rated Balcony Vents Come In?
Fire-rated vents come from a different code than the inspection laws. In California's designated fire zones, Chapter 7A of the building code requires vents that resist ember intrusion, because embers slipping through an ordinary vent are one of the most common ways a building ignites in a wildfire.
A balcony soffit is exactly where that matters. Embers ride the wind, collect under the overhang, and pass through an unrated vent into the framing and the units above. When your building is already having balcony work done under SB 326 or SB 721, upgrading those vents to a fire-rated assembly is efficient, because the soffit is open and the crew is on site.
What Is Our Fire-Rated Vent and Metal Soffit Solution?
We install fire-rated Vulcan vents in balcony soffits and eaves. They are a listed one-hour fire-rated soffit vent, Chapter 7A compliant, with a stainless steel ember mesh that delivers best-in-class airflow and an intumescent coating that swells shut under fire heat. They cut to length in the field to fit any balcony run, and they come in G90 galvanized steel, stainless steel, or copper to match the building. For an existing balcony, the flange-front profile drops into the soffit as a clean retrofit, so we can upgrade the venting without rebuilding it. You can read more on our Vulcan vents page.
Where a building wants the underside fully hardened, we enclose the balcony soffit and the eaves in noncombustible metal, formed and color-matched to the building, with the fire-rated vents built in. This is the same metal eave enclosure work we do on homes, scaled to a multifamily building.
Who Do We Work With on Balcony Vent Projects?
We work with property managers, HOA boards, apartment owners, and the general contractors handling balcony repairs. Our part is the fire-rated venting and the metal soffit enclosure, installed alongside your inspection and repair team.
We do not perform the SB 326 or SB 721 inspection itself. That is the job of the licensed engineer or architect your building hires. We come in on the construction side, supply the fire-rated vents and metal soffit, and install them cleanly while the soffit is open.
Why Do Ember-Resistant Balcony Vents Matter?
An elevated balcony concentrates the two things a wildfire needs: combustible framing and openings that let embers reach it. The soffit vents sit right where wind pushes embers hardest, under the overhang, and every unit above depends on that framing staying intact.
A fire-rated vent does not seal the building up and suffocate it. It keeps the soffit ventilated day to day, then closes off only when it meets fire, buying the framing and the residents above critical time. For a building full of families, that is protection worth adding while the wall is already open.
Request a free assessment and we will review your building's balconies and eaves, then send a written estimate for the fire-rated venting and soffit work. Call (818) 937-4500.
What Other Questions Should I Ask?
Get a Free Assessment for Your Building
If your building is scheduled for SB 326 or SB 721 balcony work, that open soffit is the best and cheapest chance you will get to harden it against embers. We will assess your balconies and eaves and send a written estimate for the fire-rated vents and metal soffit, with no sales visit.
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