Seismic assessment of an old building has two stages, preliminary assessment (初步評估) and detailed assessment (詳細評估). With the consent of more than half of the building's owners, they commission an institution that the Ministry of the Interior has qualified under its joint supply contract (共同供應契約) to carry it out, and apply to the city government for the subsidy afterward. Under the central subsidy rules (the Taipei and New Taipei rules both adopt this amount), the preliminary assessment fee is subsidized up to NT$12,000 per building (total floor area under 3,000 m²) or NT$15,000 (3,000 m² or more), with a separate subsidy for the review fee; for detailed assessment, the assessment fee is limited to 30% or NT$400,000. The Q&A from New Taipei City's Public Works Department (新北市政府工務局) lists different amounts (NT$13,000 or NT$16,000 per building for preliminary assessment), so before you apply, rely on the Public Works Department's announcement.
In addition, buildings of 6 stories or more that have a management committee (管委會) may meet the city government's “proactive guidance” (主動輔導) conditions for preliminary assessment, in which the city government assigns the assessment institution. Below, the two routes, the amounts, the process and the cases that are not subsidized are set out according to the laws and the announcements of the Taipei and New Taipei authorities.
Note: Seismic assessment must be carried out by an institution the Ministry of the Interior has qualified under the joint supply contract; people who claim to offer a “free check-up” cannot take its place. Do not chip away at columns, beams or walls yourself to “look at the rebar.” Assessment and reinforcement involve the structure, so contact Taipei City's building administration office (臺北市建築管理工程處) or New Taipei City's Public Works Department; subsidy amounts and acceptance periods follow that year's announcement.
How preliminary and detailed assessment differ
Article 2 of the measures for structural safety performance assessment of dangerous and old urban buildings (都市危險及老舊建築物結構安全性能評估辦法; “the assessment measures” below) provides that structural safety performance assessment means seismic capacity assessment, divided into preliminary assessment and detailed assessment. Preliminary assessment is scored on the items and weights in the appendix to the assessment measures; detailed assessment follows the content set in the joint supply contract for detailed seismic capacity assessment of buildings that the Ministry of the Interior handles on commission (內政部代辦建築物耐震能力詳細評估工作共同供應契約). Both require personnel to inspect the site (Article 4).
According to the Taipei building administration office's process flow chart for preliminary assessment (amended July 21, 2023), preliminary results fall into Grade A (甲級; no concern for now), Grade B (乙級; some concern) and below Grade B (未達乙級; in danger). The flow chart says that buildings with a building age of 30 years or more and with elevator equipment can then apply separately to the assessment institution for detailed assessment; buildings with a building age of 30 years or more and no elevator equipment submit the preliminary assessment report to apply for the subsidy. The flow chart also notes that, for two of the preliminary results, once the consent of all owners of the land and the building has been obtained, a reconstruction plan can be drafted to apply for reconstruction; this corresponds to the conditions of Article 3 of the Statute for Expediting Reconstruction of Urban Unsafe and Old Buildings (都市危險及老舊建築物加速重建條例, known as the 危老條例).
Subsidy amounts: Taipei and New Taipei compared
| Item | Subsidy cap per building | Basis |
|---|
| Preliminary assessment (total floor area under 3,000 m²) | Subsidized according to the assessment fee, capped at NT$12,000 | Article 3 of the central competent authority's measures for subsidizing structural safety performance assessment fees (中央主管機關補助結構安全性能評估費用辦法); Article 9 of the Taipei City measures for accelerated reconstruction of dangerous and old buildings (臺北市危險及老舊建築物加速重建辦法) |
| Preliminary assessment (3,000 m² or more) | Capped at NT$15,000 | Same as above |
| Review fee for preliminary assessment | NT$1,000; Taipei additionally provides that where the preliminary result is below the minimum grade and passes review by the review institution, the review fee is NT$6,000 | Same as above |
| Detailed assessment | No more than 30% of the assessment fee or NT$400,000 | Same as above |
| Review fee for detailed assessment | Estimated at 15% of the assessment fee, capped at NT$200,000 | Same as above |
Article 4 of New Taipei City's subsidy measures (amended October 2, 2019) provides that the subsidy amount follows Article 3 of the central measures directly, and that where the preliminary result shows no detailed assessment is needed, no subsidy for detailed assessment can be applied for. The Q&A currently linked from the Public Works Department's page (January 16, 2023 version) gives the amounts as NT$13,000 or NT$16,000 per building for preliminary assessment and 45% of the detailed assessment fee, capped at NT$600,000. What follows is this article's own inference and has not been confirmed by the Public Works Department: these figures happen to equal the central measures' assessment fee plus review fee (12,000 + 1,000, 30% + 15%, 400,000 + 200,000), so they may be the two added together. The Q&A does not say how the figures are broken down, so confirm the actual subsidy amount with the Public Works Department's use management section (使用管理科). The same Q&A also states that New Taipei has a separate free preliminary assessment provided by the city: those who have not yet had a preliminary assessment and meet the requirements can apply to the use management section, and it only starts each year after funds are allocated under the central plan.
As for what the assessment itself costs, the National Land Management Agency's August 2026 version of the old-house life extension (老宅延壽) Q&A says it depends on each assessment institution's actual quote and recommends asking several and comparing; the Taipei building administration office's website publishes the 2026 list of dangerous and old building assessment institutions together with their fee standards.
Application process: commission it yourself, then apply for the subsidy
- Get consent: under Article 3 of the assessment measures, you need the consent of owners of more than half of the building and must appoint a representative; the management committee of a condominium can also apply by attaching the resolution of the owners meeting (區分所有權人會議).
- Commission an assessment institution: attach copies of the property right documents of more than half of the owners and of the use permit (or a legal-building certificate), and commission an institution the Ministry of the Interior has qualified under the joint supply contract. New Taipei City's Public Works Department page lists 32 joint supply contract institutions announced by the Ministry of the Interior on January 2, 2026.
- Assessment and verification: the assessment institution sends personnel to inspect the site and issues a report; in Taipei's process, the assessment institution assigns verification personnel to confirm it.
- Apply for the subsidy: Taipei's flow chart says to submit the preliminary assessment report and supporting documents to the building administration office (its use section), whereas Article 8 of the Taipei City measures says to apply to the Department of Urban Development (都市發展局), so confirm the counter by phone before submitting; under Article 10 of the Taipei City measures, anything that needs correcting must be supplemented within a time limit of 30 days. New Taipei applies to the Public Works Department under Article 3 of its subsidy measures, and you can attach a power of attorney so that the subsidy is paid directly to the assessment institution.
Proactive-guidance preliminary assessment and weak-story reinforcement
Under the Ministry of the Interior's guidelines for implementing subsidies for proactively guided preliminary seismic capacity assessment of buildings and weak-story reinforcement (主動輔導辦理建築物耐震能力初步評估及弱層補強經費補助執行作業要點; amended October 17, 2022), the city government proactively invites participation and assigns the assessment institution for the preliminary assessment. The conditions are: a building of 6 stories or more with a condominium management organization and a structural quick-screening score (F value) above 60; a building of 6 stories or more with a management organization and a building age of 30 years or more; or others the implementing agency recognizes. The Taipei building administration office's “seismic assessment of buildings” page lists the same conditions.
The same guidelines also subsidize weak-story reinforcement. If the total risk score from the preliminary assessment is above 30, you can apply for Plan A or Plan B: under Plan A, where the floor area of the story being reinforced is under 500 m², the cap is NT$3,000,000, and for 500 m² or more it rises with the area to a maximum of NT$4,500,000; under Plan B the cap is NT$4,500,000; both are limited to 45% of the total reinforcement cost. If the total risk score is above 45, or the detailed assessment result requires reinforcement, the cap can be raised to NT$4,500,000, not exceeding 85% of the total reinforcement cost. Plan C is for repairing existing earthquake damage and deterioration in buildings that are not condominiums, with a cap of NT$500,000; one of the application conditions is a total risk score above 45 from the preliminary assessment.
Cases that are not subsidized
- Article 6 of the central measures: seismic assessment already subsidized by a central government agency; the building has only one owner and that owner is not a natural person; residential floor area is under 2/3; a building permit has already been applied for; an urban renewal business plan has already been submitted for approval; and so on.
- Article 10 of the Taipei City measures: additionally excludes buildings for which the date from which the building-permit rules apply is December 29, 1999 or later.
- Article 4 of the New Taipei measures: where the preliminary result shows no detailed assessment is needed, no subsidy for detailed assessment can be applied for.
After the assessment is done, you do not have to go down the road of reconstruction under the Statute for Expediting Reconstruction of Urban Unsafe and Old Buildings. The National Land Management Agency's old-house life extension Q&A explains that before applying for an old-house life extension repair subsidy you must first complete either a preliminary or a detailed assessment, that the assessment result in principle does not affect the application, and that an existing report in principle does not need to be redone. To decide whether the house should be repaired or torn down, you can use old house: repair it or tear it down together with 10 must-check items for an old building inspection; to look first at the soil liquefaction and preliminary seismic assessment information for where your home is, you can use the Taipei and New Taipei old-house check-up map.
FAQ
Only I want a seismic assessment in my apartment building. Can I apply?
Under Article 3 of the assessment measures, applying for a structural safety performance assessment needs the consent of owners of more than half of the building. A single unit cannot apply on behalf of the whole building; you can start by talking it over with your neighbors or the management committee.
If the seismic assessment result is poor, will the house be forcibly demolished?
The laws this article found contain no rule that a poor preliminary result leads to forced demolition. The National Land Management Agency's old-house life extension Q&A explains that the assessment result lets owners understand the structural safety condition of the building, after which repair, reinforcement or reconstruction is decided according to the result and the owners' willingness to come together. For your own case, contact the city government's building administration unit.
Can an assessment report done many years ago still be used?
The National Land Management Agency's old-house life extension Q&A states that someone who already holds a structural safety performance assessment report in principle does not need to do it again, and there is no time limit. If you use it for another purpose, confirm with the agency that receives it.
Is seismic assessment related to earthquake insurance?
No, not directly. Earthquake insurance claims depend on a total-loss determination after the quake, not on a seismic assessment done beforehand; see claim conditions of residential basic earthquake insurance. For how to read earthquake intensity, see what each earthquake intensity level means.
Last updated: 2026-10-30
This article was compiled by the SOSfix editors from public information and is for general reference only; for your own case, contact (Taipei City's building administration office, New Taipei City's Public Works Department, or the Ministry of the Interior's National Land Management Agency).
Sources
- National laws and regulations database (全國法規資料庫): central competent authority's measures for subsidizing structural safety performance assessment fees (amended June 13, 2019; verified 2026-10-30) (in Chinese): Article 3, preliminary assessment NT$12,000 / NT$15,000 and review fee NT$1,000, detailed assessment 30% or NT$400,000 and review fee of 15% capped at NT$200,000; Article 6, cases not subsidized.
- National laws and regulations database (全國法規資料庫): measures for structural safety performance assessment of dangerous and old urban buildings (amended October 11, 2018; verified 2026-10-30) (in Chinese): Article 2 preliminary and detailed assessment, Article 3 consent of more than half and application by the management committee, Article 4 on-site inspection.
- National laws and regulations database (全國法規資料庫): Statute for Expediting Reconstruction of Urban Unsafe and Old Buildings (amended December 6, 2023; verified 2026-10-30) (in Chinese): Article 3, conditions of application and assessment carried out by joint supply contract institutions.
- Taipei City laws and regulations search system (臺北市法規查詢系統): Taipei City measures for accelerated reconstruction of dangerous and old buildings (latest amendment July 21, 2023; verified 2026-10-30) (in Chinese): Article 8, application to the Department of Urban Development and application documents; Article 9, subsidy amounts and the NT$6,000 review fee where the preliminary assessment is below the minimum grade; Article 10, correction within 30 days and no subsidy for building permits dated after December 29, 1999.
- Taipei City building administration office (臺北市建築管理工程處): process for preliminary seismic capacity assessment of buildings and fee subsidy (amended July 21, 2023; verified 2026-10-30) (in Chinese): Grade A, Grade B, below Grade B; the follow-up routes for buildings aged 30 years or more with and without elevators; subsidy applications to the building administration office's use section.
- Taipei City building administration office (臺北市建築管理工程處): dangerous and old building reconstruction (seismic assessment subsidy, promoters, promotion stations) (page updated 2026-10-19; verified 2026-10-30) (in Chinese): acceptance of subsidy applications for structural safety performance assessment, the 2026 list of assessment institutions and fee standards.
- Taipei City building administration office (臺北市建築管理工程處): seismic assessment of buildings (verified 2026-10-30) (in Chinese): conditions for proactive-guidance preliminary assessment, conditions for applying for weak-story reinforcement, and a citation of the guidelines amended October 17, 2022.
- New Taipei City Government Public Works Department (新北市政府工務局): Q&A on structural safety performance assessment of dangerous and old urban buildings (January 16, 2023 version; verified 2026-10-30) (in Chinese): the two schemes of a free preliminary assessment by the city government and a partial subsidy after commissioning one yourself, the limits on 2/3 residential use and non-natural-person owners, NT$13,000 / NT$16,000 per building for preliminary assessment and a cap of NT$600,000 at 45% for detailed assessment (it does not say whether the review fee is included).
- New Taipei City Government (新北市政府): New Taipei City measures for subsidizing the cost of structural safety performance assessment of dangerous and old urban buildings (Article 4 amended and promulgated October 2, 2019; verified 2026-10-30) (in Chinese): Article 3, application documents and payment to the assessment institution on authorization; Article 4, subsidy amount follows Article 3 of the central measures, and no detailed assessment subsidy where none is needed.
- New Taipei City Government Public Works Department (新北市政府工務局): seismic assessment and weak-story reinforcement section (page updated 2026-07-08; verified 2026-10-30) (in Chinese): applications for 2026 for the subsidy are already being accepted, the Ministry of the Interior announced 32 joint supply contract institutions on January 2, 2026, and the related laws and application forms can be downloaded.
- Ministry of the Interior: guidelines for implementing subsidies for proactively guided preliminary seismic capacity assessment of buildings and weak-story reinforcement (amended October 17, 2022; reproduced by the New Taipei City Public Works Department; verified 2026-10-30) (in Chinese): conditions for proactive-guidance preliminary assessment, and the subsidy caps, percentages and application conditions of weak-story reinforcement Plans A, B and C.
- Ministry of the Interior National Land Management Agency: simulated Q&A on the old-house life extension and function renewal subsidy program (August 11, 2026; reproduced by the Taichung City Government's urban development bureau; verified 2026-10-30) (in Chinese): a preliminary or detailed assessment must be completed before applying for a repair subsidy, assessment fees depend on institutions' quotes, reports have no time limit, and the assessment subsidy amounts.
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