This paper presents a seismic response prediction method for steel frames with hysteretic dampers. This method is based on energy balance and is able to predict the seismic response of frames with dampers yielding under an earthquake to occur several times during the life of buildings. In this method, the number (_dn_l) of eauivalent cycles of plastic deformation in hysteretic dampers is utilized to predict earthquake response of frames with hysteretic dampers. In order to grasp the _dn_l values, earthquake response analysis of analytical frames with hysteretic dampers is carried out. And, the adequacy of seismic response prediction by this method is verified through a comoarison with results of earthquake response analysis of three different story frames.