American Fork's Seismic Design Category, explained

Under the seismic model IBC and ASCE 7 use for new construction, American Fork is Category D. High seismic hazard - this is the category most of coastal California, the Pacific Northwest, and other active fault regions fall into. Code mandates significant seismic detailing and restricts irregular structural configurations. This is the category the Brace + Bolt scope (cripple-wall bracing, foundation bolting) is built for. Nationally, American Fork ranks above 92% of the 4,875 cities in this dataset for seismic hazard - the 92th percentile.

Where American Fork sits in Utah

USGS's underlying values for American Fork: 0.589g peak ground acceleration, 1.304g at short period, 0.476g at 1 second. Within Utah alone, American Fork ranks 47 of 95 cities by seismic hazard - the 51th percentile in-state. American Fork has a population of about 41,298.

Retrofit economics for American Fork

A full earthquake retrofit typically runs $5,000-$10,000 nationally (around $7,000 typical), driven mainly by house size and foundation type, not by Utah specifically. California's Earthquake Brace + Bolt grant, which covers a large share of this cost, is a California-only program and does not apply in Utah.

What this means for insurance

A American Fork homeowner cannot buy a standalone earthquake policy in most cases - it is added to an existing homeowners policy as an endorsement, so the place to start is a regular home-insurance quote.

Where American Fork's figures come from

American Fork's Category D and every number above trace to USGS's own ASCE 7-16 Design Maps service - see the methodology guide. See the category explainer for what Category D does and doesn't tell you about American Fork.