Avon's Seismic Design Category, explained

Under the seismic model IBC and ASCE 7 use for new construction, Avon is Category C. Moderate seismic hazard. Code adds irregular-building restrictions and requires bracing of some nonstructural components (e.g. tall shelving, water heaters) in addition to structural detailing. Nationally, Avon ranks above 77% of the 4,875 cities in this dataset for seismic hazard - the 77th percentile.

How Avon compares

USGS's underlying values for Avon: 0.189g peak ground acceleration, 0.324g at short period, 0.08g at 1 second. Within Colorado alone, Avon ranks 11 of 79 cities by seismic hazard - the 87th percentile in-state. Avon has a population of about 5,898.

What a retrofit costs in Avon

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 Colorado 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 Colorado.

Insuring against this, not just retrofitting

A Avon 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 Avon's figures come from

Avon's Category C 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 C does and doesn't tell you about Avon.