Does Baraboo, WI need an earthquake retrofit?

USGS's ASCE 7-16 seismic design model - the same standard building codes use - places Baraboo in Seismic Design Category B: Low seismic hazard. Code requires basic seismic detailing (bracing, connections) but no special structural system restrictions. Rank it against the rest of the country and Baraboo sits at the 17th percentile for seismic hazard among 4,875 US cities.

Where Baraboo sits in Wisconsin

USGS's underlying values for Baraboo: 0.031g peak ground acceleration, 0.064g at short period, 0.044g at 1 second. Within Wisconsin alone, Baraboo ranks 90 of 157 cities by seismic hazard - the 43th percentile in-state. Baraboo has a population of about 13,096.

What a retrofit costs in Baraboo

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 Wisconsin 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 Wisconsin.

What this means for insurance

A Baraboo 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 Baraboo's figures come from

Baraboo's Category B 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 B does and doesn't tell you about Baraboo.