Bothell, WA: what USGS's seismic model says

Bothell carries Seismic Design Category D under USGS's ASCE 7-16 model. 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, Bothell ranks above 92% of the 4,875 cities in this dataset for seismic hazard - the 92th percentile.

Bothell by the numbers

USGS's underlying values for Bothell: 0.551g peak ground acceleration, 1.286g at short period, 0.453g at 1 second. Within Washington alone, Bothell ranks 34 of 125 cities by seismic hazard - the 73th percentile in-state. Bothell has a population of about 51,770.

Retrofit economics for Bothell

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 Washington 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 Washington.

Earthquake insurance for a Bothell home

A Bothell 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 Bothell's figures come from

Bothell'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 Bothell.