Buford's Seismic Design Category, explained

USGS's ASCE 7-16 seismic design model - the same standard building codes use - places Buford in Seismic Design 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. Rank it against the rest of the country and Buford sits at the 70th percentile for seismic hazard among 4,875 US cities.

Buford by the numbers

USGS's underlying values for Buford: 0.103g peak ground acceleration, 0.203g at short period, 0.088g at 1 second. Within Georgia alone, Buford ranks 56 of 148 cities by seismic hazard - the 63th percentile in-state. Buford has a population of about 18,642.

Retrofit economics for Buford

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 Georgia 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 Georgia.

What this means for insurance

A Buford 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 Buford's figures come from

Buford'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 Buford.