Burnet, TX: what USGS's seismic model says

Under the seismic model IBC and ASCE 7 use for new construction, Burnet is Category A. Lowest seismic design category. Building code requires no seismic-specific detailing here beyond ordinary construction practice. That puts Burnet in the 6th percentile nationally for seismic hazard - higher than 6% of the 4,875 US cities USGS was checked against here.

How Burnet compares

USGS's underlying values for Burnet: 0.024g peak ground acceleration, 0.052g at short period, 0.031g at 1 second. Within Texas alone, Burnet ranks 342 of 384 cities by seismic hazard - the 11th percentile in-state. Burnet has a population of about 6,869.

What a retrofit costs in Burnet

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 Texas 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 Texas.

Earthquake insurance for a Burnet home

A Burnet 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 Burnet's figures come from

Burnet's Category A 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 A does and doesn't tell you about Burnet.