Does Carrollton, GA need an earthquake retrofit?

USGS's ASCE 7-16 seismic design model - the same standard building codes use - places Carrollton 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 Carrollton sits at the 69th percentile for seismic hazard among 4,875 US cities.

Carrollton by the numbers

USGS's underlying values for Carrollton: 0.096g peak ground acceleration, 0.187g at short period, 0.084g at 1 second. Within Georgia alone, Carrollton ranks 75 of 148 cities by seismic hazard - the 50th percentile in-state. Carrollton has a population of about 28,306.

Bracing and bolting: the actual cost

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.

Insuring against this, not just retrofitting

A Carrollton 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 Carrollton's figures come from

Carrollton'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 Carrollton.