Does Coeur d'Alene, ID need an earthquake retrofit?

Under the seismic model IBC and ASCE 7 use for new construction, Coeur d'Alene is 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 Coeur d'Alene sits at the 74th percentile for seismic hazard among 4,875 US cities.

How Coeur d'Alene compares

USGS's underlying values for Coeur d'Alene: 0.149g peak ground acceleration, 0.333g at short period, 0.113g at 1 second. Within Idaho alone, Coeur d'Alene ranks 14 of 36 cities by seismic hazard - the 63th percentile in-state. Coeur d'Alene has a population of about 57,355.

What a retrofit costs in Coeur d'Alene

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 Idaho 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 Idaho.

What this means for insurance

A Coeur d'Alene 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 Coeur d'Alene's figures come from

Coeur d'Alene'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 Coeur d'Alene.