Does Dover, NH need an earthquake retrofit?

Under the seismic model IBC and ASCE 7 use for new construction, Dover 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. Nationally, Dover ranks above 77% of the 4,875 cities in this dataset for seismic hazard - the 77th percentile.

Dover by the numbers

USGS's underlying values for Dover: 0.204g peak ground acceleration, 0.331g at short period, 0.076g at 1 second. Within New Hampshire alone, Dover ranks 7 of 13 cities by seismic hazard - the 50th percentile in-state. Dover has a population of about 33,909.

Retrofit economics for Dover

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 New Hampshire 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 New Hampshire.

What this means for insurance

A Dover 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 Dover's figures come from

Dover'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 Dover.