Does Fayetteville, TN need an earthquake retrofit?

Under the seismic model IBC and ASCE 7 use for new construction, Fayetteville 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, Fayetteville ranks above 73% of the 4,875 cities in this dataset for seismic hazard - the 73th percentile.

Where Fayetteville sits in Tennessee

USGS's underlying values for Fayetteville: 0.133g peak ground acceleration, 0.264g at short period, 0.121g at 1 second. Within Tennessee alone, Fayetteville ranks 94 of 104 cities by seismic hazard - the 10th percentile in-state. Fayetteville has a population of about 7,142.

Retrofit economics for Fayetteville

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 Tennessee 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 Tennessee.

Insuring against this, not just retrofitting

A Fayetteville 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 Fayetteville's figures come from

Fayetteville'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 Fayetteville.