Does Hoschton, GA need an earthquake retrofit?

USGS's ASCE 7-16 seismic design model - the same standard building codes use - places Hoschton 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 Hoschton sits at the 70th percentile for seismic hazard among 4,875 US cities.

How Hoschton compares

USGS's underlying values for Hoschton: 0.1g peak ground acceleration, 0.197g at short period, 0.086g at 1 second. Within Georgia alone, Hoschton ranks 66 of 148 cities by seismic hazard - the 56th percentile in-state. Hoschton has a population of about 6,723.

Retrofit economics for Hoschton

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.

Earthquake insurance for a Hoschton home

A Hoschton 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 Hoschton's figures come from

Hoschton'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 Hoschton.