Hutchins's Seismic Design Category, explained

Hutchins carries Seismic Design Category B under USGS's ASCE 7-16 model. Low seismic hazard. Code requires basic seismic detailing (bracing, connections) but no special structural system restrictions. Rank it against the rest of the country and Hutchins sits at the 24th percentile for seismic hazard among 4,875 US cities.

Where Hutchins sits in Texas

USGS's underlying values for Hutchins: 0.044g peak ground acceleration, 0.092g at short period, 0.053g at 1 second. Within Texas alone, Hutchins ranks 133 of 384 cities by seismic hazard - the 66th percentile in-state. Hutchins has a population of about 7,996.

What a retrofit costs in Hutchins

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 Texas 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 Texas.

What this means for insurance

A Hutchins 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 Hutchins's figures come from

Hutchins's Category B 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 B does and doesn't tell you about Hutchins.