Mauldin's Seismic Design Category, explained

Under the seismic model IBC and ASCE 7 use for new construction, Mauldin 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. That puts Mauldin in the 76th percentile nationally for seismic hazard - higher than 76% of the 4,875 US cities USGS was checked against here.

How Mauldin compares

USGS's underlying values for Mauldin: 0.172g peak ground acceleration, 0.298g at short period, 0.095g at 1 second. Within South Carolina alone, Mauldin ranks 38 of 66 cities by seismic hazard - the 43th percentile in-state. Mauldin has a population of about 29,746.

Retrofit economics for Mauldin

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 South Carolina 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 South Carolina.

Insuring against this, not just retrofitting

A Mauldin 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 Mauldin's figures come from

Mauldin'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 Mauldin.