Does Orem, UT need an earthquake retrofit?

Under the seismic model IBC and ASCE 7 use for new construction, Orem is Category D. High seismic hazard - this is the category most of coastal California, the Pacific Northwest, and other active fault regions fall into. Code mandates significant seismic detailing and restricts irregular structural configurations. This is the category the Brace + Bolt scope (cripple-wall bracing, foundation bolting) is built for. That puts Orem in the 94th percentile nationally for seismic hazard - higher than 94% of the 4,875 US cities USGS was checked against here.

How Orem compares

USGS's underlying values for Orem: 0.628g peak ground acceleration, 1.372g at short period, 0.504g at 1 second. Within Utah alone, Orem ranks 22 of 95 cities by seismic hazard - the 78th percentile in-state. Orem has a population of about 96,646.

Bracing and bolting: the actual cost

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 Utah 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 Utah.

What this means for insurance

A Orem 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 Orem's figures come from

Orem's Category D 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 D does and doesn't tell you about Orem.