Pasco's Seismic Design Category, explained

Under the seismic model IBC and ASCE 7 use for new construction, Pasco 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. Nationally, Pasco ranks above 81% of the 4,875 cities in this dataset for seismic hazard - the 81th percentile.

How Pasco compares

USGS's underlying values for Pasco: 0.177g peak ground acceleration, 0.396g at short period, 0.151g at 1 second. Within Washington alone, Pasco ranks 111 of 125 cities by seismic hazard - the 11th percentile in-state. Pasco has a population of about 81,724.

What a retrofit costs in Pasco

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 Washington 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 Washington.

What this means for insurance

A Pasco 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 Pasco's figures come from

Pasco'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 Pasco.