Platteville, WI: what USGS's seismic model says

Under the seismic model IBC and ASCE 7 use for new construction, Platteville is Category B. 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 Platteville sits at the 18th percentile for seismic hazard among 4,875 US cities.

Platteville by the numbers

USGS's underlying values for Platteville: 0.035g peak ground acceleration, 0.071g at short period, 0.05g at 1 second. Within Wisconsin alone, Platteville ranks 72 of 157 cities by seismic hazard - the 54th percentile in-state. Platteville has a population of about 11,833.

What a retrofit costs in Platteville

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 Wisconsin 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 Wisconsin.

Insuring against this, not just retrofitting

A Platteville 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 Platteville's figures come from

Platteville'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 Platteville.