Does Sandy Springs, GA need an earthquake retrofit?

USGS's ASCE 7-16 seismic design model - the same standard building codes use - places Sandy Springs in Seismic Design 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. Nationally, Sandy Springs ranks above 70% of the 4,875 cities in this dataset for seismic hazard - the 70th percentile.

Sandy Springs by the numbers

USGS's underlying values for Sandy Springs: 0.103g peak ground acceleration, 0.2g at short period, 0.088g at 1 second. Within Georgia alone, Sandy Springs ranks 53 of 148 cities by seismic hazard - the 65th percentile in-state. Sandy Springs has a population of about 105,505.

What a retrofit costs in Sandy Springs

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 Georgia 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 Georgia.

What this means for insurance

A Sandy Springs 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 Sandy Springs's figures come from

Sandy Springs'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 Sandy Springs.