Does Sandy, UT need an earthquake retrofit?

Under the seismic model IBC and ASCE 7 use for new construction, Sandy 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, Sandy ranks above 94% of the 4,875 cities in this dataset for seismic hazard - the 94th percentile.

Where Sandy sits in Utah

USGS's underlying values for Sandy: 0.653g peak ground acceleration, 1.443g at short period, 0.523g at 1 second. Within Utah alone, Sandy ranks 15 of 95 cities by seismic hazard - the 85th percentile in-state. Sandy has a population of about 92,840.

What a retrofit costs in Sandy

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.

Insuring against this, not just retrofitting

A Sandy 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's figures come from

Sandy'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 Sandy.