Sansom Park's Seismic Design Category, explained

Under the seismic model IBC and ASCE 7 use for new construction, Sansom Park 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 Sansom Park sits at the 25th percentile for seismic hazard among 4,875 US cities.

Sansom Park by the numbers

USGS's underlying values for Sansom Park: 0.045g peak ground acceleration, 0.094g at short period, 0.051g at 1 second. Within Texas alone, Sansom Park ranks 128 of 384 cities by seismic hazard - the 67th percentile in-state. Sansom Park has a population of about 5,402.

Retrofit economics for Sansom Park

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 Texas 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 Texas.

What this means for insurance

A Sansom Park 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 Sansom Park's figures come from

Sansom Park'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 Sansom Park.