Does South Portland, ME need an earthquake retrofit?

USGS's ASCE 7-16 seismic design model - the same standard building codes use - places South Portland in Seismic Design 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 South Portland sits at the 63th percentile for seismic hazard among 4,875 US cities.

Where South Portland sits in Maine

USGS's underlying values for South Portland: 0.166g peak ground acceleration, 0.282g at short period, 0.072g at 1 second. Within Maine alone, South Portland ranks 17 of 20 cities by seismic hazard - the 16th percentile in-state. South Portland has a population of about 26,994.

Bracing and bolting: the actual cost

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 Maine 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 Maine.

Earthquake insurance for a South Portland home

A South Portland 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 South Portland's figures come from

South Portland'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 South Portland.