Does Tequesta, FL need an earthquake retrofit?

USGS's ASCE 7-16 seismic design model - the same standard building codes use - places Tequesta in Seismic Design Category A: Lowest seismic design category. Building code requires no seismic-specific detailing here beyond ordinary construction practice. Rank it against the rest of the country and Tequesta sits at the 3th percentile for seismic hazard among 4,875 US cities.

How Tequesta compares

USGS's underlying values for Tequesta: 0.022g peak ground acceleration, 0.046g at short period, 0.025g at 1 second. Within Florida alone, Tequesta ranks 154 of 228 cities by seismic hazard - the 33th percentile in-state. Tequesta has a population of about 6,285.

What a retrofit costs in Tequesta

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 Florida 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 Florida.

What this means for insurance

A Tequesta 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 Tequesta's figures come from

Tequesta's Category A 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 A does and doesn't tell you about Tequesta.