Does Westbury, NY need an earthquake retrofit?

Under the seismic model IBC and ASCE 7 use for new construction, Westbury is Category B. Low seismic hazard. Code requires basic seismic detailing (bracing, connections) but no special structural system restrictions. That puts Westbury in the 62th percentile nationally for seismic hazard - higher than 62% of the 4,875 US cities USGS was checked against here.

Westbury by the numbers

USGS's underlying values for Westbury: 0.155g peak ground acceleration, 0.258g at short period, 0.057g at 1 second. Within New York alone, Westbury ranks 67 of 170 cities by seismic hazard - the 61th percentile in-state. Westbury has a population of about 15,871.

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 New York 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 New York.

What this means for insurance

A Westbury 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 Westbury's figures come from

Westbury'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 Westbury.