Resources – Earthquake

Is Your Home Protected? A Homeowner's Guide To Earthquake Retrofit

Three major factors determine the amount of shaking that is felt in an earthquake: its magnitude, proximity to the epicenter and the condition of the soil in the area.

Buildings can be protected in two ways; nonstructural and structural retrofits. Nonstructural retrofits are affordable, simple to undertake, and often can be completed without professional assistance and in a short period of time.

Structural retrofits strengthen the skeleton of a building, so it can better withstand the force of an earthquake. These modifications tend to be quite involved and generally require the expertise of a registered design professional (engineer, architect or building contractor) and the approval of the local building department.

The Institute for Business & Home Safety (IBHS) created this guide to help identify potential problem areas and take steps to address them.

Download this publication as a PDF.
Download the Spanish translation.