Property Risk in Los Angeles
San Andreas & Beyond

LA has very high seismic risk. The San Andreas Fault is capable of M8.0+. Multiple secondary faults — Hollywood, Puente Hills, Newport-Inglewood — run through the metropolitan area. USGS ShakeOut scenario for M7.8 predicts 1,800 deaths and $213B in damage. Northridge 1994 (M6.7, $40B) remains the most recent major event.

Pre-1980 soft-story wood-frame apartments (West Hollywood, Koreatown, Silver Lake) are highest risk. Non-ductile concrete buildings built before 1980 are the second-highest category. LA has mandatory retrofit ordinances — always check if a pre-1980 building has completed its required retrofit before purchasing.

California's Alquist-Priolo Act requires sellers to disclose if a property is in a mapped Earthquake Fault Zone — generally within 50 feet of an active fault trace. New construction is prohibited in these zones. Disclosure is mandatory. However, the 50-foot zone covers only surface rupture risk — most earthquake damage is from ground shaking, which affects much wider areas.

LA remains one of the world's most desirable real estate markets. The earthquake risk is real and priced in — but properly constructed and retrofitted post-1994 buildings are significantly safer. Key due diligence: check building year, retrofit status, soil type, and distance to active faults. Earthquake insurance is available (though expensive) through the California Earthquake Authority.