Abstract In today's time, most seismic design codes are based on a linear elastic force-based approach that includes the nonlinear response (ductility and overstrength) of the structure through a reduction factor (named behavior factor q in Eurocode 8 [EC8]). However, the use of a prescribed q -factor that is constant for a given structural system may fail in providing structures with the same risk level. This paper focuses on the estimation of actual values of q -factor for X-braced steel frames (XBFs) designed according to the European codes and comparing these values to those suggested in EC8. For this purpose, a nonlinear pushover analysis has been performed. The effects of specific parameters, such as the stories number, the brace slenderness ratio, the local response of structural members, and the support type, are evaluated. The results show that the most important parameter that affects the q -factor is the brace slenderness ratio, while the support type has less effect on this factor. Furthermore, a local strength criterion has been proposed to implicitly ensure that the suggested value of the q -factor is conservative.