Existing reinforced concrete (RC) buildings built to non-ductile specifications are highly susceptible to damage given lateral loads induced from earthquake ground motions. To explore the effects of these ground motions, non-linear finite element analyses are being used in research and practice to model representations of non-ductile RC buildings as well as conduct probabilistic analyses of their seismic fragility in as-built and retrofitted conditions. This study examines the influence of modeling fidelity on the response and fragility of non-ductile RC buildings, testing the role of explicitly capturing local failure in the finite element model as well as providing new insight into the probability of component damage levels given system level failure. Also, a survey is presented to assess the tagging decisions made during post-earthquake rapid evaluations of reinforced concrete buildings and compare these results to empirical data from past earthquake reconnaissance reports. The results of this study will provide insight into several key issues in seismic performance assessment for RC buildings.