Insurance Resources

California's Insurance Commission passed regulations called Safer From Wildfire that outlined 10 steps homeowners can take to lower their wildfire risk.  When a homeowner completes any of these steps, they can inform their insurance company who may provide a discount.  Nine of the ten options can be done by the homeowner with the tenth being at the community level; this is to become a Firewise community.

Learn the 10 steps to being Safer from Wildfires

Every action under Safer from Wildfires will qualify you for an insurance discount. By doing more, you can save more. Read the full text of the new Safer from Wildfires insurance regulation.

• Class-A fire rated roof – Most roofs qualify including asphalt shingles, concrete, brick, or masonry tiles, and metal shingles or sheets. Wood shake shingles are not Class A fire-resistant rated.The Office of the State Fire Marshal maintains a list of tested and approved materials.

• 5 foot ember resistant zone, including fencing – Removing greenery and replacing wood chips with stone or decomposed granite 5 feet around your home prevents fire from getting a foot in the door. Replacing wood fencing connecting to your home with metal is critical because it can act like a candle wick leading fire straight to your home.

• Ember- and fire-resistant vents – Installing 1/16 to 1/8 inch noncombustible, corrosion-resistant metal mesh screens over exterior vents can keep wind-blown embers out of your house.

• Non-combustible 6 inches at the bottom of exterior walls – Having a minimum of 6 vertical inches measured from the ground up and from any attached horizontal surface like a deck can stop embers from accumulating and igniting your walls. Noncombustible materials include brick, stone, fiber-cement siding or concrete.

• Enclosed eaves – Installing soffits under your eaves can prevent heat and embers from getting trapped and igniting. When enclosing eaves, non-combustible or ignition resistant materials are recommended.

• Upgraded windows – Multi-paned windows are more resistant to breaking during a wildfire, which helps keep flames from entering. Multi-paned glass or added shutters all qualify.

• Cleared vegetation, weeds and debris from under decks – Noncombustible materials like concrete, gravel, or bare soil are permitted.

• Removal of combustible sheds and other outbuildings to at least a distance of 30 feet – These include sheds, gazebos, accessory dwelling units (ADUs), open covered structures with a solid roof, dog houses and playhouses.

• Defensible space compliance – following state and local laws requiring defensible space including trimming trees and removal of brush and debris from yard. See CAL FIRE’s defensible space page and your local city or county for details.

• Being safer together – Safer from Wildfires recognizes two community-wide programs, Firewise USA and Fire Risk Reduction Communities as small as 8 dwelling units or as big as 2,500 can create an action plan and start being safer together. Firewise USA is a nationally recognized program with proven results, sponsored by the National Fire Prevention Association.

Click to access the Safer from Wildfire Brochure 

1. If you get a non-renewable notice, contact your insurer and ask if there are any specific actions you could take to mitigate your risk and retain your coverage.

2. If you think your non-renewable was unfair, you may file a complaint with California Department of Insurance.

3. Don’t let these actions delay starting your search for a new insurer. Make sure you have done everything you can do at your property to mitigate fire risk, then start shopping for coverage.

4. In addition to contacting local agents or brokers in the vicinity of your home, you may wish to use our Residential Insurance Company Contact List that provides toll free numbers for over 50 insurers that are licensed to sell homeowners insurance.  You can contact each of them to find the closest agent or broker or, in some cases, get a quote from them directly.

5. If you need help from an agent that speaks a specific language, you can use our Find an Agent or Broker tool to find one near you.

6. You can also utilize our Homeowner Premium, and Homeowner Coverage Comparison Tool to compare premiums and coverages.

7. If your agent cannot help you find coverage with an insurer other than the FAIR Plan, you or your agent should contact other agents and brokers who represent other insurers. Our Home Insurance Finder tool can help you find other agents in your region or beyond and tells you which insurers they represent.

8. Understand that the California FAIR Plan is available to every homeowner as a last option for coverage. The maximum limit written by the FAIR Plan on a residential property for all coverages combined is $3,000,000. Because the coverage provided by a FAIR Plan policy is limited to losses caused by Fire or Lightning, Internal Explosion and Smoke, it is recommended that you supplement the FAIR Plan policy with a Difference in Conditions policy to obtain protection from other perils not covered under the FAIR Plan policy.

9. If none of these options work for you, you may try obtaining coverage in the non-admitted/surplus lines market. Ask your retail agent or broker if they are able to obtain coverage with a surplus lines insurer. If you need help finding a licensed insurance agent or broker, you can use our Find an Agent or Broker tool to find one near you.

10. If you prefer to speak live with our staff, you are always welcome to call the Department of Insurance toll free at 1-800-927-4357.

In case a disaster does occur, it can help to have an inventory of your house documented.  Please use this tool to help you take a comprehensive inventory of your home. 

Home Inventory Tool 

If you are having trouble securing home insurance, the FAIR Plan provides basic fire insurance coverage for high-risk properties when traditional insurance companies will not.

Use this tool to help find a broker