This page is an ever evolving space for information about homeowners’ insurance issues.

Safer from Wildfires

Drawing on the direct experience of first responders, fire safety experts, and the latest research on wildfires, California Insurance Commissioner Ricardo Lara and emergency management leaders in Governor Gavin Newsom’s Administration issued a press release on Oct 17, 2022 announcing the nation’s first wildfire safety regulation to help drive down cost of insurance. This regulation directs insurance companies to provide discounts to consumers under the new “Safer from Wildfires” framework with transparency about risk rating, helping save lives while making homes and business more resilient.

Potential Changes in Homeowner Insurance Policies Coming Soon

The California Department of Insurance is evaluating ways to get insurance companies to give homeowners credit or a discount for wildfire mitigation. Joel Laucher of United Policyholders gave us an overview of those changes in January 2022 that they support through their Wildfire Risk Reduction and Asset Protection Program (WRAP). He also gives us a great primer on how insurance companies assess risk. Please listen to his presentation.

Which companies are supporting home-hardening measures and Firewise groups?

The California Department of Insurance has a page which lists Insurers currently offering discounts for fire hardened homes. Several companies offer both community-wide discounts (for example, a home in a Fire Wise or a Shelter-In-Place community) and home-specific discounts (for example, maintaining defensible space or home-safety measures against wind-blown embers). In some cases, these discounts can be combined. Because discounts and eligibility differ by company, we urge you to contact the insurance company directly to find out if your property qualifies.

If my insurance is cancelled, what can I do?

You have two great resources:

United Policyholders - nonprofit that provides info to consumers about insurance. They can guide you on buying insurance and navigating claims and help you fight for your rights.

California Department of Insurance - a consumer friendly department working to figure out how to keep insurance affordable. A trove of information and you can contact them with a complaint or problem.

Companies that have Programs for High Risk Areas

Rivington Partners was recently mentioned in an excellent story by KPIX on insurance and home hardening.