Home Fire Insurance in California: What You Need to Know to Stay Covered
What if you could give your biggest investment more protection when it needed it the most?
You likely already have homeowners insurance to protect your house from all manner of perils, including everything from thefts to storm damage. In California, though, there’s another threat you have to account for: wildfire damage.
Wildfire risks are rampant in the state, which makes having the right coverage very important. Unfortunately, most residents don’t know enough about home fire insurance in California to protect themselves before it’s too late.
That doesn’t have to happen to you, though. Keep reading to discover everything you need to know about home insurance and fire damage!
Igniting the Basics of Home Fire Insurance in California
For many California homeowners, home fire insurance is a must-have. However, it’s easy to ignore this coverage when you have questions about how it works.
Some, for example, are anxious about whether such coverage is mandatory, and others just want to know what (and what isn’t) covered. Fortunately, this guide will help you learn everything you need to know, allowing you to tweak your standard homeowners insurance or get a new policy altogether before the next wildfire season.
The Flames of Necessity: Is Fire Insurance Mandatory?
The State of California does not require property owners to purchase home fire coverage, and it’s not required by the federal government, either. Therefore, you don’t have to worry about state or federal laws forcing you to buy any special coverage for your house.
However, unless your home is fully paid off, your mortgage lender may require you to purchase this coverage in order to protect their investment. Even if you don’t have to get this protection, though, it is highly recommended. Not only has the amount and severity of wildfires been dramatically increasing in recent years, but the wildfire season can now last for up to eight months out of the year.
Considering that your house may be at risk of wildfire damage for most of the year, it only makes sense to have the protection you need all year round.
Insurance Coverage: Understanding What’s Protected Against Wildfires
Some California homeowners policies cover wildfires, assuming that you don’t live in a high-risk area for these fires. If you do live in such an area, your carrier may place special limitations on the coverage or even exclude it altogether. If that’s the case, you should consider shopping around for policies from other carriers that might offer the protection you need.
Assuming that you are covered, your home insurance policy’s dwelling coverage will do the heavy lifting when it comes to repairing or rebuilding your house, though it is vitally important for you to have enough insurance to cover the costs. The rest of your policy can help cover things like sheds or detached houses (other structures coverage), damaged items (personal property coverage), and even the cost of checking into a hotel while your house is being repaired or rebuilt (loss-of-use coverage).
Navigating the Ashes of High-Risk Regions
When it comes to wildfires, not all California property owners are at the same level of risk. You might live in a safe area where fire damage is nearly unthinkable. Conversely, you might live somewhere so high-risk that it is difficult to find anyone who will cover potential damage.
Obviously, it’s important to know what is and isn’t covered with your carrier long before damage strikes. However, it’s equally important to understand which areas of the state are at the greatest risk and what challenges you might face getting the coverage you need.
Smoking Out the Risk: California’s Wildfire Zones
Starting in 1992, California began to map out wildfire zones, which are areas at the greatest risk of being damaged by fires. Not all areas are equally risky, and these zones are divided into three parts: moderate, high, and very high risk. Even if you only live in a moderate-risk area, it can be difficult to find a carrier willing to insure a home that is statistically at a higher risk level, though high-risk home insurance options may be available.
Coverage Challenges for Homes Amidst the Embers
As previously mentioned, it can be difficult to find coverage if you live in a wildfire zone. It doesn’t help that the majority of major carriers in California have either paused or completely halted selling standard homeowners insurance thanks to the frequent fires. Don’t lose hope: You might still be able to get the coverage you need, either through different carriers or through the California FAIR Plan.
Strategies to Ensure Adequate Protection
The sad truth is that even those who live outside of wildfire zones may still be at risk. And that means that every homeowner in the state needs to have adequate protection before their biggest investment goes up in flames.
Fortunately, protecting your home against this threat is often as simple as knowing how to shop for the right policy. When you know what to look for, it is that much easier to get the fire insurance policy best suited to your needs.
Shopping for Safety: Finding the Right Fire Insurance Policy
You can get free homeowners insurance quotes with just the click of a button. That usually provides a starting point for discovering whether you can get the policy you want, ideally at a lower price than you are currently paying.
If you are having trouble getting a policy, you may apply for a California FAIR Plan policy, which offers coverage to select homeowners after their attempts to get private insurance have failed. You may also seek out surplus or excess lines carriers who sometimes offer policies that insurance companies in the state marketplace do not offer, including fire coverage for riskier homes.
Making a Claim When Disaster Strikes
No matter how robust your policy is, there is always a chance your home will be damaged by wildfire. When that happens, you need to know how the claim process works so that you can go ahead and start rebuilding your life.
Filing a claim is a multi-step process, and it may seem especially confusing when you and your family are still reeling from the damage. By learning more about the process now, you can ensure you are ready when the time comes.
From Smoke to Settlement: The Claims Process Explained
Before filing a claim, the first step is to take extensive photographs and video of the damage (both inside and outside the home) because such documentation helps you prove just how badly the fire affected your home. Next, make only small repairs as needed and hang onto the receipts, as you may be able to get reimbursement.
Your carrier will send an adjuster to inspect your property. This person will ultimately determine how much (or even if) your policy will pay out. By showing them the photographs and videos you took previously, you can make the best possible case for getting the payout you deserve.
Safeguarding Your Home Against Fiery Foes
While knowing how to file a claim is important, your best protection against wildfire damage is to be proactive. Understanding how to prepare for this year’s California wildfire season is crucial. There are specific measures you can take now to help protect your home in the future.
Mitigating Wildfire Risks: Proactive Measures to Protect Your Property
The first step in fire protection is removing things that can feed the flames. That means removing as much vegetation as possible in a 30-foot radius around your home and removing tree limbs that are not at least 15 feet off the ground (you need to do the same for anything within 15 feet of your stove pipes and chimney).
Next, remove combustibles, which means keeping gas and propane tanks at least 15 feet away from your house and firewood at least 100 feet away. Take the time now to clear your gutters and treat your windows. Use mesh wire to cover openings in your house where flames may enter and consider replacing your roof and siding with fireproof material.
When Prevention Isn’t Enough: Understanding Loss-of-Use Coverage
Should your home become uninhabitable due to the damage, the loss-of-use coverage on your policy will pay for you and your family to stay in a hotel while it is being repaired or rebuilt (the latter is necessary if your house is a total loss). This coverage also pays for meals and other expenses incurred by being forced out of the house.
Plan for Any Emergency!
Now you know all about home fire insurance in California. This includes what’s covered, what’s not, how to file a claim, and how to safeguard your home. Just one thing left: Do you know where to find the best policy for your needs?
Here at Cost-U-Less, we specialize in offering the best protection to state residents at the most competitive rates. Ready to get the policy you need to protect your home? Call us at (800) 390-4071 or get a fast homeowners’ insurance quote online. You can also find a Cost-U-Less office near you.
