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Residents of California who own property or are looking to buy around high brush areas are realizing that it can be very difficult to obtain home wildfire insurance. In the wildfire zones throughout California, homeowners have become frustrated as insurance solutions are scarce. Unity One Insurance has been insuring properties in California’s high-risk areas since 1999. We have studied and found the best policies in the market to make sure you and your properties are protected.
How Much Does Wildfire Insurance Cost?
There is no concrete answer for how much wildfire insurance costs. The cost of a California fire insurance policy depends on a lot of factors. Some factors, but not all that heavily impact the cost of wildfire insurance are:
- Location of your home
- Size and features of your home
- Coverages
- Age of home
- Updates of the roof, piping, etc.
- Brush Exposure
- Claims History
- & Much More
Is Your Fire Insurance Being Cancelled Or Non-Renewed Due To Brush Exposure?
We hear from many homeowners daily that they are being canceled or non-renewed from their insurance company after many years of loyalty. Due to all the recent wildfires, insurance companies have lost billions of dollars so they’re trying to eliminate future risks. It is important to move quickly after being canceled or non-renewed by your insurance company. After you have been determined a non-insurable risk, the lender is notified. If you do not find a policy, the lender will force place insurance on you, meaning that they purchase it for you. Force-placed insurance is usually extremely expensive, has little to no coverage, and is usually not rated well.
What is considered “brush”?
Brush is bushes, shrubs, trees, thickets, and any other vegetation that is un-kept, alive or dead, near your property or home. The brush is a problem because it has the potential to burn, catch on fire, and start a wildfire. Any home that is relatively close to “brush” is very concerning to insurance companies. Well-kept trees, grass, flowers, and plants are all okay unless they overhang the roof.
If My Home Is Located In A California High Brush Zone, What Other Things Do They Consider Besides Brush?
There are some other factors insurance companies look at besides brush for high-risk properties:
- Distance to the nearest fire station
- Distance to a fire hydrant, within 1000 feet is desirable
- Surrounding terrain and landscape
- Roof type, some are easier to burn than others
- FireLine Score (scores a home on high wildfire risk by surrounding brush, the slope of your home, and the ability to reach your property during a fire)
- Public Protection Classification(1-10, 10 being the highest fire risk)
California FAIR Plan and Difference in Conditions, Yes We Offer This!
What is the California FAIR plan?
The California Fair Plan is a home wildfire insurance option when other insurance carriers aren’t available. It satisfies all lender requirements and the policies cover damages from a fire, wildfire, smoke, wind, explosion, vandalism, riot, hail, and vehicle or aircraft. Whether your property is a home, rental, vacation rental, secondary home, vacant, primary residence, or in construction in a high-risk fire area, the California Fair Plan has policies for all of it. So now you are covered for fire, but what about liability and water damage? This is where the DIC or Difference in Conditions comes in. A DIC fills in the holes that the California Fair Plan doesn’t cover. Some things that are covered in the DIC include theft and burglary, water damage (pipe bursting), liability, medical payments to others, the weight of ice, snow, and sleet damaging your home, falling objects, and pipe freezes. When you put the California Fair Plan and the Difference in Conditions policies together, you almost have a normal homeowners policy.
Unity One Insurance writes a lot of accounts for high brush hazard policies and has excellent relationships with customers, underwriters, and companies. Shopping around for home insurance can be time-consuming and a drag, call our agency today to speed up this process! Specializing in insuring homes in California’s high brush fire areas makes it easy for us to scour the market and find the best solution for you. Experienced agents and brokers are here to help you.
What Coverages Are In A Typical Homeowners Policy?
All these coverages are so important as wildfire claims have come in at an all-time high. A fire leaves nothing behind, unlike a common pipe break. When buying insurance, it is important to have the right amount of coverage because you could lose everything.
- Dwelling: used to rebuild your home if there is complete damage
- Other Structures: used to rebuild any detached structures on your property such as a detached garage, shed, etc.
- Personal Property: all your personal belongings – clothes, furniture, electronics, etc.
- Liability: bodily injury for which you are responsible for at your home or away from home other than by car.
- Loss of Use: If there is a loss and you need to live away from your home, this helps cover the temporary living expenses while the home is being rebuilt or repaired.
Sometimes people only shop for price and most don’t understand the consequences. Price is important, but you want to make sure you have the right amount of coverage.
