What You Need to Know about Fire Mitigation Discounts
Did you know that making your California home more resistant to wildfires could help lower your home insurance premium?
California’s Safer from Wildfires regulation requires insurance companies to recognize qualifying wildfire-mitigation measures in their rate plans. These measures can include creating defensible space, installing a fire-resistant roof, enclosing eaves, upgrading windows and vents, and participating in a recognized community-wide wildfire-safety program.
California adopted the regulation in 2022 under Insurance Commissioner Ricardo Lara. It was the first regulation in the country requiring insurance companies to provide discounts for wildfire-safety and mitigation efforts. According to Commissioner Lara, available discounts vary by insurance company and may range from 4% to 40% of the total premium.
However, discounts are not automatic or uniform. The amount available depends on your insurance company, policy, property, location, and the mitigation measures you have completed.
California strengthened this initiative on January 1, 2026, when Assembly Bill 1, known as the Insurance and Wildfire Safety Act, took effect. The law requires the California Department of Insurance to regularly review the Safer from Wildfires regulations so they continue to reflect the latest wildfire science, safety standards, and mitigation practices. California Department of Insurance
Here are several ways your home or community may qualify for wildfire insurance discounts.
Your home is located in a recognized Firewise USA community
Wildfire safety is most effective when neighbors work together. California’s regulations therefore require insurers to recognize participation in community-wide mitigation programs, including Firewise USA and Fire Risk Reduction Communities.
To become a recognized Firewise USA site, a community must:
Form a resident committee and work with a local wildfire expert. Qualifying communities have a minimum of 8 homes and a maximum of 2,500 homes.
Complete a community wildfire-risk assessment and update it at least every five years.
Develop a three-year action plan outlining steps to reduce wildfire risk.
Complete annual wildfire-risk-reduction work equal to at least one volunteer hour per dwelling unit.
Submit an application and renew its recognition annually.
For example, a participating community containing 50 homes must document at least 50 volunteer hours or the equivalent monetary investment in qualifying wildfire-risk-reduction work each year.
Once these requirements are met, the community can apply for recognition through the official Firewise USA portal. Homeowners should then contact their insurance company or agent, provide documentation of the community’s current recognition, and ask whether a Firewise USA discount is available.
Your property complies with defensible space requirements
Defensible space is the maintained area surrounding a home that helps slow the spread of wildfire. It can also give firefighters more room to protect the property.
California homeowners may qualify for an insurance discount by complying with applicable state and local defensible space requirements. Depending on the property’s location, this may include:
Removing dead plants, weeds, leaves, and other debris.
Trimming branches that hang over the roof.
Removing dead branches from trees and shrubs.
Keeping vegetation properly spaced.
Moving firewood and other combustible materials away from the home.
Regularly clearing leaves and debris from roofs, gutters, decks, porches, and yards.
Defensible space requirements can vary by location. Homeowners should consult CAL FIRE’s defensible space guidance and check with their city, county, or local fire department to determine which requirements apply to their property.
Keep photographs, inspection reports, receipts, and other records showing the work that has been completed. Your insurance company may request this documentation before applying for a discount.
Your home has a Class A fire-rated roof
The roof is one of the most vulnerable parts of a home during a wildfire because wind can carry burning embers over long distances.
A Class A fire-rated roof provides the highest level of protection against severe fire exposure and is one of the improvements recognized under California’s Safer from Wildfires program.
Many commonly used roofing materials can qualify as long as they meet applicable Class A standard, including:
Asphalt composition shingles.
Concrete or clay tiles.
Slate.
Metal shingles or panels.
Certain brick and masonry roofing materials.
Traditional untreated wood shake roofs generally do not meet Class A standards.
If you are unsure whether your roof qualifies, review your installation records, ask a licensed roofing contractor, or search for the roofing product through the California Office of the State Fire Marshal’s list of approved materials.
When replacing an older roof, ask the contractor to document the roof’s fire classification and provide copies of the product specifications, permits, invoices, and final inspection.
You create an ember-resistant zone around your home
California’s Safer from Wildfires standards recognize an ember-resistant area extending five feet from the home. This area is sometimes called Zone Zero.
The goal is to prevent embers from igniting plants, mulch, fencing, furniture, or other combustible materials located directly beside the structure.
Steps may include:
Removing combustible mulch and replacing it with gravel, stone, pavers, concrete, or another noncombustible material.
Removing dead vegetation, leaves, and debris.
Relocating firewood, outdoor furniture, trash containers, and other combustible objects.
Replacing combustible fencing attached to the home with a noncombustible alternative, such as metal.
Keeping tree branches and shrubs from touching the building.
Avoiding vegetation directly beneath windows, vents, eaves, and decks.
Even a small combustible item can allow fire to spread to the home. Homeowners should therefore inspect this area regularly, particularly before and during wildfire season.
You upgrade vulnerable parts of your home
Wildfire damage is not only caused by direct flames. Wind-blown embers can enter through vents, collect under eaves, break windows, and ignite combustible exterior materials.
Several home-hardening improvements may qualify for insurance discounts under the Safer from Wildfires framework.
Install qualifying ember-resistant vents
Exterior vents can allow burning embers to enter attics, crawl spaces, and other concealed areas. Installing ember-resistant vents or covering openings with noncombustible, corrosion-resistant metal mesh can reduce this risk.
The California Department of Insurance recommends qualifying metal mesh openings between 1/16 and 1/8 inch. Homeowners should confirm that any new vent system also complies with applicable building and ventilation requirements.
Enclose open eaves
Open eaves can trap heat and provide places for embers to collect. Enclosing eaves with soffits made from noncombustible or ignition-resistant materials can make the home more resistant to wildfire.
Upgrade windows
The heat produced by a wildfire can break windows and allow flames or embers to enter the home. Multi-pane windows and qualifying exterior shutters provide greater protection and are recognized under the Safer from Wildfires framework.
Protect the bottom of exterior walls
Having at least six vertical inches of noncombustible material at the bottom of exterior walls can prevent accumulated embers from igniting combustible siding.
Qualifying materials may include brick, stone, concrete, stucco, or fiber-cement siding. The protection should extend upward from the ground and from attached horizontal surfaces, such as decks.
Because these projects can involve ventilation, moisture control, and building-code requirements, consider consulting a qualified contractor before altering your home.
You clear the areas beneath decks and move combustible structures away from your home
The area beneath a deck can collect dry leaves, weeds, firewood, and other materials that ignite easily. Clearing this space and replacing combustible ground coverings with gravel, concrete, or bare soil may help your property qualify for a discount.
Homeowners should also evaluate structures located near the house. Under the Safer from Wildfires standards, combustible sheds and other outbuildings should generally be located at least 30 feet away from the insured structure.
These structures may include:
Storage sheds.
Gazebos.
Doghouses.
Playhouses.
Covered structures with solid roofs.
Certain accessory dwelling units.
Other small outbuildings that could carry fire toward the home.
If a structure cannot be relocated, ask your insurer whether replacing combustible materials, creating separation, or completing other mitigation work could satisfy its requirements.
Before removing or relocating an accessory dwelling unit or another permitted structure, check local zoning and building requirements.
You ask your insurance company to update your wildfire-risk score
Completing wildfire-safety improvements does not necessarily mean the discount will appear automatically.
After completing a qualifying project, contact your insurance company or insurance agent and ask for:
A current explanation of your property’s wildfire-risk score.
A list of the mitigation discounts offered by the company.
The documentation required to verify each improvement.
The estimated premium reduction associated with the completed work.
A reassessment of the property based on its current condition.
Documentation may include photographs, contractor invoices, inspection reports, permits, product specifications, Firewise USA recognition records, or certificates from a local fire-safety program.
Under California’s wildfire insurance regulations, insurers must provide policyholders with information about their property’s wildfire-risk score. Homeowners may also appeal a score they believe is inaccurate, including when recently completed mitigation work has not been considered.
If the insurer denies the appeal, homeowners can request assistance from the California Department of Insurance by calling 800-927-4357 or visiting insurance.ca.gov.
How much could you save?
Every action recognized under the Safer from Wildfires framework may qualify a homeowner for an insurance discount. However, the amount of the discount varies by insurance company, property, location, policy, and combination of completed improvements.
Some insurers may provide separate discounts for individual projects, while others may provide greater savings when several mitigation measures are completed together. Ask your agent to compare the available discounts and determine which improvements could have the greatest effect on your premium.
Homeowners covered through the California FAIR Plan may also be eligible for wildfire-mitigation discounts on the wildfire portion of their premium.
Before beginning a wildfire-mitigation project
Before paying for a major improvement, contact your insurance company or agent to confirm:
Whether the project qualifies for a discount.
Which materials or construction standards must be used.
What documentation you will need.
Whether an inspection is required.
When the discount will appear on your policy.
Wildfire mitigation cannot eliminate every risk, and it does not guarantee that an insurer will issue or renew a policy. However, these improvements can make a home more resilient, help protect the surrounding community, and potentially reduce the cost of insurance.
If you have completed wildfire-safety improvements or are considering upgrading your California home, speak with a licensed insurance agent about the discounts that may be available through your current insurance company.
