What home insurance really looks like here.
Wildfire risk has reshaped home insurance across Northern California. Here is the honest, county-by-county picture, built on state data, so you know what to expect before you buy. No quotes, no sales pitch, just the facts.
What is the California FAIR Plan?
It is California's state-backed insurance, for homes that regular companies will not cover. The more homes in a county that rely on it, the harder and more expensive normal coverage is to find. You will see it referenced throughout this page.
Where the market stands today
Statewide signals that shape what you will pay and whether a normal carrier will write your home.
Fire risk and coverage near you
How easy normal insurance is to get, how many homes lean on the California FAIR Plan, and whether the state currently stops insurers from dropping existing customers.
| County | Fire risk | Normal insurance | On the FAIR Plan | Drop protection |
|---|
The market is starting to turn
California just passed its biggest insurance overhaul in 30 years. In plain terms, here is what it means if you are buying.
Since January 2025, companies that price with wildfire models must write at least 85% of their statewide market share in high fire-risk areas and move homeowners off the state-backed plan. Coverage is required to grow, not shrink.
FAIR Plan policies grew 39% in the year ending September 2025. In the six months since, growth slowed to 6% and new applications ran 26% below the prior year's pace, per the FAIR Plan's own March 2026 reporting.
Mercury and CSAA won the first rate approvals under the new strategy, and Travelers announced a California homeowners expansion in April 2026. State Farm and Allstate are still not writing most new policies, so shopping through an independent agent matters.
Three ways to get a home covered here
Line up insurance during your contingency window, not after you own the home. Here are the three real paths, in plain terms.
In a lower-risk area, a standard company may still write the home directly. Easiest and usually cheapest when it is available.
One agent who shops many carriers at once. The move for most Northern California homes, especially higher fire-risk ones. They can also arrange the California FAIR Plan plus a wraparound if it comes to that.
The state-backed backstop for homes regular companies will not cover. It handles fire; you add a separate policy for liability and water damage. Plan for a few weeks.
- Will a standard carrier write this exact address, or do we need the FAIR Plan?
- What is the all-in yearly cost, the FAIR Plan plus the wraparound if it applies?
- How fast can I have proof of coverage for closing?
- What home-hardening steps would lower my premium on this home?
Independent agents by county
Independent agencies serving each county that shop many carriers at once. A research starting point, not an endorsement. Check current details and reviews yourself before you choose.
Get a quote or file a complaint
Found a home you love? Do not let insurance be a mystery.
Insurance should not scare you off a great home, and it should not surprise you at closing either. We help you understand the coverage and the cost before you write an offer, the same straight answers you see on this page.
Where this data comes from
Overview: This page aggregates publicly available California Department of Insurance (CDI) data, California FAIR Plan Key Statistics & Data (through March 2026), and Sustainable Insurance Strategy commitment tracking to show per-county market stress and carrier availability.
Where the market is headed: The 85% writing requirement, the approved wildfire models, and the fiscal 2026 slowdown in FAIR Plan new business come from California Department of Insurance Sustainable Insurance Strategy announcements and FAIR Plan Key Statistics & Data, 2025-2026.
Rate regulation: Under California's Proposition 103, insurers must get state approval before a rate change takes effect; personal-lines increases of 7% or more can trigger a public hearing if a consumer intervenor objects.
FAIR Plan enrollment trend: California FAIR Plan Key Statistics & Data and county policy reports, 2021-2026. Growth from about 242K policies in September 2021 to 684,388 in March 2026 reflects carrier retreat following Dixie (2021), Caldor (2021), Kincade (2019), and other major fires.
Premium discounts: California's Safer from Wildfires regulation (CDI) requires insurers to discount homes hardened against wildfire. The maximum combined discount varies by insurer and property, from a few percent to over 50%.
County fire risk and availability: Classified by fire exposure (Dixie, Caldor, Cache, Kincade proximity), CDI non-renewal moratorium declarations, and regional carrier patterns as of May 2026. County FAIR Plan policy counts come from the FAIR Plan county report through September 2025. Page reviewed July 6, 2026.
Limits of this data: Market share reflects written premium, not claim rates or satisfaction. Complaint rates do not indicate claim-denial rates; read your policy terms. Drop protections (non-renewal moratoriums) protect existing policyholders but do not guarantee a new applicant is approved. FAIR Plan percentages are market-relative, not population-relative.
- CDI Market Share Report · annual insurer rankings by written premium
- California FAIR Plan · enrollment trends and quote portal
- FAIR Plan Key Statistics & Data · policy counts, exposure, and new-business trend through March 2026
- CDI Complaint Database · public complaint filing and statistics
- Sustainable Insurance Strategy · carrier commitments, model approvals, FAIR Plan trend
- Safer from Wildfires · required insurance discounts for home hardening