Local markets, one independent broker.
Notes on home, rental, auto and business insurance in the California cities I’m called about most and in major cities across the country, from Houston and Phoenix to Chicago and Boston. Each page covers that city’s homes, hazards and rules. I serve every one of them from my Beverly Hills office, by phone and online.
Same state, very different risks
Insurance in California changes from one ZIP code to the next. A canyon home above Laguna Beach, a Victorian in San Francisco and a condo in Irvine are underwritten on different questions: brush and wildfire exposure, earthquake and soil, flood and coastal erosion, the age of the building, and how the property is used.
Each page below covers the homes typical of that area, the local risks carriers look at, the problems owners there run into, and the coverage that usually applies. I write clients anywhere in California (License #4348151), and requests from other states are handled with partner agencies; my one office is at 439 N Canon Dr in Beverly Hills. If your city isn’t listed, send a request anyway.
Los Angeles and the Westside
Hillside estates, beach cities and dense neighborhoods, from Malibu to West Hollywood.
Beverly Hills
The office city: estates in the flats and hills, condos and apartments south of Wilshire, and Business Triangle tenants.
See the page Los Angeles and the WestsideLos Angeles
Craftsman bungalows, hillside homes, ADUs and apartment buildings across a city of very different neighborhoods.
See the page Los Angeles and the WestsideSanta Monica
Bungalows, condos and older apartment buildings by the beach, with strict home-sharing rules and seismic retrofit questions.
See the page Los Angeles and the WestsideMalibu
Beachfront, bluff and canyon homes facing wildfire, coastal erosion, landslides and repeated rebuilds.
See the page Los Angeles and the WestsidePacific Palisades
Rebuilding after the 2025 fire: builder’s risk, vacant lots, surviving homes and insuring new construction.
See the page Los Angeles and the WestsideBrentwood
Estates in Brentwood Park, canyon homes in fire zones, and condos south of Sunset.
See the page Los Angeles and the WestsideBel Air
Large hillside estates in fire zones, often above standard limits and held in trusts or LLCs.
See the page Los Angeles and the WestsideWest Hollywood
A dense city of condos, renters and small landlords, plus Sunset Strip restaurants, bars and studios.
See the pageSan Gabriel Valley
Historic homes and foothill neighborhoods below the San Gabriel Mountains.
Pasadena
Craftsman and historic homes near the foothills, after the 2025 Eaton Fire.
See the page San Gabriel ValleySan Marino
Historic estates and traditional homes with mature trees, older systems and valuable collections.
See the page San Gabriel ValleyLa Cañada Flintridge
Foothill homes under the San Gabriel Mountains, with wildfire and post-fire debris flow exposure.
See the pageOrange County
Harbor and canyon homes on the coast and master-planned communities inland.
Newport Beach
Bay and island homes with flood exposure, boats and docks, and gated hillside communities.
See the page Orange CountyLaguna Beach
Canyon and hillside homes with wildfire and landslide history, plus beach cottages and galleries.
See the page Orange CountyIrvine
Master-planned villages of HOA homes and condos, rentals near campus and growing tech businesses.
See the pageBay Area
Earthquake country, from San Francisco’s row houses to Peninsula estates.
San Francisco
Victorians, row houses, condos and TICs, soft-story buildings and mixed-use properties on earthquake country.
See the page Bay AreaPalo Alto
Eichlers and historic homes near Stanford, with earthquake, creek flooding and foothill fire questions.
See the page Bay AreaAtherton
Estates on large wooded lots, long renovations, household staff and significant collections.
See the pageOne coverage, one place
Where a harbor agreement, a city ordinance or the local building stock changes how a policy has to be written, that market gets its own page.
Boat insurance in Marina del Rey
Anchorage certificates, year-round moorage and salt-water hulls.
See the page Newport BeachBoat insurance in Newport Beach
Slips, moorings, private residential docks and racing exclusions.
See the page San DiegoBoat insurance in San Diego
Bay marinas, Mission Bay, Mexico navigation limits and liveaboards.
See the page Los AngelesHOA insurance in Los Angeles
Soft-story retrofits, earthquake decisions and rebuild cost in an expensive market.
See the page San DiegoHOA insurance in San Diego
Canyon wildfire exposure, balcony inspections and the coastal building envelope.
See the page Palm SpringsShort-term rental insurance in Palm Springs
Pools, desert heat, city registration and the vacancy nobody plans for.
See the page Los AngelesEarthquake insurance in Los Angeles
Blind thrust faults, retrofit discounts, soft-story orders and percentage deductibles.
See the page Los AngelesApartment building insurance in Los Angeles
Soft-story retrofits, RSO rent rolls, city inspections and older building systems.
See the page Los AngelesBuilder’s risk insurance in Los Angeles
Fire rebuilds in the Palisades and Altadena, wildfire-code construction, hillside sites and job-site theft.
See the page OaklandEarthquake insurance in Oakland
The Hayward Fault, bay-fill liquefaction zones, hillside foundations and the city's soft-story ordinance.
See the page San JoseFlood insurance in San Jose
Coyote Creek after 2017, the Anderson Dam retrofit, FEMA zones, the city’s NFIP discount, and cover for renters and landlords.
See the page AltadenaHome insurance in Altadena
Eaton Fire claim deadlines, smoke damage, renewals after a total loss and getting insured again.
See the page San FranciscoEarthquake insurance in San Francisco
Fill in the Marina and SoMa, the soft-story list, concrete screening, and condo and TIC master policies.
See the page Los AngelesShort-term rental insurance in Los Angeles
Home-sharing registration, the 120-day cap, ADUs and what platform protection leaves out.
See the pageThe Southwest and Mountain West
Phoenix
Phoenix homes, cars and businesses: monsoon wind and hail, pool liability, STR permits and workers' comp for the trades.
See the page Las Vegas, NVLas Vegas
Las Vegas homes, condos, rentals and hospitality businesses, with Nevada's strict auto lapse rules and STR limits in mind.
See the page Denver, CODenver
Denver homes, cars, rentals and businesses: hail-season roofs, basement water, wildfire non-renewals and Denver's rental licenses.
See the page Salt Lake City, UTSalt Lake City
Salt Lake City homes and businesses: earthquake coverage for brick houses, Utah no-fault auto, dramshop insurance and STR licensing.
See the pageThe South
Nashville
Nashville homes, infill builds, permitted short-term rentals, contractors and Broadway bars, shopped across carriers.
See the page Charlotte, NCCharlotte
Charlotte homes, townhomes, autos at North Carolina's new minimums, and office, builder and freight businesses, shopped across carriers.
See the page New Orleans, LANew Orleans
New Orleans homes, doubles, restaurants and bars, with wind, flood and hurricane deductibles shopped as separate pieces.
See the page Louisville, KYLouisville
Louisville homes, shotgun rentals, choice no-fault auto, and trucking, manufacturing and hospitality businesses, shopped across carriers.
See the page Oklahoma City, OKOklahoma City
Roofs after hail, wind deductibles, earthquake endorsements and OKC home-share licenses, shopped across carriers.
See the pageThe Pacific Northwest, Alaska and Hawaii
Get a reminder before your renewal.
Tell me when your policy renews and I’ll email you about six weeks before, when it’s worth comparing. One email, no calls.