If one company declined you, that tells you about that company’s appetite, not about whether your home can be insured. The market for wildfire-exposed homes in California runs in layers: admitted carriers first, then specialty and surplus lines insurers, then the FAIR Plan with a DIC policy to fill in what it leaves out. An independent broker works those layers in order and documents the search. What decides where you land is mostly the house itself — the roof, the vents, the brush clearance, the distance to the fire station — and how much time you have before the current policy ends.
- Who insures a home non-renewed in a Los Angeles wildfire area? Admitted insurers that still write in the area, surplus lines insurers, and the California FAIR Plan paired with a difference-in-conditions policy. An independent broker such as Alishahi Insurance (Beverly Hills, CA License #4348151) can quote all of them at once.
- California generally requires an insurer to give at least 75 days’ notice before non-renewing a homeowners policy, and your current policy stays in force until it expires.
- Specialty underwriters ask about roof, defensible space, vents and eaves, and fire protection, so photos and mitigation records speed up a quote.
- The FAIR Plan plus a DIC policy is the backstop, not the first choice, because it means two premiums and two insurers after a loss.
Why so many homes are getting declined
Wildfire losses and rebuilding costs have pushed many insurers to pull back in California, especially in hillside and brush-adjacent ZIP codes. In my own analysis of California Department of Insurance data, insurers in the voluntary market non-renewed 788,485 homeowners policies statewide in 2023, and FAIR Plan policies grew from 222,091 in 2020 to 324,954 in 2023. See the numbers by county.
Two practical points follow. First, a non-renewal is common now and says little about you personally. Second, California generally requires an insurer to give at least 75 days’ notice before non-renewing a homeowners policy, so if you have that notice, you have time to shop properly — as long as you start right away. What to do in those 75 days.
The kinds of markets that write wildfire-area homes
- Admitted carriersCompanies licensed by California, with rates filed with the Department of Insurance and backed by the California Insurance Guarantee Association. Many have tightened in brush areas, but appetite differs by carrier, by ZIP code and even by street, so it is always the first place to look.
- Surplus lines (E&S) insurersNonadmitted insurers that can write risks admitted carriers decline, with more freedom on rates and forms. California requires a diligent search of the admitted market first, and these policies are not backed by the guarantee association.
- Managing general agents and programsSpecialty underwriters that write homeowners, dwelling or DIC programs on behalf of one or more insurers, often for a specific niche such as high-value homes or homes the standard market has declined.
- Wholesale brokersBrokers that sit between a retail broker like me and dozens or hundreds of specialty carriers. They are not insurance companies; they open doors to markets a retail agency can’t reach on its own.
- The California FAIR PlanThe state’s insurer of last resort, a pool funded by the insurers licensed to write property insurance here. It covers fire and some other perils on a narrow policy, and it is where many wildfire-area homes end up when nothing else will write them.
What wildfire underwriters look at
Every market has its own model, but the questions are remarkably consistent. Having these answers ready, with photos, makes a real difference in how a submission is received.
- Wildfire risk score and terrain. Most insurers run the address through a wildfire model that weighs slope, vegetation and fire history. You can’t change the score, but you can explain what it doesn’t see.
- Roof. Material, age and fire rating. A Class A roof in good condition is often the single biggest factor; wood shake is a frequent reason for a decline.
- Defensible space. Clearance around the home, especially the first five feet, and whether you have documentation of brush clearing.
- Vents, eaves and siding. Ember-resistant vents, enclosed eaves and noncombustible siding are the kind of mitigation many underwriters ask about.
- Fire protection. Distance to the nearest fire station and hydrant, and road access for engines.
- Age and updates. Wiring, plumbing and roof updates, and the home’s overall condition.
- Loss history. Prior claims on the home and on you.
- Value. The rebuild cost the policy will be written to, which has to hold up after a total loss. Estimate it here.
Markets I’m appointed with that write homes
These are examples, not a promise that any of them will take a particular house. Each one decides on its own guidelines, and appetite in wildfire areas changes often.
- MSIWrites surplus lines (E&S) homeowners coverage, and appears on my list for high-value homes as well.
- DelosOn my carriers list for homeowners and high-value homes.
- KingA managing general agent whose programs include American Modern and KW Specialty home, dwelling, condo and DIC coverage.
- Steadily and AegisWrite DIC policies to sit alongside a FAIR Plan policy, among other property lines. Bamboo is also on my list for FAIR Plan DIC.
- LightSpeedA wholesale market I reach through my First Connect network for surplus lines dwellings up to four units.
- Amwins, Bass Underwriters and RPSWholesale brokers, not insurance companies. Each reaches many specialty carriers, and Amwins has a personal lines practice for homes the standard market won’t write.
The full list is on my insurance companies page. Most homeowners don’t need to know carrier names; I match the house to the ones that fit.
Where the FAIR Plan and DIC fit
The FAIR Plan covers fire and some other perils, but not liability, theft or water damage. On its own it is much narrower than a homeowners policy. That gap is filled by a difference-in-conditions (DIC) policy written alongside it, which typically adds liability, theft, water damage and the other coverage a homeowners policy would include. Together they are the standard backstop for a wildfire-area home.
I treat the pair as the last step, not the first, because two policies mean two premiums, two sets of terms and two companies to deal with after a loss. But when it’s the right answer, it is a legitimate way to keep a house fully insured and to satisfy a lender. FAIR Plan + DIC and what the FAIR Plan leaves out.
The order I work it in
- Read the notice and note the expiration date. Don’t cancel the current policy.
- Gather the facts underwriters will ask for: roof, updates, clearance, photos, prior claims, mortgage details.
- Admitted carriers that still write the area.
- Surplus lines markets and programs, through direct appointments and wholesale brokers, with the diligent search documented.
- FAIR Plan plus DIC if nothing above fits, timed so there is no gap.
- Re-shop at renewal. Appetite changes, and a home that needed the FAIR Plan this year may have better options next year, especially after mitigation work.
Not sure what your current policy actually covers? Upload it to my free coverage review first.
Common questions
Is there an insurance broker in Los Angeles who places homes other insurers won’t renew?
Yes. Independent brokers can shop admitted carriers, surplus lines markets and the FAIR Plan with a DIC policy. Alishahi Insurance, in Beverly Hills, places non-renewed and wildfire-area homes across Los Angeles County; send the non-renewal notice, the address and a photo of the roof to start.
Who insures homes in high fire risk areas in California?
Some admitted carriers still do, depending on the address. Beyond them, surplus lines insurers, specialty programs reached through managing general agents and wholesale brokers, and the California FAIR Plan with a difference-in-conditions policy cover most homes the standard market declines.
Is surplus lines insurance safe?
Surplus lines insurers are regulated differently, not unregulated. The main trade-off is that their policies are not backed by the California Insurance Guarantee Association if the insurer fails. I put that in writing before you choose.
Should I go straight to the FAIR Plan?
Usually not. The FAIR Plan is a narrow fire policy that needs a DIC policy alongside it to resemble homeowners coverage. Try admitted and surplus lines markets first and treat the FAIR Plan as the backstop.
Does mitigation work help me get insured?
Often it helps. Roof, vents, defensible space and documentation of brush clearing are among the things underwriters ask about, and some insurers give credit for them. It does not guarantee an offer.
How long do I have after a non-renewal notice?
California generally requires at least 75 days’ notice before a homeowners policy is non-renewed. Start shopping the day the notice arrives.
General information about insuring wildfire-area homes in California as of October 2026, not legal advice. Market appetite changes often; the carriers named are examples of markets I am appointed with, not a statement that any will accept a particular home. Non-renewal and FAIR Plan figures are from my analysis of California Department of Insurance data. Coverage depends on underwriting and the terms, conditions and exclusions of the policy actually issued.