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Tuesday, November 29, 2022

The California Department of Insurance announced in October 2022 that it will start requiring insurance providers to offer discounts to clients who take steps to reduce their property's wildfire risk. These steps include installing roofs that are fire-resistant and clearing brush to create defensible space around a property's perimeter. The insurance discount decision was made to combat the ever-increasing insurance rates that home and business owners have to pay if they want to keep their insurance. Rates have become exorbitant in recent years as devastating wildfires have grown more prevalent in California. Keep reading to learn more about this new insurance regulation and what you can do to benefit from it.

The new regulation introduced by the California Department of Insurance brings good news to property owners, especially those who are proactive in protecting their property from wildfires. Under the regulation, all insurance providers are now required to offer discounted rates to home and business owners who take steps to lower their own wildfire risk. Currently, less than 50% of insurance companies operating in California offer safety discounts to their customers.

The California Department of Insurance implemented this new regulation to combat soaring property insurance rates and make them more affordable. Rates have increased significantly in recent years as wildfires have grown in both prevalence and destructiveness. While the continual rate hikes have placed increasing financial pressure on property owners, this new regulation provides economic relief to those who take steps to reduce their own wildfire risk. In turn, it also incentivizes home and business owners to invest in wildfire mitigation measures that help protect their property and prevent wildfires from spreading.

The new regulation requires that insurance companies offer discounted rates to property owners who take steps that have been outlined in the state's Safer from Wildfire plan. Those steps include the following:

Protecting the property structure: Protecting a property structure means installing a fire-resistant roof, forming an ember-resistant zone 5 feet around a home, upgrading windows, enclosing eaves, and more.
Protecting the immediate surroundings: Protecting a building's immediate surroundings entails clearing vegetation and debris from under decks, removing combustible sheds, and creating defensible space through the clearing of brush and debris.
Working together as a community: Working together as a community means that communities should work with local fire professionals to collectively assess and mitigate wildfire threats, among other items.

While the third step falls more on municipalities than individuals, steps one and two can be taken by home and business owners in California who want to reduce their wildfire risk and lower their insurance costs. One of the easiest actions a property owner can initiate is clearing brush and debris from their property to create a defensible space around it. While this is possible to do on your own, it is best to find a company that provides fire abatement services to take care of it for you.

Do you want to take steps to lower your property's wildfire risk and pay less for insurance? If so, then contact our team today. We provide professional fire abatement services to home and business owners in Oakland, Orinda, Lafayette, and nearby communities in California. Our team possesses 40 of experience and knows how to protect your property from destructive wildfires. When you partner with us, we will clear brush from your property and create defensible space that can help mitigate the spread of a wildfire. Let us help keep you safe and save you money. Call us today at (510) 339-9991 to schedule our fire abatement services!