Insurance for Homes in High Brush and Wildfire Areas

California homes are becoming more and more difficult (expensive) to insure. Virtually all of the major insurance carriers are reducing their risk by shrinking the number of zip codes that they are willing to write insurance policies in. This is in response to the billions of dollars insurance companies have lost due to the recent consecutive devastating fire seasons we've had here in California. It has become difficult to insure in Butte, Napa, Sonoma, San Diego, Plumas, Lake, Ventura, Los Angeles, Shasta, Trinity, Colusa, Solano, Yolo, Tehama, and San Bernardino counties following the recent fires that have burned through there. 

Since 2013 Pfeifer insurance brokers has focussed on finding insurance for these difficult to insure homes. It is an ever changing marketplace that is rapidly becoming more challenging. We are always speaking with our carrier partners in order to find out exactly what their appetites are. 

Common questions we receive:
What can I do if my homeowners policy is being cancelled or non-renewed?
Unfortunately insurance policies only last a year and they can be non-renewed at the insurance company's discretion. When that happens to you, begin shopping right away. It takes longer to find suitable options if your home is hard to insure. You do not want to get stuck with a policy that your mortgage company sets you up with. They are typically much more expensive and provide less coverage.

Why is my home in a high brush zone?
Insurance companies will look at wind patterns, proximity to brush, roof type, road access, closest fire department, the slope of land, and a number of other things.

What is brush?
Brush is vegetation that is under six feet and is not manages.  Examples are grass, shrubs, bushes, weeds, small trees.