Keep your home
insurable in wildfire country.

Zone 0 (0 to 5 feet from your home and attachments) is the ember-resistant zone: noncombustible surfaces, no wood mulch or stored fuel. Zone 1 (5 to 30 feet) is the lean, clean, and green zone: well-spaced, well-maintained, low-growing plants. Zone 2 (30 to 100 feet, or to your property line) is the reduced-fuel zone: mowed dry grass and no continuous path of vegetation from the ground into tree canopies. California has added statutory specifics on top of this framework; your kit calls those out separately and tells you exactly what to confirm for your own state.

Insurers use catastrophe models that weigh regional wildfire risk, prior losses in the area, and property-level factors like roof material, vent type, deck material, and vegetation clearance. A non-renewal is usually a portfolio-level or model-driven decision, not a judgment about you personally. We explain the common factors honestly; we do not have access to any specific insurer's underwriting rules.

No. Completing defensible-space and hardening work can support a reconsideration request, but no action or combination of actions guarantees reinstatement, a discount, or a specific inspection result. We will never tell you otherwise.

A FAIR Plan is a state-backed insurer of last resort for property owners who cannot find coverage in the standard market. California's is the best documented; other states vary, and some do not have one. Your kit states what is verified for your state and flags what to confirm directly when it is not.

No. DefensibleHome never contacts, calls, emails, or negotiates with your insurer on your behalf. We give you a letter template and organized documentation; you review it, fill in your own details, and send it yourself.

Organizing documentation and drafting your letter can happen in a single afternoon. Physical hardening and defensible-space work commonly takes anywhere from a weekend (for a small property with minor clearance work) to several weeks (for roof, vent, or deck replacement). Exact timelines depend on your property, your budget, and contractor availability.

No. Nothing on DefensibleHome is legal, insurance, or claims advice, and we do not handle insurance claims of any kind. Verify requirements with your local fire authority and any coverage questions with your insurer or a licensed insurance professional.