How much time do I have?

At least 75 days from when the letter was mailed. Start this week.

Can a non-renewal be reversed?

Often, yes, if you fix what your insurer flagged and send proof before the renewal date.

Does hardening guarantee I keep my policy?

No, but it's the best move you have and what insurers are rewarding.

Do exterior sprinklers lower my insurance?

No. However, homes on the California FAIR Plan valued over $3 million are choosing automated exterior wildfire sprinklers to protect their investment, because the FAIR Plan caps coverage at $3 million.

California wildfire insurance

Got a Wildfire Non-Renewal Notice? How to Keep Your Insurer

That letter is not a verdict. It's a deadline.

The short answerYou have at least 75 days before your policy ends. Use them to find out what your insurer wants fixed, fix it, and send proof before your renewal date. Many homeowners who do this keep their insurer and never need the FAIR Plan.

Eave vents on a Scotts Valley home, open on the left and covered with ember-resistant mesh on the right — Scotts Valley: open eave vents (left) and the same vents after ember-resistant mesh (right). This home kept its insurer.

What to Do Next

Don't panic, and don't cancel anything.Find two things on the letter: the date your policy ends and the reason.
Ask your insurer what to fix.Email them: "What specific items on my property led to this, and will you reconsider if I fix them before my renewal date?" Ask for any photos they used.
Call your broker this week.Ask them to back up your request, and to quietly start shopping in case you need a plan B.
Fix the first 5 feet around your house.That's where insurers look first (see below).
Send proof before your renewal date.Before and after photos plus invoices, sent to your insurer and broker with a request to renew. If they still say no after you fixed what they asked, call the California Department of Insurance at 800-927-4357.

Fix first, shop second. That gives you two chances instead of one.

What Insurers Look For First

Most wildfire non-renewals we see come down to what's touching the house.

Bark mulch or wood chips against the house. Swap them for river rock or gravel.
Wood fences that touch the house or sit within 5 feet of it. Remove or replace with metal.
Old or open vents. Foundation, attic and soffit vents need fine ember-resistant mesh.
Open eaves. Enclose them so embers can't collect under the roof.
Leaves and needles on the roof and in gutters. Keep them clear.

Old wood-framed foundation vent screen with wide wire mesh removed from a crawl space opening — Before: wide wire mesh lets embers into the crawl space.

Foundation vent retrofitted with fine ember-resistant metal mesh and painted trim — After: fine ember-resistant mesh and a sealed frame.

Close-up of a soffit vent covered with a fine metal mesh ember screen — Soffit vent screened and painted to match.

River rock in the first 5 feet around a Los Gatos home with screened foundation vents — The first 5 feet: river rock instead of mulch, vents screened.

It works

Scotts Valley

We helped a homeowner insured with USAA keep their policy. We cleared the first 5 feet, replaced mulch with river rock, retrofitted the foundation and soffit vents, and removed wood fencing near the house.

Foundation vent covered with ember-resistant mesh and sealed around a pipe with fire-block foam — Foundation vent screened and sealed around the pipe.

Los Gatos

We treated 33 openings on a PURE-insured home in September 2026: 21 soffit vents, 11 crawlspace vents and a 6-foot channel vent, each screened with fine ember-resistant mesh and painted to match.

Crawlspace vent with an old quarter-inch screen measured with a tape measure — Before: a 1/4-inch screen, too wide to stop embers.

Crawlspace vent after fine ember-resistant mesh was added — After: fine ember mesh added.

Row of soffit vents with framed ember-resistant mesh covers — 21 soffit vents, each framed and screened.

Portola Valley

We screened 10 gable and crawlspace openings on a FAIR Plan home with 1/8-inch stainless steel mesh, sealed every edge with fire-rated caulk, and documented it for the homeowner's FAIR Plan discount.

Every one of them got a documentation package their broker sent straight to the carrier.

It's not just our clients. Another Portola Valley homeowner got a non-renewal, hardened the home to the Wildfire Prepared Home standard, and was reinstated.

Don't Get Stuck on the FAIR Plan

The FAIR Plan is California's insurer of last resort. It's there so no one goes uninsured, but it's a step down:

It covers fire and smoke only. You'll need a second policy for theft, water damage and liability.
It caps coverage at about $3 million. We work with FAIR Plan homeowners whose homes are worth more than $4 million, so part of their home has no coverage at all. For them, active defense matters even more: automated exterior wildfire sprinklers plus home hardening protect what the policy can't.
Its rates just went up an average of 29% in October 2026.

Already on it? Shop at every renewal, ask your broker which insurers are writing in your ZIP code, and keep hardening your home. It's the same work that gets private insurers to say yes.

Insurers Are Rewarding Hardened Homes

Several major insurers now favor homes with the Wildfire Prepared Home designation from IBHS, a nonprofit backed by the insurance industry. Some will renew those homes for years at a time, and others are reopening to new customers only if the home has it. It starts with the same list above: vents, the first 5 feet, fencing, roof and gutters.

How FireRoofs Helps

We walk your property the way an insurer looks at it and tell you what to fix first.
We do the work: vents, soffits, Zone 0 cleanup and fencing, built by a FireRoofs Vetted Installer.
We handle the paperwork: photos and a summary your broker and insurer can approve fast.
Want more protection? Ask about automated exterior wildfire sprinklers.

Request a Private Consultation

FireRoofs Wildfire Defense truck parked at a client home in Scotts Valley — On site in Scotts Valley.

Common Questions

How much time do I have?: At least 75 days from when the letter was mailed. Start this week.
Can a non-renewal be reversed?: Often, yes, if you fix what your insurer flagged and send proof before the renewal date.
Does hardening guarantee I keep my policy?: No, but it's the best move you have and what insurers are rewarding.
Do exterior sprinklers lower my insurance?: No. However, homes on the California FAIR Plan valued over $3 million are choosing automated exterior wildfire sprinklers to protect their investment, because the FAIR Plan caps coverage at $3 million.

Your letter has a date on it. Let's use the time.

Request a Private Consultation Check your fire hazard zone

General information, not legal or insurance advice. Confirm details with your broker.