Home Insurance in California — Wildfire Coverage, Non-Renewals, and How to Stay Insured

May 5
2 min read

California's wildfire seasons since 2017 have caused major carriers — State Farm, Allstate, Farmers, USAA — to non-renew tens of thousands of homeowners statewide, especially in fire-zone ZIP codes from Pacific Palisades to Paradise to San Diego County. If your renewal got declined, you're not stuck. CoverToday is a Los Angeles independent broker working with admitted, surplus-lines, and California FAIR Plan carriers to keep CA homeowners insured.

What home insurance covers in California

Dwelling — the structure of the home, replacement cost.
Other Structures — detached garage, fences, sheds.
Personal Property — belongings inside the home (typically 50–70% of dwelling limit).
Loss of Use — hotel and food costs while your home is uninhabitable.
Liability — if someone is injured on your property.
Medical Payments — small medical bills for guests injured on your property, no liability finding required.

What's commonly excluded (and how to add it back)

Earthquake — not covered by standard home insurance in CA. Add via separate California Earthquake Authority policy or specialty earthquake insurer.
Flood — not covered. Need separate NFIP or private flood policy.
Sewer/drain backup — may need an endorsement.
Some carriers cap or sublimit fire coverage in high-risk ZIPs — read the policy.

What FAIR Plan is

The California FAIR Plan is the state's insurer of last resort for homeowners who can't get coverage in the standard market. It only covers fire, lightning, smoke, and explosion — not theft, water damage, liability, or anything else. Most FAIR Plan customers buy a Difference In Conditions (DIC) wraparound from another carrier to fill the gaps. CoverToday writes the FAIR + DIC combo regularly for clients in fire-zone ZIPs.

If your home insurance was non-renewed

Don't panic and don't go uninsured — a lapse can disqualify you from future coverage.
Call a broker who works with multiple admitted + surplus-lines + FAIR Plan + DIC carriers. We do.
Document home hardening (defensible space, fire-resistant roof, ember-resistant vents) — some carriers offer credits for it.
Verify your dwelling reconstruction cost is current — underinsurance is a separate problem from non-renewal.

How CoverToday writes home insurance in California

Multi-carrier shopping — admitted + surplus-lines + FAIR Plan + DIC, including carriers that still write fire-zone ZIPs.
Bilingual service — EN and RU. Many CA homeowners in our book are Russian-speaking.
Renewal monitoring — we re-shop your home insurance 30–60 days before each renewal as carriers re-enter or re-exit the market.

Get a home quote today

Call or text 310-299-5555. Have your address, year built, square footage, roof type, and any prior non-renewal letter ready. CoverToday Insurance Agency, LLC. CA License #0K77310.