Guides
Home hardening for wildfire and insurance discounts
Which wildfire retrofits matter most, what the IBHS Wildfire Prepared Home standard requires, and which measures California insurers must credit.
Hardening a house for wildfire means closing the places where embers get in: the roof, the vents, the gutters, the deck and the first five feet of defensible space around the walls. The Insurance Institute for Business & Home Safety (IBHS) says wind-blown embers are the leading cause of home ignitions, which is why its Wildfire Prepared Home program starts there. Whether the work lowers your premium depends on where you live. In California, insurers that price wildfire risk must give a credit for specific measures. Elsewhere it is a matter of what your insurer files and what a score recognizes.
What the IBHS standard asks for
IBHS announced on June 9, 2026 that the two single-family levels of Wildfire Prepared Home are named Essential (formerly Base) and Enhanced (formerly Plus), and that the program is offered in 14 states. Per IBHS's 2026 program brochure, the levels break down as follows. Essential is meant to be achievable on most existing homes. Enhanced adds protection against flame contact and radiant heat and is usually reached during new construction or a major exterior renovation.
| Part of the house | Essential (embers) | Enhanced (adds) |
|---|---|---|
| Roof | Class A fire-rated covering (examples: asphalt shingles, tile, slate, metal); noncombustible gutters and downspouts; routine removal of needles and leaves | Noncombustible gutter guards; enclosed eaves; flat glass skylights in place of plastic domes |
| Walls | Six inches of noncombustible siding or exposed concrete at the base of exterior walls and above attached decks | Noncombustible siding and shutters in place of vinyl or wood |
| Vents | Flame- and ember-resistant vents, or existing vents covered with 1/8-inch corrosion-resistant metal mesh (dryer vents keep a working louver, no mesh) | Noncombustible dryer vents |
| Windows and doors | Not specified at this level | Dual-pane tempered windows; noncombustible or fire-rated exterior doors |
| Decks | Debris removed, no storage underneath, low decks enclosed, combustible furniture replaced | Noncombustible deck system |
| 0 to 5 feet | Continuous zone free of vegetation, mulch and combustibles; noncombustible fencing within 5 feet | No back-to-back combustible fences |
| 5 to 30 feet | Spaced trees and shrubs, trimmed grass, no dead vegetation, firewood 30 feet out; limits on detached structures | No detached structures within 30 feet |
The program is owner-driven. You do the work from the checklist, pay an application fee, submit photos, and a third-party evaluator inspects. If the home falls short, IBHS gives you 60 days to finish and resubmit photos, according to the program's site. IBHS's brochure notes that every requirement must be completed in full to earn a designation, because wildfire exploits the weakest link.
What insurers must credit in California
California does not leave the discount to insurer discretion. Under 10 CCR §2644.9, operative October 14, 2022, any insurer whose rating plan differentiates by wildfire risk has to reflect specific community and property-level actions as risk reductions: a Fire Risk Reduction Community designation or a Firewise USA site in good standing; clearing vegetation, mulch and stored combustibles from the first 5 feet; noncombustible materials in that zone, including fences and gates; no sheds or other combustible structures within 30 feet; compliance with the state's defensible space law; a Class A roof; enclosed eaves; ember-resistant vents; dual-pane windows or functional shutters; and six inches of noncombustible clearance at the bottom of exterior walls. The California Department of Insurance's Safer from Wildfires page says every action qualifies for a discount and notes that wood shake shingles do not count as Class A.
The regulation requires the credit. It does not set the percentage, so the size of the discount varies by insurer and filing. Insurers must also tell you which measures would lower your wildfire risk score and by how much; see wildfire risk scores and how insurers use them.
California's FAIR Plan, the insurer of last resort, says on its dwelling page that it offers discounts for wildfire-resistant home improvements. California's 2025 legislation also created a grant program for fire-safe roofs and "Zone Zero" mitigation (AB 888, the California Safe Homes Act, effective January 1, 2026, according to the department's December 30, 2025 release); check the state for current funding and eligibility.
Outside California
State rules differ. Colorado's HB 25-1182, effective July 1, 2026, requires insurers that use wildfire risk scores to give discounts for property-level and community-level mitigation when their models do not already reflect it, and to publish how those discounts work. Progressive's Colorado page shows what one insurer filed: up to 15% for property-specific mitigation verified through an IBHS Wildfire Prepared Home designation or a similar program, and up to 5% for community-level mitigation such as Firewise USA recognition, applied to the wildfire-related portion of the premium rather than the whole premium. Those are that company's figures, not a state standard. See Progressive Home.
Insurers also use hardening for availability, not just price. In September 2026, according to its California update page, State Farm filed underwriting guidelines to accept new homeowners applications for homes with IBHS Wildfire Prepared Home designations, with Enhanced homes eligible statewide and Essential homes only in low and moderate wildfire severity zones. The California Department of Insurance noted that the company was not yet open for new business. Those guidelines were under review at the time of writing.
Where to spend first
Vegetation beyond the first few feet gets its own treatment in defensible space and wildfire insurance.
Cost depends on the house, and you should get local bids. As an order of operations, work from cheapest and most protective toward the largest projects:
- The first 5 feet. Remove mulch, shrubs, wood piles, doormats and stored items; replace wood fencing that touches the house. This costs mostly labor.
- Vents and gutters. Mesh over existing vents or replace with ember-resistant vents; clean gutters and the roof valleys, and replace plastic or vinyl gutters with metal.
- Decks. Clear under them, close in low decks, and remove combustible furniture.
- Roof covering. If your roof is near the end of its life, replace it with a Class A assembly rather than patching. See metal roofs and insurance and will insurance pay for a roof replacement?.
- Eaves, siding and windows. These are the big-ticket items, best done with a planned renovation.
The roof and mitigation upgrade payback calculator can compare a project against the discount you were quoted, though many owners harden for the sake of the house rather than the premium. State grants for retrofits are covered in state home hardening grant programs.
Documenting the work so it counts
A discount nobody can verify does not get applied. Keep:
- Dated before and after photographs of each element, including the 0 to 5 foot zone.
- Contractor invoices that name the product (Class A rated assembly, vent model) and a roof or vent label where one exists.
- A designation certificate, if you earn one, or a Firewise USA letter for the neighborhood.
- A copy of the insurer's request or checklist and your written request to apply the credit.
Then ask for the credit and a re-score in writing, and ask when it will take effect. If the insurer says no credit exists, ask which filed rule applies to your measures.
Key takeaways
- Embers are the most common route into a house, so the roof, vents, gutters, decks and first 5 feet matter more than ornamental upgrades.
- IBHS's Wildfire Prepared Home program has two single-family levels, Essential and Enhanced, and requires all items at a level to be completed in full.
- California insurers that rate by wildfire risk must credit specific actions, but the regulation does not set the discount amount.
- Elsewhere, discounts depend on your insurer and state; Colorado added disclosure and discount duties effective July 1, 2026.
- Keep dated photos and invoices, and request the credit and a new score in writing.