10 Fire-Resistant Home Improvements That Qualify for Insurance Discounts in California (And How It Can Help Your Insurance)
If you're a homeowner in Northern California, you've likely experienced the growing challenge of wildfire risk firsthand. Whether it's the orange skies, evacuation warnings, or conversations with your insurance agent, wildfire preparedness has moved from "nice to have" to absolutely essential.
The good news? California has introduced a comprehensive program called Safer from Wildfires that gives you a clear roadmap to protect your home—and potentially save money on your insurance in the process.
What is Safer from Wildfires?
Safer from Wildfires is California's official wildfire resilience program, created through a partnership between Insurance Commissioner Ricardo Lara and Governor Gavin Newsom's emergency response agencies. The program takes a three-layered approach to protection:
Your structure – Hardening your home against fire
Your immediate surroundings – Creating defensible space
Your community – Working together with neighbors
What makes this program particularly valuable is that every action you take qualifies you for an insurance discount. The more steps you complete, the more you can potentially save.
The 10 Steps to Being Safer from Wildfires
Here's what the program covers and what each step means for your home:
1. Class-A Fire Rated Roof
Most modern roofs already qualify for this requirement, including asphalt shingles, concrete, brick or masonry tiles, and metal roofing. Wood shake shingles do not meet Class A fire-resistance standards.
What to do: Check your roof material. The Office of the State Fire Marshal maintains a list of tested and approved materials if you need verification.
DIY or Pro? Roof replacement requires professional installation. If you need roofing work, we can recommend trusted local roofers.
2. 5-Foot Ember Resistant Zone (Including Fencing)
This is one of the most critical steps you can take. The 5-foot perimeter around your home—what we call Zone 0—should be clear of combustible materials.
What to do:
Remove plants and greenery within 5 feet of your foundation
Replace wood chips or bark mulch with gravel, rock, or decomposed granite
Replace any wood fencing that connects to your home with metal fencing
Wood fencing acts like a wick, leading fire directly to your structure. Metal fencing breaks that pathway.
DIY or Pro? Removing plants is DIY-friendly. Installing perimeter gravel and replacing fencing can be done yourself if you're handy, but professional installation ensures proper grading and drainage.
3. Ember- and Fire-Resistant Vents
Wind-blown embers are responsible for igniting many homes during wildfires. Vents are common entry points.
What to do: Install 1/16 to 1/8 inch noncombustible, corrosion-resistant metal mesh screens over all exterior vents. This includes attic vents, foundation vents, and crawl space vents.
DIY or Pro? Some vent covers are DIY-friendly, but hard-to-reach locations (like high gable vents) are safer when handled by professionals with proper equipment.
4. Non-Combustible 6 Inches at Bottom of Exterior Walls
Embers accumulate at the base of walls and can ignite combustible siding. Having at least 6 vertical inches of non-combustible material prevents this ignition.
What to do: Measure from the ground up and from any attached horizontal surface (like a deck). Acceptable materials include brick, stone, fiber-cement siding, stucco, or concrete.
DIY or Pro? This often involves siding replacement and requires professional installation to ensure proper weatherproofing and attachment.
5. Enclosed Eaves
Open eaves create pockets where heat and embers can get trapped and ignite your roof structure from underneath.
What to do: Install soffits under your eaves using non-combustible or ignition-resistant materials.
DIY or Pro? Eave enclosure is technical work that affects your home's ventilation system. Professional installation is strongly recommended.
6. Upgraded Windows
Single-pane windows can break from radiant heat during a wildfire, allowing flames to enter your home. Multi-paned windows provide significantly better protection.
What to do: Upgrade to multi-paned (double or triple-pane) windows, or install fire-resistant shutters over existing windows.
DIY or Pro? Window replacement requires professional installation. Shutters may be DIY-friendly depending on the type.
7. Cleared Vegetation, Weeds and Debris from Under Decks
The space underneath decks becomes a trap for leaves, needles, and other combustible debris. It's also often filled with stored items that can fuel a fire.
What to do: Remove all vegetation and debris from under your deck. Use non-combustible materials like concrete, gravel, or bare soil as ground cover. Remove any stored combustible materials.
DIY or Pro? Clearing debris is definitely DIY. If you need to install barriers or hardscaping beneath your deck, professional help ensures proper drainage and longevity.
8. Removal of Combustible Sheds and Other Outbuildings
Sheds, gazebos, and other outbuildings can act as fuel sources that threaten your main home during a wildfire.
What to do: Move these structures at least 30 feet away from your home. This includes sheds, gazebos, open covered structures with solid roofs, dog houses, and playhouses.
DIY or Pro? Moving small structures might be DIY. Relocating larger buildings requires professional help.
9. Defensible Space Compliance
California law requires property owners to maintain defensible space around their homes. This means trimming trees, removing brush, and clearing debris from your yard according to state and local regulations.
What to do:
Check your local city or county requirements (they may be more strict than state law)
Maintain vegetation clearance on an ongoing basis
In Northern California's foothill and mountain communities, defensible space requirements are typically:
0-5 feet (Zone 0): Non-combustible materials only
5-30 feet (Zone 1): Well-irrigated, low-growing plants with spacing
30-100 feet (Zone 2): Thinned trees and removed ladder fuels
DIY or Pro? Basic yard maintenance is DIY. Large tree removal, extensive brush clearing on slopes, or properties with significant vegetation may require professional equipment and expertise.
10. Being Safer Together – Community Programs
Wildfire protection is most effective when entire neighborhoods work together. California recognizes two community-wide programs:
Firewise USA:
Nationally recognized program with proven results
Communities as small as 8 homes can participate
Create an action plan and work together on wildfire risk reduction
Sponsored by the National Fire Prevention Association
Fire Risk Reduction Communities:
Local agencies in high fire hazard areas
Meet best practices for local fire planning
Certified by the California Board of Forestry and Fire Protection
What to do: Talk to your neighbors about starting a Firewise community, or check if your area is already part of a Fire Risk Reduction Community program.
Why This Matters for Northern California Homeowners
Our region has faced devastating wildfires in recent years—from the Camp Fire to the Dixie Fire and beyond. Insurance companies have responded by dropping policies, raising premiums, or requiring expensive upgrades before providing coverage.
The Safer from Wildfires program gives you a clear, state-backed checklist that insurance companies must recognize. By completing these steps, you're not just protecting your home and family—you're also demonstrating to insurers that you're a lower-risk policyholder.
But here's what matters most: these improvements actually work. Homes that have implemented even a few of these measures have significantly higher survival rates during wildfires. This isn't just about insurance discounts—it's about giving your home the best chance of surviving the next fire event.
Getting Started: What You Can Do Today
Looking at this list of 10 steps might feel overwhelming, but you don't have to do everything at once. Here's how to approach it:
Immediate Actions (DIY-Friendly):
Clear the 5-foot zone around your home of leaves, needles, and debris
Remove wood chips and consider replacing with gravel
Clear under your deck
Check your roof material against the approved list
Short-Term Projects (1-3 Months):
Install vent screens
Replace wood mulch with rock landscaping
Upgrade to multi-pane windows (get quotes from professionals)
Create your defensible space plan
Longer-Term Investments:
Perimeter gravel installation
Siding replacement for non-combustible base
Enclosed eaves
Fence replacement
Shed relocation
How We Can Help
At JR2 Construction, we specialize in many of the Safer from Wildfires improvements, including:
Siding upgrades (including non-combustible bases)
Deck improvements and under-deck clearing
5-foot ember resistant zones with perimeter gravel
Fire-resistant vent replacement
Firescaping and defensible space planning
Complete site assessments to identify which steps you've completed and what needs work
We understand that every property is unique, with different challenges based on terrain, existing landscaping, and architectural features. Our comprehensive site assessments help you prioritize improvements based on your specific risk factors and budget.
Download Our Free Resources:
JR2 Services & Safer from Wildfires Guide PDF – See which improvements we can help with
Take the Next Step
Whether you're concerned about insurance, want to protect your home, or both, the Safer from Wildfires program gives you a proven roadmap to follow.
Ready to get started?
Schedule a comprehensive site assessment to see which Safer from Wildfires steps you've already completed and create a prioritized plan for the rest.
Contact us today:
Call or text: (530) 451-6167
Email: joe@jr2construction.com
[Schedule online here]
Let's work together to make your home safer from wildfires.
