California FAIR Plan Insurance and the Wrap That Fills the Gaps
For homes in high fire areas: the California FAIR Plan paired with a wrap policy that fills the gaps it leaves.
California FAIR Plan Insurance: What It Covers and What It Leaves Out
A canceled or non-renewed letter showed up in the mail. Or your fire premium doubled at renewal. Either way, you have one question: who will cover this house? For a lot of homes in high fire areas, California FAIR Plan insurance is part of the answer. It's rarely the whole answer.
The FAIR Plan is California's insurer of last resort. It exists for homes that regular insurance companies won't take. It covers fire, plus a few other kinds of damage depending on the options on your policy.
The FAIR Plan leaves out a lot that a regular homeowners policy includes. It has no liability coverage if someone gets hurt on your property. Theft and water damage from a burst pipe aren't covered either. That gap is why most FAIR Plan homes also need a second policy, called a wrap or a DIC (difference in conditions) policy. The wrap picks up what the FAIR Plan doesn't, so the two together work much like a standard homeowners policy.
Earthquake isn't covered by either one. That takes its own earthquake insurance policy, and it's worth talking about if you own a home in California.
This page is for you if you own a home in a high fire area, in the hills of Contra Costa County or the foothills and mountains near Yosemite, and a regular company can't or won't write it right now. The policy wording always decides what's covered. That's why we go through the coverages with you before you sign anything, not after.
Tell Us About Your House
How Darlene Baxter Insurance Agency Finds the Right Fire Coverage
Darlene Baxter Insurance Agency starts with our main company. If it's the right fit for your home, that's where it goes. When it can't take the home, we look at other companies available through our brokerage. When the FAIR Plan is the best path left, we set it up and pair it with a wrap policy, so you aren't left holding half a policy.
People want choices, not a single option. One company's answer isn't the only answer, and the agency is set up so you get more than one look.
Darlene Baxter has been in insurance since 2009. Through the last few years of cancellations and non-renewals across California, high fire insurance has become a big part of what her team does every day. Her clients say it better than she does:
★★★★★
"We are in the mountains and she was so helpful at helping us get insurance after being canceled by another company."
★★★★★
"Her quick work takes the worry out of finding homeowners insurance in the rural areas of California."
If your home can go on a standard policy instead, that's usually the better deal. Our homeowners insurance page explains how we look at that first.
What to Expect When You Call About Fire Coverage
Every fire case starts the same way. Darlene's first words are usually "Tell me about your house." From there, here's what happens:
- You tell us about the home. Where it is, when it was built, the roof, any updates, and what's happened with your insurance so far.
- We gather the details. Most of the time we pull the information ourselves. If your declarations page or your canceled or non-renewed letter is handy, send it along. It shows us your deadline and the coverage you had.
- We look for options. Our main company first, then other companies, then the FAIR Plan and a wrap if that's what fits. Our process page shows how shopping works.
- We go through the coverages together. Side by side, in plain words, including what each option leaves out. You decide.
- We handle the applications with you. For the FAIR Plan and the wrap (DIC) policy, so the two policies line up.
- We offer a review at every renewal. If a better option opens up for your home, you'll hear about it. As Darlene puts it, "I'm not going anywhere."
We can't promise approval, a price, or how fast an insurance company will answer. Those decisions belong to the companies. You'll know where things stand at each step, and what's still waiting.
Fire Insurance and FAIR Plan Help Across the Areas We Serve
The office is in Pleasant Hill, and a lot of our fire work is close to home in Contra Costa County: Lafayette, Alamo, Danville, Walnut Creek, Martinez and San Ramon.
The rest is in the foothills and mountains. That means Tuolumne County, with Sonora and Groveland. It means Calaveras County and Angels Camp, El Dorado County with Placerville, El Dorado Hills and Cameron Park, and Soda Springs in Nevada County. Darlene grew up in Groveland, so the mountain side of this work is personal.
Insurance companies look at the home itself, not only the town. Two houses a few miles apart can get very different answers. That's why every conversation starts with your house.
Get Help With California FAIR Plan Insurance
Canceled, non-renewed, or staring at a fire renewal you can't afford? Call the office at (925) 940-6970, or send us a message. Tell us about your house, and we'll take it from there.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does the FAIR Plan cover everything a homeowners policy does?
No. The FAIR Plan covers fire and a few other kinds of damage, depending on the options you choose. It has no liability coverage, and it doesn't cover theft or water damage from a burst pipe. A wrap (DIC) policy fills those gaps.
What is a wrap or DIC policy?
DIC stands for difference in conditions. It's a second policy that sits next to the FAIR Plan and covers what the FAIR Plan leaves out, so the two together work much like a standard homeowners policy.
Can I get off the FAIR Plan later?
Sometimes. It depends on your home and which companies are writing in your area at the time. We offer a review at every renewal, and if a better option opens up, you'll hear about it.
Does the FAIR Plan cover earthquake damage?
No. Neither the FAIR Plan nor the wrap covers earthquake. That takes a separate earthquake policy.
Do you work with only one insurance company?
No. We start with our main company. When it isn't the right fit for your home, we look at other companies available through our brokerage, and at the FAIR Plan with a wrap when that's the best path.
Keep exploring
Want a second look at your coverage? Talk to Darlene Baxter Insurance Agency.