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State FAIR Plan Home Insurance Cost Estimator
Estimates based on SFChronicle, Yahoo Finance, and Policygenius data, updated August 2026.
See what a state FAIR Plan, last-resort home insurance for high-wildfire and high-risk properties, is likely to cost compared to standard coverage.
Data sourced from SFChronicle, Yahoo Finance, Policygenius
Estimated FAIR Plan premium
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How this is calculated
Source: SFChronicle, Yahoo Finance (California data), Policygenius (state list) · Last updated 2026-08-20 · See how we calculate this →
Why FAIR Plan coverage costs so much more, and covers so much less
A FAIR (Fair Access to Insurance Requirements) Plan is a state-created insurer of last resort for homes that private insurers will not cover, most often because of high wildfire, hurricane, or other catastrophe risk.
Thirty-four states plus Washington, D.C. currently have one, including California, Florida, Texas, New York, and most recently Colorado, which launched its program in 2025.
FAIR Plan premiums typically run about two to three times what the same property would cost to insure in the standard market. California is the most heavily documented case: the statewide average FAIR Plan premium was just over $3,000 a year as of September 2025, versus roughly $1,480 to $1,571 for a standard admitted policy there, and that is only the average.
High-wildfire ZIP codes have been reported paying as much as $32,000 a year, far above the general multiplier, actual cost depends heavily on a specific property's individual risk.
The coverage itself is also narrower. Most FAIR Plans are dwelling fire policies covering named perils only, typically fire, smoke, lightning, vandalism, and windstorm, not a full homeowners policy.
Theft, liability, and water damage are commonly excluded entirely. Because of that gap, a separate "difference in conditions" (DIC) policy is often purchased alongside the FAIR Plan to restore the coverage a standard policy would normally include, adding further cost on top of the FAIR Plan premium itself.
FAIR Plans are explicitly designed as temporary, last-resort coverage, not a permanent home for a policy. Reducing a property's risk, defensible space clearing, roof and building material upgrades, other mitigation work, and periodically re-shopping the standard market are the two main paths back to conventional coverage, since insurers reassess catastrophe risk regularly as conditions change.
Frequently asked questions
What is a FAIR Plan?
A FAIR (Fair Access to Insurance Requirements) Plan is a state-created insurer of last resort for homes that cannot get coverage in the standard private market, most often due to high wildfire, hurricane, or other catastrophe risk. Thirty-four states plus DC currently have one.
How much more does a FAIR Plan cost?
Typically about two to three times a comparable standard-market policy. California, the most heavily documented case, has seen high-wildfire ZIP codes reach as high as $32,000 a year, far above the general multiplier, actual cost depends heavily on your specific property's risk.
Does a FAIR Plan cover everything a normal homeowners policy does?
Usually not. Most FAIR Plans cover named perils only, typically fire, smoke, lightning, vandalism, and windstorm, and exclude theft, liability, and water damage. A separate "difference in conditions" (DIC) policy is commonly purchased alongside it to fill those gaps.
How do I get off a FAIR Plan and back to standard coverage?
FAIR Plans are explicitly designed as temporary, last-resort coverage. Reducing your property's risk (defensible space, roof upgrades, mitigation work) and periodically re-shopping the standard market are the two main paths back, insurers reassess wildfire and catastrophe risk regularly as conditions change.