Home Insurance inspection ploy?

[beowulf]

We received a notice from our insurance company that we have been automatically enrolled in Wildfire Defense Services, which is now included in our home insurance policy. They provide "wildlife mitigation and loss prevention services to help protect your home." Sounds like a good idea and something I should welcome. However, my usually repressed paranoia has surfaced - I recall about ten years ago our then home insurer said they would be doing home inspections to identify any issues with fire risk. They did that, I addressed their concerns, but they then cancelled our home insurance. And I recall they cancelled thousands of policies at the same time using this inspection program so we had to scurry for new insurance - not an easy task then. I also recall that that insurance company had just before then lost a lawsuit brought by the state of California which mandated certain changes in their policies - I don't recall the details, but heard they were abandoning the California market - or large portions of it - in response to the lawsuit.

Anyway, I welcome the concept - just hope it is as supportive of homeowners as it is presented and not a ploy to then begin cancelling policies. And BTW - I understand the need to address any issues affecting fire risk - both for homeowners and insurance companies.

Does anyone have any experience with this?

 

[newbury]

WildFIRE Defense would make sense in your area. But wildlife? Do you have attacking bears?

 

[dmccarty]

Do you have PROBLEMS with wildlife?

If no, I would just leave well enough alone....

Later,
Dan

 

[herm0016]

wildfire, im sure you mean. we recently received the same kind of letter about it being added to our policy. we are right outside the city limits and not really under threat of wild fire here, it would have to burn thousands of homes before it made it all the way to our place.

 

[beowulf]

Thanks for the catch - edited to "wildfire".

 

[ericm979]

Our insurer State Farm sent us a notification about this. But I have not heard anything about inspections now or ever in the 24 years we have been with them. Even CalFire has only been out twice and that was long ago. The only comment they had was that we needed a blue reflector by the hydrant.

State Farm does not give discounts for updating your house to current WUI code. Which is kind of dumb. I think that because it'd involve knowing what was there before and what the improvements are, they figure it'd be too much of their time.

I think if you do what CalFire and your county recommend for clearing it'd be hard for any insurance company to use the lack of clearing to justify non renewal. Of course they don't have to justify it, they can just do it. Or raise the rates so much that it's effectively the same.

Having been a wildland fire fighter I wonder how the private fire fighters will coordinate with the official ones, or if they'll be in their way and get kicked out of closed areas.

 

[Jchonline]

Do not let anyone on your property unless you have to file a claim.

 

[fried1765]

Do not let anyone on your property unless you have to file a claim.

Probably good advice,....unless they threaten to cancel for lack of inspection.
I did refuse inspection, and never heard another word about it.

 

[Wakey]

Last time the insurance company came out, in short order I had to install a fence around my pool and hand rails on the front steps.

 

[Midniteoyl]

With the use of drones, they don't need to come on the property anymore. At least not for fire and general safety items (like the pool fence). Not sure just how legal it is in Cali or any other State though.

 

[34Willys]

I think the Wildfire Defense Services is actually private companies that come out and defend your home when CalFire is not able, or willing to. It's getting more common as the insurance companies are tired of loosing there financial butts and clients homes because nobody shows up. Basically privatizing firefighting. It's probably a good thing.
Patrick

 

[beowulf]

34Willys, I think you are very likely spot on. The spirit of the material received lines up well with what you describe. I was just a bit paranoid based on the prior 'insurance inspection' experience.

Thanks for responding.

 

[oosik]

34Willys - that's how I understand the letter I got from my insurance co. Private company that will come out and fight fire if government agencies aren't available. Or something along those lines.

 

[caver]

Insurance company did a random? audit while I was at work. They walked around the house. I fixed one item but told them the other items the lady that inspected needs to educate herself on stair tread length. They also wanted a new roof. The roof is old and was replaced on a claim about 20 years earlier. My agent stalled them for well over a year but they finally dropped me.

 

[ponytug]

Our insurer State Farm sent us a notification about this. But I have not heard anything about inspections now or ever in the 24 years we have been with them. Even CalFire has only been out twice and that was long ago. The only comment they had was that we needed a blue reflector by the hydrant.

State Farm does not give discounts for updating your house to current WUI code. Which is kind of dumb. I think that because it'd involve knowing what was there before and what the improvements are, they figure it'd be too much of their time.

I think if you do what CalFire and your county recommend for clearing it'd be hard for any insurance company to use the lack of clearing to justify non renewal. Of course they don't have to justify it, they can just do it. Or raise the rates so much that it's effectively the same.

Having been a wildland fire fighter I wonder how the private fire fighters will coordinate with the official ones, or if they'll be in their way and get kicked out of closed areas.

First, thank you for being a wildland firefighter. A generally unsung hero job in my opinion.

I think it is silly of State Farm as well, or other insurers, not to offer discounts or acknowledgment of bringing things into compliance with wildland-urban interface (WUI) recommendations, or better. Small price for reducing future claims.

We have done a lot of work to fire harden the property, but have gotten no acknowledgment of the efforts, other than CalFire inspecting our place and having no suggestions or comments. (I am not complaining; for me, I file it under "an ounce of prevention".) Our local CalFire is very good about keeping us in the loop and we all have each other's cell numbers.

All the best,

Peter

 

[beowulf]

In 2015 there was a fire in our area that was a potential threat (the Rough Fire - I think it burned for about three months??)- so much so that we were eventually given a 'mandatory evacuation order' - which by the way, is not mandatory - it just means that if you leave you cannot come back. They did tack a large red poster at our gate advising we had been told to leave but refused, and it listed the number of occupants, animals, and water source. We stayed but did pack up a few things in case we had to leave - interestingly the prospect of leaving was not stressful.

Anyway, because we had a lot of time to prepare once we were aware there was the potential for the fire was coming our way, i stocked up on diesel fuel and with the tractor I created a virtual moonscape - down to the dirt - for 100-300 feet around the house - the distance depending on terrain and what I could get to - so we stayed. We also made sure the gutters were cleaned and that there was no debris around. We could see the smoke from the fire and could see planes off in the distance dropping chemicals.

Because we were between where the fire was and a highway, and one of the few such places in that area, we were visited by 5 fire trucks at different times and from different cooperating jurisdictions in the area. As I recall each truck had about 8 guys - they would come in, walk around, provide advice, and chat. Each time we were told our property was totally defensible and could be managed well to prevent a fire reaching us. They also said that there were other properties they had seen that they would likely just have to give up on because they were could not be easily defended.

They also unloaded two very large bulldozers and used our back roads to make a fire break somewhere back there - a national forest is behind us. They also took out a number of trees way in the back of our property - which was fine - but I could never quite figure out the logic or determine a plan or pattern to that effort - it seemed a bit random. We could hear the bulldozers clanging away most of the night.

About 10 PM one night a battalion chief came in by himself and he said they had created a very wide fire break over the next ridge and that it was extremely unlikely any fire would come close.

Since then I have taken out a few trees near the barn and am considering taking out a couple more near the house. Just want to feel safe and do what I can - so giving it a lot of thought.

 

[ruffdog]

I think we will be seeing more weeding out of high risk properties in the future. It may be for flooding, sinkholes, or fires. Just like they want to weed out people that have risky health conditions or high risk driving habits.