Wildfire claims are community-scale losses. Every contractor is booked. Every adjuster is handling dozens of claims. Permitting offices are overwhelmed. Many homeowners discover their coverage was not what they thought. This is the guide for navigating what comes next — including rights your carrier may not volunteer.
Many policies provide Additional Living Expense coverage from the moment of a mandatory evacuation order, without waiting for a confirmed loss — but this is policy language and it varies. Ask your carrier explicitly: “Does my ALE apply from the date of the evacuation order?” and get the answer in writing. Save every receipt from the moment you left either way, and call your carrier now to open the claim and request an ALE advance.
California and other western states have seen major carriers exit high-risk areas, pushing homeowners onto FAIR Plans. FAIR Plan policies pay claims, but they are more limited than standard HO-3 and the process is different. Part 2 of the playbook covers what you have, what you don't, and how to work within it.
Wildfire claims rarely turn on a denial. They turn on the distance between what the policy actually covers and what the homeowner understood going in. Here's where that distance usually opens up.
Construction costs have risen sharply since 2020. A home insured for $400,000 may cost $650,000 to rebuild today under current code. Guaranteed replacement cost riders have been dropped by many carriers in high-risk areas. The gap comes out of your pocket.
Wildfire is the only disaster where ALE coverage starts at the mandatory evacuation order — not at confirmed loss. Homeowners who don't track expenses from day one lose weeks of legitimate ALE reimbursement before they even know if their house survived.
California has enacted post-disaster protections that may include extended ALE, a contents advance without full itemization, and limits on non-renewal — these provisions have been amended repeatedly, so verify current law and confirm applicability with the California Department of Insurance. Knowing they may exist is what lets you ask.
Contractors arrive fast — sometimes while the ash is still hot — with Assignment of Benefits contracts. Signing transfers your insurance rights to the contractor. They control the claim negotiation, not you. This is the single fastest way a wildfire claim goes wrong.
Wildfire rebuilds in California require ignition-resistant construction, ember-resistant vents, defensible space compliance, and often fire sprinklers. These code-driven costs can add 15–30% to the rebuild budget. Default O&L limits of 10% rarely cover the gap.
On a total loss, the contents inventory can run to a thousand items. Most homeowners give up halfway through, accepting a settlement well below their actual loss. The depreciation recovery deadline — often one year from loss — arrives during rebuild fatigue and gets missed.
Use the checklist when you need to act. Use the playbook when something feels off.
28 actions across 4 phases — from before you have access through the rebuild and settlement closeout. Track progress, save your work, come back when ready.
What insurance doesn't explain — and what experienced claim handlers know. 7 parts from evacuation through final settlement. Covers FAIR Plan, state protections, and the community-scale rebuild.
ClaimEase provides educational tools and organizational support for homeowners running their own wildfire claim. We're not adjusters or attorneys — we help you stay informed, organized, and advocating for yourself through a process that most carriers count on you not understanding.
Not insurance, legal, or financial advice.
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