California homeowners face a steep challenge: finding coverage in the toughest insurance market in the nation. Rising wildfire risks, inflation, and regulatory battles have pushed many major providers to stop writing new policies or leave the state altogether. If you struggle to find California homeowners insurance, you're not alone. But options remain—some insurance companies continue to issue new homeowners policies, and recent regulatory changes have prompted several major carriers to commit to growth again.
Why Is Homeowners Insurance in California So Hard to Get?
The California insurance market has been hit hard by natural disasters, particularly wildfires that generate billions of dollars in claims. The January 2025 Los Angeles wildfires—the Palisades and Eaton fires—destroyed 16,251 structures and caused total property losses between $76 billion and $131 billion, with insured losses reaching up to $45 billion (UCLA Anderson Forecast, "Economic Impact of the Los Angeles Wildfires", 2025). This disaster became the costliest wildfire event in U.S. history and reshaped how insurers view California risk.
The cost of homes and home repair has also risen due to inflation and supply chain issues, which drives up labor and materials costs. Insurers rely on their ability to price policies based on risk, but state regulations like Proposition 103 have historically limited how they can adjust premiums. As a result, many insurers—including State Farm, Allstate, and Farmers—have stopped issuing new policies, reduced their offerings, or left the state. California's home insurance premiums have skyrocketed as insurers respond to these challenges.
What Coverage Cat's Current California Pricing Data Suggests
Coverage Cat's recent weighted California pricing data suggests many lowest annual quotes still cluster around roughly $2,000-$2,400, but the broader market stretches from about $1,100-$1,200 to above $5,000-$5,250 depending on location, dwelling value, and wildfire exposure. Current quote flow also often surfaces specialty carriers such as Lightspeed, Delos, Bamboo, Homesite, and Obie, which helps explain why simply finding an insurer still writing in California is only the first step.
| Pricing signal | Current Coverage Cat direction |
|---|---|
| Many lowest annual California quotes | Roughly $2,000-$2,400 |
| Broader statewide range | About $1,100 to above $5,000 |
| Typical dwelling coverage requested | Roughly $550,000-$650,000 |
| Quote flow often surfaces | Lightspeed, Delos, Bamboo, Homesite, and Obie |
| Metro | Current annual pricing direction |
|---|---|
| Sacramento | Roughly $1,200-$1,600 |
| San Diego | Roughly $1,600-$2,000 |
| San Francisco / San Jose | Roughly $1,700-$2,100 |
| Los Angeles / Oakland | Roughly $2,300-$3,100 |
Since 2020, several major homeowners insurance companies have ceased issuing new policies or withdrawn from the California market due to wildfire risks and financial strain:
- State Farm: As of May 27, 2023, State Farm ceased accepting new applications for business and personal casualty insurance in California, citing wildfire risks and construction costs. State Farm General remains California's largest fire insurer with more than 2.8 million policies and over 1 million homeowners covered (State Farm, "State Farm in California", 2026).
- Allstate: In 2023, Allstate stopped issuing new insurance policies for all business and personal property in California. Allstate has since announced plans to file under the state's new Sustainable Insurance Strategy (California Department of Insurance, "Department of Insurance expanding coverage for Californians who need it most", 2025).
- Farmers Insurance Group: In 2023, Farmers began limiting coverage in California, and its subsidiary Farmers Direct Property and Casualty Insurance Company withdrew from the state. However, Farmers removed its policy cap in November 2025, which signals intent to write more policies (U.S. News, "Best Homeowners Insurance in California for 2026", 2026).
- Nationwide: Nationwide Private Client, a subsidiary of Nationwide, announced it would stop renewing all homeowners insurance policies in California by June 2025.
- The Hartford: The Hartford Financial Services Group ceased writing new homeowners insurance policies in California in early 2024.
- Tokio Marine Insurance Co. and Trans Pacific Insurance Co.: Both companies filed notices in April 2024 indicating they would cease offering homeowners and umbrella policies in California.
These developments have driven many residents to seek alternatives such as the California FAIR Plan or policies from non-admitted carriers.
Which Insurance Companies Are Still Writing Homeowners Policies in California?
Despite the market challenges, some homeowners insurance companies in California continue to provide coverage. The California Department of Insurance's Sustainable Insurance Strategy has prompted six major insurers—Mercury, CSAA, Farmers, USAA, Pacific Specialty, and California Casualty—to commit to growth rather than contraction (California Department of Insurance, "Mercury Insurance and CSAA Expand Homeowners Coverage Under Commissioner Lara's Sustainable Insurance Strategy", 2025). Mercury Insurance alone committed to increasing its policy count by more than 38,000 new policies long-term, starting with 6,000+ new policies over the next two years in wildfire-distressed areas.
If you're interested in online quotes, your options are limited. Most available companies require you to work directly with a local insurance broker. Or you can try Coverage Cat for easy online homeowners and landlord quotes without any phone calls or office visits.
Insurance Companies Selling Homeowners Policies in California
| Insurer | Online Quotes Available? | Additional Restrictions |
|---|---|---|
| CABRILLO COASTAL | N | |
| WAWANESA | Y | |
| AEGIS GENERAL INSURANCE | N | |
| AMERICAN MODERN | N | |
| AMICA INSURANCE | N | |
| ARMED FORCES INSURANCE | N | Military families only |
| MERCURY INSURANCE | N | Committed to 38,000+ new policies |
| CIG | N | |
| CALIFORNIA CASUALTY | N | Committed to growth under new strategy |
| CALIFORNIA FAIR PLAN | N | Last-resort option for high-risk properties |
| CALIFORNIA MUTUAL INSURANCE COMPANY | N | |
| AAA INSURANCE | N | |
| FARMERS INSURANCE | N | Removed policy cap November 2025 |
| CHUBB INSURANCE | N | Designed for high-value homes |
| FOREMOST INSURANCE | N | |
| USAA | Y | Military families only |
| SAFECO | Y | |
| HOMESITE INSURANCE | Y | |
| HORACE MANN INSURANCE COMPANY | N | Education professionals only |
| NATIONAL GENERAL INSURANCE | N | |
| MAPFRE INSURANCE COMPANY | N | |
| LEMONADE INSURANCE | Y | |
| NATIONWIDE | N | |
| PURE INSURANCE | N | Designed for high-value homes |
| PROGRESSIVE INSURANCE | Y | |
| QBE INSURANCE CORPORATION | N | |
| TRAVELERS | N | |
| STILLWATER | Y | |
| BAMBOO INSURANCE | N | |
| UNIVERSAL NORTH AMERICA | N |
Non-Admitted or Excess & Surplus Carriers: An Alternative Option
If you cannot find California homeowners insurance through traditional insurers, non-admitted or excess and surplus (E&S) carriers may be an option. These companies are not regulated directly by the California Department of Insurance (CDI), which means they have greater flexibility to insure high-risk properties, set premiums, and provide specialty wildfire coverage.
Surplus lines insurance in California has experienced a structural shift. New surplus lines homeowners business surged to 320,000 policies in 2025, up from roughly 50,000 in 2023 (Insurance Journal, "'Structural Shift' Occurring in California Surplus Lines", 2026). The average assessed home value for surplus lines properties dropped to $800,000 (from $900,000 in 2024), which indicates that more typical admitted-market homes are now entering the surplus lines market.
In the first half of 2025, surplus lines homeowners transactions rose 119% year-over-year, reaching 171,551 transactions. Average premium per policy dropped by 25% compared to 2024 because insurers began to cover homes with lower insured values (Insurance Journal, "California Surplus Lines Take-Up Soars as Brokers Work to Find Coverage for Clients", 2025).
Because E&S carriers operate outside the CDI, non-admitted insurers are not backed by the California Guaranty Fund, which protects consumers if an insurer becomes insolvent. Excess & Surplus insurers remain regulated by their home domicile and may also be subject to regulations by industry associations such as The Surplus Line Association of California.
Some well-known non-admitted insurers include:
- Lloyd's of London
- Scottsdale Insurance (Nationwide E&S division)
- Lexington Insurance (AIG's surplus lines division)
- Markel Insurance
- Westchester (a Chubb company)
While E&S policies may cost more, they offer protection for homeowners who cannot obtain coverage through traditional means.
In California, non-admitted insurers still writing new policies include:
- Delos Insurance Solutions
- Lightspeed Specialty Insurance Solutions
- Bamboo Insurance (offers both admitted and non-admitted policies)
- Sagesure
- Steadily Landlord Insurance
- Obie Landlord Insurance
Should California Homeowners Switch to the California FAIR Plan?
For some homeowners, the California Fair Access to Insurance Requirements (FAIR) Plan may be the best or only option. Before you decide, review every available option. FAIR is designed as a last-resort option and provides basic fire coverage. A FAIR Plan policy may require additional policies to match traditional homeowners insurance coverage and may cost more than other options.
The California FAIR Plan has grown substantially as the insurance market contracts. FAIR enrollment reached 668,609 policies in force as of year-end 2025, up 4% from September after a 39% jump in the fiscal year that ended September 30 (Insurance Business Magazine, "FAIR Plan growth fuels debate over California insurance reforms", 2026). FAIR Plan residential exposure grew 424% between September 2020 and June 2025, reaching $603 billion (Center for Energy and Environmental Policy, "Tracking the Growth of Residential Exposure in California's FAIR Plan", 2025).
Notably, 14% of current FAIR policies cover properties in largely urban, low fire-risk zones, which accounts for 28% of total exposure (Insurance Journal, "Even Low-Risk Homes Are Caught Up in California's Climate Insurance Crisis", 2026). This suggests the insurance crisis affects homeowners beyond traditional high-risk wildfire zones.
The January 2025 LA fires left the FAIR Plan with roughly $4 billion in losses. The state approved a $1 billion assessment from private insurers, and new legislation (AB 226) allows the FAIR Plan to request state-backed bonds and lines of credit (Governing, "California Takes Aim at Home Insurance Crisis With New Laws", 2025).
Wildfire Mitigation Discounts Can Lower Your Premium
California now requires insurers to offer discounts for wildfire mitigation efforts. The FAIR Plan began offering Wildfire Hardening Discounts for policies effective November 15, 2025 or later. Policyholders can qualify for up to 12 separate discounts applied to the wildfire portion of their premium (SLV Post, "California FAIR Plan Now Offers Wildfire Hardening Discounts for Homeowners", 2026).
AAA Home Insurance customers with policy effective dates of October 10, 2025 and later can receive a "My Home Hardening" discount up to 12.5%. Qualifying improvements include fire-resistant vents, multi-pane windows, and removal of flammable materials (AAA, "Wildfire Defense Discount - Exclusively For AAA Insurance Customers", 2026).
However, academic research from Resources for the Future found that current discounts are small—the costs of property retrofits are orders of magnitude greater than the insurance savings (Resources for the Future, "From Risk to Reward: Insurance Discounts for Wildfire Mitigation", 2025).
Wildfire Mitigation Discount Comparison
| Insurer/Program | Discount Available | Requirements | Effective Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| California FAIR Plan | Up to 12 discounts | Fire-resistant materials, defensible space | November 15, 2025+ |
| AAA Insurance | Up to 12.5% | Fire-resistant vents, multi-pane windows, clearing | October 10, 2025+ |
| Mercury Insurance | Varies | Wildfire hardening measures | Under new filings |
| CSAA Insurance | Varies | Wildfire hardening measures | Under new filings |
New Consumer Protections Take Effect in 2026
Nine new laws took effect January 1, 2026, including wildfire safety grants, expanded discounts, faster claim payouts, and FAIR Plan financial stability measures. SB 495 (the Eliminate The List Act) requires insurers to pay 60% of contents coverage limits—capped at $350,000—without detailed inventory for total loss claims (California Department of Insurance, "New laws sponsored by Commissioner Lara to strengthen consumer protections and wildfire resilience take effect January 1", 2026). This change helps homeowners who lose everything in a fire receive faster payouts without the burden of documenting every lost item.
Navigating the Changing California Insurance Market
As California's insurance market evolves, homeowners must adapt. Here are strategies to navigate the changing landscape:
- Prepare for Higher Premiums: As insurers adjust their risk models, expect rising costs from both standard insurers and non-admitted insurers. State Farm is implementing a temporary supplemental fee of 1.13% on homeowners policies for two renewal periods to recoup FAIR Plan assessments.
- Avoid Filing Small Claims: Frequent claims can make you a higher-risk policyholder, which leads to increased rates or non-renewals. Save your insurance for major catastrophes instead of minor incidents. Even when you file legitimate claims, California homeowners often struggle with claim denials and delays.
- Work with an Independent Broker: Instead of relying on a single carrier, use a broker like Coverage Cat, which provides access to multiple options, including admitted, non-admitted, and specialty insurers.
- Consider Lesser-Known Options: While major carriers may be limiting coverage, regional insurers and E&S carriers can provide alternatives. High-value and luxury homeowners should look at specialized insurers that cater to their needs.
- Invest in Wildfire Mitigation: While retrofit costs exceed insurance savings, hardening your home may be the difference between coverage and cancellation. Many insurers now require or reward fire-resistant improvements.
- Stay Informed and Proactive: Review your policy annually, understand your coverage limits, and consider actions such as raising your deductibles or using fire mitigation techniques and materials. California homeowners should also consider balancing wildfire insurance with earthquake coverage based on their property's specific risk profile.
By taking a proactive approach, you can better protect your home and financial future despite challenges in California's evolving insurance market. Coverage Cat can help you navigate this process and secure coverage tailored to your needs, whether for a standard home or a high-value estate.
