My neighbor swapped to tile and got a discount, but another friend got nothing for a full metal roof.
That’s been my experience too—total toss-up. I put in ember-resistant vents after the last big fire season (Northern CA), and honestly, my insurer didn’t even blink. No premium change, just a “thanks for letting us know.” But I will say, during the next round of inspections, the adjuster actually took photos and made notes. Maybe it’s not immediate, but I figure it’s ammo if there’s ever a claim. Still feels like you’re rolling the dice with what they’ll actually reward.
Funny how that goes. I’ve seen folks get a break for swapping to tile, but then metal—which is arguably better for fire—gets ignored. It’s not always logical. After the 2017 fires, I had a client in Santa Rosa put in all the bells and whistles: metal roof, boxed-in eaves, ember screens. Their insurer sent an inspector, took a bunch of photos, but didn’t touch the premium. Still, when they had a small claim later, the adjuster was way more lenient because of those upgrades. Sometimes it’s less about discounts and more about how smooth things go if you ever need to file.
- I get what you’re saying about upgrades making claims easier, but honestly, I was hoping for more upfront savings.
- We put on a metal roof last year—cost a fortune compared to asphalt, and our insurance didn’t budge at all.
- Maybe it helps with claims, but that’s not super comforting when you’re already stretched paying the premium.
- Sometimes feels like unless you live in a “high risk” zone, they just don’t care what you do.
- Anyone else actually see a discount after fireproofing stuff? Or is it just luck of the draw?
I hear you on the insurance front. We’ve done a bunch of fire mitigation stuff at a few properties—cleared brush, swapped out wood decks for composite, even put in ember-resistant vents. Honestly, the only time I saw a real discount was when the whole neighborhood got together and did it as a group. The insurance company sent someone out, checked everything, and then gave us a small break. Not huge, but something.
On individual homes? It’s been hit or miss. One place with a metal roof and all the bells and whistles—no change at all. Another spot, just swapping out old cedar siding for fiber cement, got us maybe 5% off. Seems like it depends on the underwriter and how much they care about local risk data. If you’re not in a “red zone,” they just don’t seem to factor it in much.
I get why it’s frustrating. You spend all this money up front thinking you’ll save on premiums, but then it’s just... crickets. The only upside I’ve seen is that claims do go smoother if something does happen. Had a wildfire come close last year, and the adjuster basically said our place was “textbook” defensible space, so the payout process was way less of a headache.
If you’re stretched thin, I’d say focus on stuff that helps with both safety and maintenance—like metal roofs last forever, so at least you’re not replacing shingles every decade. But yeah, unless your whole area is pushing for discounts together, it feels like luck of the draw with insurance. Maybe things will shift if wildfires keep getting worse, but right now it’s pretty uneven.
That’s been my experience too—sometimes you do everything “right” and the insurance company barely notices.
That group approach seems to get more traction. Out of curiosity, did your local fire department get involved or offer any guidance? I’ve seen some areas where their input actually helped folks qualify for better rates, but it’s not always consistent.“The only time I saw a real discount was when the whole neighborhood got together and did it as a group.”