No one is ever ready to lose a home to wildfire. If it happens to you, the days and weeks that follow are overwhelming. This guide walks through what to do, step by step, and the rights California law gives you after a loss tied to a declared state of emergency.
If you’re reading this before a fire, the best time to prepare is now. Skip to Before a fire: prepare now at the end.
Your first 30 days
- Stay safe. Don’t return until officials say it’s safe. Burned properties can contain hazardous materials.
- Report your claim to your insurer as soon as you can, and call your agent. Write down your claim number and adjuster’s contact information.
- Ask for your advances. After a total loss in a declared emergency, request your living expense advance and your contents payment right away (see your rights below).
- Keep every receipt for hotels, meals, clothing, mileage, toiletries and anything you buy because you lost the use of your home.
- Request a complete copy of your policy, including your declarations page and all endorsements.
- Document your property: photos and video of the site, and any photos you have of the home and belongings before the fire.
- Ask about debris removal, including any government cleanup program and how it interacts with your policy’s debris removal coverage.
Your rights under California law
Contents: 60% without “the list”
Under SB 495, which took effect January 1, 2026, after a total loss in a declared emergency your insurer must pay 60% of your personal property limit, up to $350,000, without requiring a detailed inventory. You can still document more items to collect up to your full limit. You also have at least 100 days to submit proof of loss.
Living expenses: an advance and at least 24 months
After a total loss, your insurer must advance at least four months of additional living expenses when you ask. ALE must be available for at least 24 months, with extensions up to 36 months, and more for good cause, if you hit delays beyond your control. Your policy’s dollar limit still applies. Read Loss of Use Explained.
Time to collect full replacement cost
Many policies first pay actual cash value, then the rest once you rebuild or replace. After a loss in a declared emergency, you have at least 36 months from the first actual cash value payment to collect the full replacement cost.
Working your claim
- Understand every coverage that applies: dwelling, other structures, contents, loss of use, debris removal, trees and landscaping, and code upgrades.
- Get your own rebuild estimate from a licensed contractor and compare it to the insurer’s.
- Don’t rush to settle or sign anything you don’t understand. Ask questions in writing.
- Keep a claim journal of every call: date, person and what was said.
- Get help if you need it. The California Department of Insurance hotline is 1-800-927-4357, and nonprofit United Policyholders offers free wildfire recovery resources. Some homeowners hire a licensed public adjuster.
Before a fire: prepare now
- Make a home inventory. Walk through every room recording video on your phone, including closets and drawers. Store it in the cloud.
- Store key documents and your policy digitally.
- Check your limits, especially dwelling, contents and loss of use. See Are You Underinsured?
- Add extended replacement cost and adequate code upgrade coverage.
- Harden your home and keep up Zone Zero and defensible space. See our Zone Zero guide.
- Know your agent. When disaster strikes, you want someone in your corner who knows your policy.
Prepare before fire season
A walk-through is one of the best ways to prepare: it reviews your home’s insurability, validates mitigation, and helps make sure your coverage and documentation are in order before you ever need them.
Phil or a member of our team visits your property and looks at it the way insurance underwriters do, so you know where your home stands and what to do next.
- Reviews your home against carriers’ own underwriting guidelines
- Verifies your ISO mapping: the actual distance to the nearest fire station and hydrant
- Identifies and validates mitigation discounts, which are hard to sort out on your own
- Captures the photos and details carriers, and the FAIR Plan if needed, require up front
- Gives you clear next steps to put your home in its best position for coverage
This is an insurability review only. It isn’t a home inspection, an appraisal or a fire agency defensible space inspection.
Book a Walk-Through Email phil@gold.insureWe’re here for you
If you’re a Gold Insurance Solutions client facing a loss, contact our service team at team@gold.insure or book a call with me. We’ll help you understand your coverage and stay on top of your claim.
Want to make sure you’d be ready? Book a 30-minute review with me or request a free quote. Current clients with questions about an existing policy or renewal can reach our service team at team@gold.insure.
Specialists in California’s wildland-urban interface, where homes meet forest, brush and grassland.
Phil Irwin, President, Gold Insurance Solutions. CA License #6000540. General information as of October 2026, not legal advice. Coverage and pricing vary by carrier and home.