Will This House Be Insurable? How to Find Out Before You Fill Out a Form

In California and Washington today, whether a home can be insured matters as much as whether it passes inspection. A buyer who can't get a homeowners policy usually can't get a loan. A seller whose buyer can't get coverage can lose the deal late in escrow.

Most people find out by typing an address into an insurance company's online form and waiting. There's a better way. Much of what insurers look at is available to you directly, for free, before anyone runs a quote.

We represent buyers and sellers, and never both in the same deal. We'd rather our clients find a problem in week one than in week four. Here's where to look.

What insurers actually look at

Each company's pricing formula is proprietary, but the inputs are well known. These are the ones that most often decide whether a home gets a policy at all:

• Wildfire risk score. Most California carriers buy a score for each address from a modeling company such as Verisk (FireLine) or Cotality (formerly CoreLogic). Slope, vegetation, access roads and the home's own fire-hardening all feed into it.
• Claims history on the property. Prior water, roof, fire or theft claims follow the house, not the owner. Two water claims in a few years can be enough for a decline.
• Roof. Age, material and condition. Many carriers balk at roofs older than about 20 years, and wood shake is a problem almost everywhere in fire country.
• Electrical. Knob-and-tube wiring, and Federal Pacific or Zinsco panels, are common automatic declines.
• Plumbing. Polybutylene or old galvanized supply lines raise water-damage risk.
• Fire protection. Distance to the nearest fire station and hydrant sets the "protection class." Rural and hillside homes pay for this.
• Flood and earthquake. These are separate policies, not part of a standard homeowners policy. Lenders may require flood coverage in mapped flood zones.
• Condition and permits. Unpermitted additions, deferred maintenance and vacancy all make underwriters nervous.

Free tools anyone can use

You don't need an agent, a broker or a quote to see most of an insurer's inputs. Start here.

1. The home's claims history (CLUE report)

LexisNexis keeps a database of insurance claims on each property going back up to seven years. Owners get one free report a year through the LexisNexis consumer portal or by phone at 866-312-8076.

Only the owner can order it, so buyers have to ask the seller. Errors can be disputed, and owners can add a written explanation to a claim.

2. Your wildfire risk score (California)

Under the state's "Safer from Wildfires" rules, an insurer must give you the score when you apply, before a renewal or non-renewal, and after you finish mitigation work and ask for it. The insurer must also tell you what drove the score and what would lower it, and you can appeal it. See the Department of Insurance's wildfire regulation FAQ.

3. Public hazard maps

These aren't the scores insurers buy, but they track the same terrain and tell you quickly whether to expect trouble:

• CAL FIRE Fire Hazard Severity Zones: enter an address to see whether it sits in a moderate, high or very high zone.
• Wildfire Risk to Communities: a U.S. Forest Service tool covering communities in California and Washington.
• FEMA Flood Map Service Center: shows whether a lender is likely to require flood insurance.

4. The insurers' own rulebooks

Homeowners insurers in California and Washington file their rates and rating rules with the state, and those filings are public. They're dense, but they show the factors a company uses. Search California filings in the Department of Insurance's Virtual Viewing Room, or either state's filings through SERFF Filing Access.

How to shop for coverage without a broker

You can go straight to the insurance companies, and the state regulators publish the tools to do it.

In California

• Call insurers directly. The Department of Insurance keeps a Residential Insurance Contact List with toll-free numbers for more than 100 insurers. Some will quote you themselves. Others will send you to their nearest agent. Ask each one plainly whether they're writing new policies in the home's ZIP code and what would make it ineligible.
• Compare prices before you call. The Homeowners Premium Comparison Tool shows sample premiums by company and area. They're not quotes, but they show who is active and roughly what they charge.
• Compare what the policies cover. The Homeowners Coverage Comparison Tool lays out differences between companies' policy contracts.
• Read the state's own checklist. The Department's Top Ten Tips for Finding Residential Insurance covers non-renewals, complaints and last-resort options.
• Know the last resort. The California FAIR Plan is there when the regular market says no. It covers fire, lightning, internal explosion and smoke only, so it's usually paired with a separate Difference in Conditions policy for everything else.
• Talk to a person at the state. The Department of Insurance consumer hotline is 1-800-927-4357.

In Washington

• The Office of the Insurance Commissioner's Homeowner Insurance Guide explains underwriting factors and how to shop.
• Washington rate filings are searchable on SERFF Filing Access, the same as California's.
• The IBHS Wildfire Prepared Home designation became available to Washington homeowners in 2026. It's a checklist of mitigation steps aimed at keeping a home insurable, and the OIC recommends it for homes in wildfire areas.
• For help finding coverage, call the OIC consumer hotline at 1-800-562-6900.

Your checklist

If you're selling

• Order your free CLUE report before you list, and fix any errors.
• Ask your current insurer for your wildfire risk score and what's driving it.
• Pull together the roof age, the electrical panel brand, the plumbing type and any permits. Buyers' insurers will ask.
• Handle cheap fixes early: clear brush, replace an old panel, and document mitigation work with photos.

If you're buying

• Ask the seller for the CLUE report with the disclosures.
• Check the address on the fire hazard and flood maps the day you start looking.
• During your inspection period, call several insurers directly and get a written quote you can actually bind.
• Don't remove your contingencies until you know you can get coverage your lender will accept.

We build these steps into every Arrivva transaction so insurance problems surface in week one, not the week before closing. If you're buying or selling in California or Washington and want help working through any of this, call or text us at (408) 868-2620.

Sources

• California Department of Insurance, Top Ten Tips for Finding Residential Insurance
• California Department of Insurance, Safer from Wildfires regulation FAQ
• California Department of Insurance, Residential Insurance Contact List
• Washington Office of the Insurance Commissioner, CLUE reports
• Washington Office of the Insurance Commissioner, IBHS Wildfire Prepared Home designations
• CAL FIRE Office of the State Fire Marshal, Fire Hazard Severity Zones

This post is general information, not insurance, legal or financial advice. Insurers' rules change often, so confirm details with the insurer and your state's insurance department.