California Homeowners Insurance Broker

California Home Insurance.
Shopped, Not Settled.

Independent brokerage for the hardest homeowners market in America. Admitted carriers, the FAIR Plan, and surplus-lines markets — one application, every option on the table, before you renew or close escrow.

Start your application → Call 310-804-5017

Indication in about 4 minutes · Sign the ACORD 80 online · No broker fee · No obligation

14+ carriers Admitted · High-value · E&S · FAIR
20–40% Typical carrier spread
All 50 states Licensed · CA DOI #6013787
No fee On standard placements
Explore the market
The markets we shop for you

One application, shopped across the whole California market

Independent means we answer to your home, not one carrier. We place across four segments and quote the ones that fit — then hand you the best of what comes back.

Preferred

Admitted carriers

Safeco, Travelers, Nationwide, Mercury, CSAA, Foremost, Stillwater — the competitive standard market.

High value

Private-client

Chubb, PURE, AIG Private Client, Cincinnati, Nationwide Private Client — richer contracts for higher-value homes.

Specialty

Surplus lines (E&S)

American Modern, Lloyd's of London and other E&S markets for brush-exposed and older homes.

Last resort

FAIR Plan + DIC

The California FAIR Plan paired with a DIC companion when the admitted market declines a home.

See how the market tiers work & why carrier appetite shifts →

Carrier names are shown to illustrate the segments we shop; availability and appetite vary by home, ZIP, and quarter, and listing a carrier isn't a guarantee of an offer.

Pricing Indication & Application

Your Indication & Signed Application, Step by Step

See a live premium indication as you answer, then complete and e-sign the official ACORD 80 homeowner application right here — no printing, no PDFs to email. A licensed broker shops your home across admitted carriers, the FAIR Plan, and surplus lines.

What an HO-3 Covers

Six coverages, one policy

Every homeowners policy is built from Coverages A through F. Get these six numbers right and the rest is fine print. Full coverage guide →

COVERAGE A

Dwelling

The house itself, at rebuild cost — not market value. The number every other limit hangs off, and the one Californians most often get wrong.

 COVERAGE B

Other Structures

Detached garages, fences, sheds, ADUs — typically 10% of Coverage A, adjustable when you actually have an ADU.

 COVERAGE C

Personal Property

Everything you own, usually 50–70% of Coverage A. Named-perils on an HO-3 — open-perils if you upgrade to HO-5.

 COVERAGE D

Loss of Use

Rent and extra living costs while you rebuild. After a wildfire, rebuilds run years — 24-month minimums matter in CA.

 COVERAGE E

Personal Liability

Defends and pays when someone sues you — dog bite, pool accident, a fall on your steps. $300k is the floor we recommend discussing.

 COVERAGE F

Medical Payments

Small no-fault medical bills for guests — the goodwill coverage that keeps small injuries from becoming lawsuits.
The California Market

Yes, it's a hard market. That's why brokers exist.

Carriers have tightened appetite, non-renewed brush zones, and re-priced wildfire risk across the state. The difference between "uninsurable" and "well-placed" is usually just knowing which market wants your home this quarter.

The exposure

Wildfire & brush zones

Brush mapping — not your ZIP code — decides your options. Home-hardening and Safer from Wildfires credits can reopen doors carriers had closed.

Wildfire insurance guide →
The backstop

FAIR Plan + DIC pairing

The FAIR Plan covers fire; a Difference-in-Conditions policy adds back liability, water, and theft. Paired correctly, it's real coverage — not a consolation prize.

FAIR Plan guide →
The clock

Non-renewed? Move fast.

A non-renewal notice starts a clock, not a catastrophe. The notice arrives ahead of the effective date — enough time to remarket properly if you start now.

Non-renewal playbook →
Brush Success Stories

Before we settle for the FAIR Plan, we work the market.

Brush exposure changes the submission, not the effort. We document the home, match it to current carrier appetite, and coordinate FAIR Plan plus DIC only when it is the proper placement.

No market is guaranteed. Eligibility, coverage, and pricing depend on underwriting, property condition, wildfire mapping, and carrier appetite at the time of submission.

01

Document

Build the property story

We review brush mapping, roof and system updates, defensible-space work, loss history, replacement cost, lender requirements, and the non-renewal deadline.

02

Remarket

Look beyond the first decline

We approach admitted, private-client, and specialty markets with real appetite for the home instead of treating one carrier's cancellation as the end of the road.

03

Coordinate

Use FAIR + DIC when proper

When the FAIR Plan is the sound option, we coordinate its fire coverage with a DIC companion and align limits, deductibles, effective dates, and mortgagee language.

I have had my insurance broker for many years and have not had any issues. Most recently, they assisted obtaining homeowner's insurance when my current provider canceled the policy due to fire risk concerns. They worked hard to find me another provider and avoid the dreaded California Fair Plan option which would have been far more expensive. The new provider is actually cheaper than the policy that was canceled. I am very happy with the result.

California homeowner Longtime brokerage client
Fire-risk cancellation Alternative carrier secured FAIR Plan avoided

Facing a brush-zone non-renewal? Start early enough for us to work the full placement path.

Get a pricing indication → Talk to a broker

Individual results vary. This reflects one client's experience and is not a prediction of savings, eligibility, or placement; carrier availability and pricing are determined case by case and are never guaranteed.

What Drives Your Premium

Eight levers set a California homeowners premium

Some you can't change (location). Most you can (deductible, roof, wiring disclosure, alarm, carrier choice). The wizard above prices all eight live. Full cost guide →

1 · Wildfire exposure

The dominant CA factor — brush distance, fire-zone mapping, and community mitigation.

2 · Coverage A

Premium scales with rebuild cost. Insure to rebuild, not to Zillow.

3 · Roof age & type

20+ year roofs surcharge; wood shake struggles; a documented re-roof pays for itself.

4 · Systems & wiring

Knob & tube, aluminum wiring, fuse panels, and old plumbing move carriers to "no" — or to E&S pricing.

5 · Claims history

Carriers pull 5–7 years of CLUE data. One water loss is survivable; surprises aren't.

6 · Deductible

$1,000 → $5,000 is often the cheapest premium cut you'll ever make.

7 · Protection & hardening

Central alarms, sprinklers, ember-resistant vents, defensible space — stacked discounts.

8 · Carrier choice

The same home prices 20–40% apart across carriers. This one is our job.

Pick the Right Form

HO-3, HO-5, or DP-3?

The form decides how your stuff is covered and what you can claim. Owner-occupied homes take HO-3 (or HO-5 for the broadest coverage); rentals take DP-3.

Policy formBest forDwellingContentsTypical premium
HO-3 · Special form Owner-occupied homes — the California default Open perils Named perils Baseline
HO-5 · Comprehensive Broader protection, better value on well-kept homes → BestHO5.com Open perils Open perils, replacement cost ~10–20% more
DP-3 · Dwelling fire Landlords & investment properties → Landlord guide Open perils Optional / limited Varies with rental risk

Deep dives: HO-3 vs HO-5 · HO-3 vs DP-3 · Condos (HO-6) · What "special form" actually means

The Comprehensive Guide

Everything we know about California homeowners insurance

Written for California homes, useful anywhere. Start with the pillar guide or jump straight to your situation.

No. 01

The California Guide

The pillar: coverages, forms, wildfire, FAIR Plan, pricing, claims, and how to buy — start to finish.

 No. 02

How Much Coverage A?

Rebuild cost vs market value, per-square-foot reality in CA, and why underinsurance shows up after wildfires.

 No. 03

Lower Your Premium

Deductible strategy, hardening discounts, bundling, and the remarketing schedule that actually works.

 No. 04

FAIR Plan, Explained

What it covers, what it doesn't, and how the DIC companion policy completes the picture.

 No. 05

Claims, Done Right

When to file, when not to, documentation that speeds payment, and CA's fair-claims rules.

 No. 06

Get Your Indication

Live premium range as you answer — then sign the ACORD 80 online and we shop it.
More guides
Rebuild-cost estimator (tool) Replacement cost vs ACV Extended replacement cost Deductibles Jewelry & scheduled items Umbrella policies Earthquake insurance Flood insurance Roof types Knob & tube wiring Problem electrical panels Pools & liability Dogs & liability First-time buyers Switching carriers Airbnb & short-term rentals Open vs named perils Roof age & the 20-year line Aluminum wiring Galvanized & poly plumbing Alarm & security discounts Older homes Wildfire mitigation checklist Home hardening Safer from Wildfires credits The CA market, explained Non-renewed? Do this Vacant homes Second & seasonal homes Home businesses New construction The inspection Escrow & lenders Glossary
By region
Los Angeles Orange County San Diego SF Bay Area Sacramento Inland Empire Central Valley Central Coast
Questions

California homeowners FAQ

Is the premium range on this site a real quote?

No — it's a preliminary indication built from the answers you give the wizard. Real quotes come from carriers after underwriting, wildfire-zone mapping, a replacement-cost valuation, and usually an inspection. The indication exists so you know the ballpark before you spend time — and so we both know which markets are worth approaching.

My carrier non-renewed me. Am I uninsurable?

Almost certainly not. Non-renewals in California are usually about a carrier's portfolio-level wildfire exposure, not your specific home. The path is: remarket to admitted carriers with current appetite, then E&S markets, then the FAIR Plan paired with a DIC policy. Start when the notice arrives — the notice arrives ahead of the effective date, precisely so there's time to do this properly. Read the playbook.

What's the difference between HO-3 and HO-5?

Both cover the house itself against everything not specifically excluded ("open perils"). The difference is your belongings: HO-3 covers contents only for named perils at (often) actual cash value; HO-5 covers contents open-perils at replacement cost. HO-5 typically runs 10–20% more and is often the better value on well-maintained homes. Full comparison — or see our HO-5 specialist site, BestHO5.com.

I rent out the property. Can I still use this application?

Yes — the wizard routes rentals and investment properties to a DP-3 dwelling application automatically. An HO-3 on a tenant-occupied home misrepresents the occupancy and can void claims, so getting the form right matters more than the premium difference. Landlord DP-3 guide.

Does homeowners insurance cover earthquakes or floods?

No on both — the two biggest California gaps. Earthquake is a separate policy (CEA or private markets), and flood is NFIP or private flood. We broker both alongside your homeowners policy. Earthquake guide · Flood guide.

What is the FAIR Plan, and is it bad?

The California FAIR Plan is the state's insurer of last resort for fire risk. It's not "bad" — it's incomplete: fire, lightning, smoke, and (optionally) wind, but no liability, theft, or water damage. That's why it's paired with a Difference-in-Conditions (DIC) policy that adds those back. Done correctly, FAIR + DIC is real, bankable coverage for brush-zone homes. FAIR Plan guide.

Do you charge a broker fee?

No broker fee on standard homeowners placements — carriers pay our commission. If a placement ever required a fee (rare, E&S edge cases), it's disclosed in writing before you commit, as California law requires.

Who is behind BestHO3?

WJB Services, Inc. dba Bollinsure Insurance Services — an independent brokerage licensed by the California Department of Insurance (Lic. #6013787) and licensed in all 50 states. Homeowners is one of our core lines alongside earthquake, fine art, cyber, and workers compensation. Call 310-804-5017 or email quotes@bollinsure.com.

Get Started

Ready to see your real options?

Takes about 4 minutes. No commitment. Live indication as you answer, then a signed ACORD 80 our brokers take to the whole California market.

Start your application →

Or call us directly: 310-804-5017 · quotes@bollinsure.com