IBHS Wildfire Prepared Home
IBHS Wildfire Prepared Home in Los Angeles.
A third-party designation that proves your home meets a wildfire standard insurers recognize. It costs $125 to apply. The real work is getting every item on the checklist done first, because there's no partial credit.
Updated November 10, 2026
$125
Nonrefundable application fee. The mitigation work is the real cost.
3 years
How long a designation lasts, with photo check-ins after years one and two.
7.8%
of LA homes IBHS surveyed after the 2025 fires had vents with 1/8-inch or finer mesh, one of the Essential requirements.
The short answer
Do all the work first, then apply.
Wildfire Prepared Home is a voluntary program run by the Insurance Institute for Business & Home Safety (IBHS), a research nonprofit. It covers the roof, key building features and the 30 feet around the house, and it's available in California and 13 other states.
There are two levels. Essential (formerly called Base) protects against embers and is usually reachable with retrofits to an existing home. Enhanced (formerly Plus) adds protection from flames and radiant heat, and usually fits new construction or a big exterior remodel. IBHS renamed the levels in June 2026; the requirements didn't change with the names.
The catch: you have to meet every requirement for your level. IBHS puts it plainly: wildfire exploits the weakest link, and partial mitigation doesn't qualify.
- 01
Pick a level and download the checklist
Most existing LA homes start with Essential. The IBHS checklist lists every required action.
- 02
Finish all the work
Vents, gutters, the 6-inch wall base, decks, fences and the first 5 feet are where most LA homes fall short (see the checklist below).
- 03
Apply and upload photos
Apply online at wildfireprepared.org, pay the $125 fee and upload photos of every side of the house, the key features and the first 5 feet. IBHS reviews them in about 2 to 5 business days.
- 04
In-person evaluation
Once the photos pass, a third-party evaluator usually visits within 1 to 3 weeks to document the work. If anything is missing, you get 60 days to fix it.
- 05
Get the certificate, then keep it
IBHS issues a digital certificate in its portal. Keep the yard and first 5 feet maintained, and send photos for an annual review in years one and two.
Essential level
The Essential checklist, item by item.
This is the ember-protection level, and the one most existing homes go for. Summarized from the IBHS 2025 Technical Standard and its current comparison page. Use IBHS's own checklist when you prepare, since IBHS updated its tree, shrub and deck rules in June 2026.
| Area | What IBHS requires | Our guide |
|---|---|---|
| Roof | Class A rated and kept clear of debris. Barrel tile or corrugated roofs need noncombustible bird stops at the eave ends. Wood shake and shingle roofs aren't allowed, whatever their rating. | Fire-resistant roof |
| Gutters | Metal or other noncombustible gutters and downspouts, kept clear. Plastic or PVC gutters have to go. | Roof and gutters |
| Vents | Vents tested to ASTM E2886 with sealed joints, or noncombustible mesh with openings no bigger than 1/8 inch. Dryer vents need a working louver or flap instead of mesh. | Vents compared, vent mesh |
| Base of the walls | At least 6 inches of noncombustible material at the bottom of every exterior wall, measured from the ground and from decks and patios. Stucco or exposed concrete foundation counts. | Fire-resistant siding |
| Decks and patios | Their own 5-foot clear zone from the outer posts, nothing stored underneath, the ground under elevated decks cleared to bare soil, and decks 4 feet or lower enclosed with 1/8-inch metal mesh. | Decks and fences |
| First 5 feet | No plants of any kind, including succulents, artificial turf and irrigated plants. No wood or rubber mulch, no overhanging branches, and no wood or vinyl fence, gate or post within 5 feet. Gravel, pavers, concrete and bare soil are fine. | The first 5 feet |
| 5 to 30 feet | Spaced and limbed-up trees and shrubs, grass under 4 inches, dead plants cleared, firewood 30 feet away, and propane tanks 30 feet away or 10 feet with cleared ground. | Fire-resistant plants |
| Sheds, ADUs, pergolas | Anything 15 sq ft or bigger within 30 feet must sit at least 10 feet from the house and meet the same rules, with no more than 3 of them. | Decks and fences |
Source: IBHS 2025 Technical Standard sections 2.1 to 2.2 and the Essential vs. Enhanced page. Exact tree and shrub spacing changed in June 2026, so check the current IBHS checklist for those numbers.
Enhanced level
Enhanced adds the flame and heat items.
Enhanced includes everything in Essential, plus building features that resist direct flame and radiant heat. These are usually bigger jobs, which is why IBHS says Enhanced fits new construction or a major exterior remodel.
| Area | What Enhanced adds | Our guide |
|---|---|---|
| Gutters | Noncombustible gutter covers. | Roof and gutters |
| Eaves | Enclosed undersides made of noncombustible material, 1-hour rated material or 2-inch lumber. | Vents compared |
| Siding | All exterior walls noncombustible, such as stucco, fiber cement, brick or metal. Wood siding doesn't qualify, even fire-treated. | Fire-resistant siding |
| Windows and skylights | At least two tempered panes, 20-minute fire-rated glass or glass block. Operable skylights screened with 1/8-inch mesh. | Fire-resistant windows |
| Doors | Noncombustible or solid-core wood at least 1-3/4 inches thick with a noncombustible threshold, or a noncombustible storm door outside. | Fire-resistant windows |
| Decks and stairs | A solid noncombustible walking surface with no gaps, noncombustible railings within 5 feet of the house, and solid noncombustible stair treads. | Decks and fences |
| Fences and structures | No back-to-back wood fences closer than 5 feet apart, and sheds, ADUs and pergolas at least 30 feet from the house. | Decks and fences |
Source: IBHS 2025 Technical Standard section 3.
LA homes
Where a typical LA house falls short.
IBHS surveyed homes after the Palisades and Eaton fires. Stucco walls and Class A roofs were the most common resilient features it saw, but they were often paired with vulnerable windows, doors, vents and eaves. About 80 percent of the homes had stucco, and only 7.8 percent had vents with 1/8-inch or finer mesh.
So for Essential, an LA house usually already has the roof and most of the wall base covered. The work tends to be:
- Vents
- Only 7.8 percent of the LA homes IBHS surveyed met this. Mesh down to 1/8 inch or swap to tested vents, and make sure the dryer vent has a working flap. See ember vents compared.
- The first 5 feet
- Plants, mulch and anything stored against the house have to go, all the way around the house and around any attached deck.
- Fences touching the house
- IBHS found fences on more than 95 percent of LA parcels, mostly wood, and often attached to the house or inside the first 5 feet. Any wood or vinyl section within 5 feet has to be replaced with metal or masonry.
- Decks and what's under them
- Clear the ground underneath, add 6 inches of noncombustible material at the base of the posts, and enclose low decks with 1/8-inch metal mesh.
- Gutters and tile roof edges
- Replace any plastic gutters, keep them clean, and add bird stops at the open ends of barrel tile.
One local note: if a protected tree sits inside the first 5 feet and can't legally be removed, IBHS says the home may not be eligible. Check before you spend money.
Altadena has a head start: in December 2025 IBHS and GER3 announced the first post-fire designations there, through a free program working to retrofit more than 50 homes for qualifying low-income families.
Insurance
What the designation can do for your premium.
IBHS says discounts aren't guaranteed and vary by insurer. Here's what California insurers publish, checked November 2026. Each one changes with rate filings, so ask your insurer for the number in writing.
| Insurer | What it publishes | Fine print |
|---|---|---|
| Mercury | 22.5% to 37.5% for Wildfire Prepared Home, 30% to 50% for Plus (Enhanced). | Off the wildfire portion of the premium only. You get the higher end when the nearest structure is 30 feet or more away. Subject to underwriting. |
| AAA (CSAA) | Discount lines for Essential and Enhanced. Designated homes skip AAA's own inspection form. | Up to 5% (Essential) and 10% (Enhanced) off the wildfire portion for HO-3 policies effective August 1, 2026 or later. |
| State Farm | Filed in September 2026 to consider new California applications for designated homes. | The state said the filing was under review as of September 18, 2026. Ask your agent whether it's open. |
| Any insurer | California's Safer from Wildfires rules require admitted insurers to offer discounts for mitigation. The state puts the range at 4% to 40%. | Many of the same actions count. Check the state's list of insurers offering discounts. |
Sources: Mercury, AAA, State Farm, CDI, September 2026, CDI briefing, March 2026. One Mercury page lists higher maximums than the ranges above.
The state's insurance department also says some of California's largest insurers now commit to writing policies for homes that meet the Wildfire Prepared Home standard. If you've been non-renewed, that's worth raising with a broker. Our non-renewal guide walks through the rest.
Cost and timeline
What it costs and how long it takes.
- Application fee
- $125, nonrefundable. Paying doesn't guarantee a designation or an evaluation, and if your application closes from inactivity you pay again.
- Annual reviews
- A photo review before each of the first two anniversaries, with its own fee and a late fee if you miss the window. After 3 years you go through the full process again.
- The work itself
- Depends on the house. Item costs for vents, gutters and the rest are on our home hardening guide. For new construction in Altadena, a 2025 Headwaters Economics and IBHS study found building to the Base level cost about $4,000 less than building to the state wildfire code, and Plus about $2,000 more.
- Timeline
- Several weeks if the work is already done. Photo review takes about 2 to 5 business days, the evaluator usually comes 1 to 3 weeks later, and the final review takes another 2 to 5 business days. IBHS doesn't offer expedited scheduling.
- Selling the house
- The designation stays with the property. The new owner can request a transfer for a small fee after closing.
How RF1 helps
Get it right before the evaluator comes.
IBHS issues the designation, not us, and IBHS doesn't endorse contractors. What we do is the prep. On a free assessment we walk the house and yard against the checklist for your level, flag anything that would fail, and give you a cost-ranged list of fixes.
Then we coordinate the work (vents, the first 5 feet, fencing and the rest) and photograph each fix so you have clean records for your application, your insurer and any future sale.
Questions
Wildfire Prepared Home questions we hear most.
- How much does IBHS Wildfire Prepared Home cost?
- The application fee is $125 and nonrefundable. Annual reviews in years one and two carry their own fee. The bigger cost is the mitigation work, which depends on what your house already has.
- What's the difference between Base and Plus, or Essential and Enhanced?
- Same levels, new names as of June 2026. Essential (formerly Base) covers embers and is usually reachable with retrofits. Enhanced (formerly Plus) adds noncombustible siding, tempered windows, solid doors, enclosed eaves and a noncombustible deck, so it usually fits new construction or a big remodel.
- Can I have plants within 5 feet of my house?
- Not for a designation. IBHS requires the first 5 feet to be clear of all vegetation, including succulents, artificial turf and irrigated plants. Gravel, pavers, concrete and bare soil are fine. That's stricter than any state rule in force today.
- How long does it take?
- Several weeks once the work is done. Photo review takes about 2 to 5 business days, the evaluator usually visits 1 to 3 weeks after that, and the final review takes another 2 to 5 business days. If something is flagged, you get 60 days to fix it.
- How long does the designation last?
- Three years, as long as you pass a photo-based annual review after years one and two. After that you reapply against the current standard.
- Does it lower my insurance?
- Often, but it's not guaranteed. Mercury publishes 22.5% to 37.5% off the wildfire portion for a designated home, and AAA up to 5% or 10% depending on level. State Farm filed in September 2026 to consider new applications for designated homes. Ask your insurer for the figure in writing.
- Can a condo or townhome get it?
- Not through the home program. It's for single-family detached homes three stories or fewer, including modular homes and HUD-code manufactured homes built after July 1994. Townhomes and condos go through IBHS's separate Wildfire Prepared Multifamily program.
- Does RF1 issue the designation?
- No. Only IBHS issues it, after its own photo review and a third-party evaluation. RF1 helps you get the house ready, coordinates the fixes and documents the work.
Keep going
Sources
- IBHS Wildfire Prepared Home, frequently asked questions
- IBHS Wildfire Prepared Home, Essential vs. Enhanced
- IBHS 2025 Wildfire Prepared Home Technical Standard
- IBHS Wildfire Prepared Home fact sheet (March 2025)
- IBHS, program update with Essential and Enhanced levels (June 2026)
- IBHS, program expands to 14 states (April 2026)
- IBHS and GER3, first Wildfire Prepared Home designations in Altadena (December 2025)
- IBHS, early field observations from the Palisades and Eaton fires (March 2025)
- IBHS, The 2025 LA Conflagrations, executive summary (December 2025)
- California Department of Insurance, Wildfire Safety and Insurability briefing (March 2026)
- California Department of Insurance, major home insurers move to reopen (September 18, 2026)
- California Department of Insurance, insurers currently offering mitigation discounts
- Mercury Insurance, California wildfire mitigation discounts
- AAA (CSAA Insurance), wildfire discount
- State Farm newsroom, California wildfire preparedness
- Headwaters Economics and IBHS, construction costs for wildfire-resistant homes in Altadena (2025)
Facts checked November 10, 2026. Requirements summarize the IBHS standard and website; IBHS's own checklist is the final word. Insurer figures are what each insurer publishes and change with rate filings. RF1 is not affiliated with IBHS.
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