Insurance
Rules that make insurers count mitigation, and the certification many of them recognize.
CertificationOpenReady to proceed
Wildfire Prepared Home
Nationwide. Insurance Institute for Business & Home Safety (IBHS)
A certification from the insurance industry’s research institute that a house meets its wildfire standard. An evaluator visits and documents the work, and many insurers in the states where it’s offered recognize it.
Discounts vary by insurer and state and aren’t guaranteed. A designation lasts 3 years, with a yearly photo review to keep it active.
Ready to proceed. It applies to insurers in your state. Keep the record of the work.
- Work it may recognize
- Vents, gutters and gutter guards, and the first 5 ft around the house
- You’ll need
- A fee and a yearly review
Details and how to use it
- Details
- Essential, the ember level, also asks for a Class A roof and 6 in of noncombustible wall base. Enhanced adds gutter guards, enclosed eaves, tempered windows, and noncombustible siding and decks. Garage doors aren’t named.
- How
- Do the work with the How-To Prepare checklist, then apply online with photos of every side of the house and the 0 to 5 ft zone. An evaluator visits; if something falls short, you have 60 days to fix it and send photos.
- We prepare
- Certification checklist and Mitigation record
Free help
Assessments and services you don’t pay for.
Free assessmentCheck status
Florida Forest Service wildfire assessment and brush removal help
Florida. Florida Forest Service (FDACS)
Florida Forest Service field offices assess wildfire threat around homes in wildfire-prone areas and can help with free brush removal.
Brush removal described as free (Nov 2025 report).
Details and how to use it
- Details
- Brush and vegetation work, not retrofits.
- How
- Contact your local Florida Forest Service field office to schedule an assessment.
- We prepare
- Mitigation record
Neighborhood programOpen
Firewise USA
Nationwide. National Fire Protection Association (NFPA)
A neighborhood program. Residents form a small board, get a risk assessment, write an action plan, and log the work they do each year to stay recognized. Some state insurance rules and some insurers count a recognized neighborhood.
Details and how to use it
- Details
- Community work: clearing, chipping days, and education. Your own retrofit work counts toward the neighborhood’s yearly total.
- How
- Look up recognized sites near you, or start one with your neighbors through NFPA’s Firewise USA portal. Your state forestry agency usually helps with the assessment.
In progress
My Safe Florida Home is a hurricane wind mitigation program and does not cover wildfire retrofits such as ember-resistant vents. In spring 2026 nearly 80% of Florida was in extreme or exceptional drought, with more than 1,500 wildfires and 54,000 acres burned by mid-April and burn bans in 26 counties (Insurance Journal, Apr 16, 2026). No Florida wildfire insurance discount rule, retrofit grant, or seller disclosure was found. IBHS Wildfire Prepared Home became available in Florida in April 2026.
General information, not legal, tax, or insurance advice. Rules and funding change, so open the official page before you apply or buy for a program.