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
Grants, rebates, and tax breaks
Money back for work on your house. Read what each one needs before you buy.
GrantClosed for now
Texas A&M Forest Service Mechanical Fuel Reduction Grant
Texas. Texas A&M Forest Service
Reimburses landowners in eligible counties for contractor brush and tree removal around homes, prioritizing defensible space within 100 ft.
Reimburses actual costs up to $750 per acre hand-cut, $1,500 per acre combination, $2,000 per acre heavy equipment, up to $20,000 per landowner (2026 cycle).
Closed for now. Not taking applications. Work done while it’s closed may not count. Check the official page before you buy.
- You’ll need
- An assessment before the work and a home inside the program’s boundary
Details and how to claim
- Details
- Vegetation fuel reduction 0 to 100 ft from a home (up to 300 ft) and fuel breaks at least 66 ft wide; no burning. Work must be done by a hired, unaffiliated contractor, not the landowner. Retrofits are not covered.
- How
- Apply online during the June 1 to July 14 window (next window opens June 1, 2027). Wait for the approval letter and a pre-inspection before any work; work done earlier is not reimbursed.
- We prepare
- Grant or rebate packet
Free help
Assessments and services you don’t pay for.
Free assessmentOpen
Austin wildfire property assessment
City of Austin; Central Texas outside the city through Texas A&M Forest Service. City of Austin; Texas A&M Forest Service Central Texas Firewise liaison
Austin residents can request a fire assessment of their property through 3-1-1. Owners outside the city can get a free assessment from Texas A&M Forest Service's Central Texas Firewise liaison.
Assessment through 3-1-1 inside Austin; free assessment from TFS outside the city.
- You’ll need
- A home inside the program’s boundary
Details and how to use it
- Details
- The page does not list what the assessment checks.
- How
- Inside Austin, call 3-1-1. Outside the city, contact Will Boettner, TFS, 936-241-2574, [email protected].
- 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 in Texas
2025 session wildfire bills (per Texas 2036) focused on suppression funding (HB 500), equipment (SB 767), prescribed burn insurance (HB 2563), utility mitigation plans (HB 145), and a fuel loading study (SB 34); none of those reviewed creates homeowner insurance discounts, retrofit grants, or defensible space rules. TDI's April 3, 2026 wildfire post does not mention mitigation discounts.
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.