Insurance
Rules that make insurers count mitigation, and the certification many of them recognize.
Insurance ruleIn effectConfirm your property’s eligibility
Insurers and the state wildfire map (HB 48)
Utah. Property insurers, under 2025 HB 48; map by Utah Division of Forestry, Fire and State Lands
Insurers writing property coverage in the wildland urban interface must use Utah's high-risk WUI boundary to decide whether a property is high risk (they may also use other data), and must disclose premium increases above 20% or a decision to stop coverage. Lot assessment triage data may be shared with insurers and homeowners.
No required discount. Gives homeowners one public map and notice of large increases or nonrenewal.
Confirm your property’s eligibility. It needs a home in a mapped hazard zone. Check your address on the official page.
- You’ll need
- A home in a mapped hazard zone
Details and how to use it
- Details
- The rule does not name retrofits. Salt Lake County advises asking insurers about credits or re-inspection after mitigation where available.
- How
- Look up your address on wildfirerisk.utah.gov. If your insurer rates you high risk or raises your premium more than 20%, ask which map it used and whether completed mitigation or a lot assessment changes the rating.
- We prepare
- Mitigation record and Request for a mitigation review
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
Rules for homeowners
What you may owe when you sell, rebuild, or keep up the ground around the house.
Required clearanceNot in effect yet
Utah high-risk WUI wildfire fee and lot assessment (HB 48, HB 41)
Utah. Utah Division of Forestry, Fire and State Lands; counties collect the fee for the Utah Wildfire Fund
Owners of taxable structures inside the high-risk WUI boundary will pay an annual wildfire fee that funds state lot assessments. From 2028 the fee is set by a certified lot assessment triage score and square footage, so finishing the recommended mitigation can lower the fee but not remove it.
Fee estimated at $20 to $100 per structure per year in the first two years. From 2028, properties with no lot assessment are billed at the highest risk level.
- Asks about
- Vents, gutters and gutter guards, and the first 5 ft around the house
- You’ll need
- A home in a mapped hazard zone and a fee
Details and how to comply
- Details
- The triage score weighs vegetation in defensible space and construction features. Salt Lake County guidance lists clearing roofs and gutters, a noncombustible buffer next to the house, moving woodpiles and stored combustibles, and covering vents and openings. Exact scoring items were not yet published.
- How
- Check whether your structure is inside the boundary at wildfirerisk.utah.gov. Join the FFSL waitlist for a High-Risk WUI Property Assessment (or later use a private assessor certified to FFSL standards), then complete the listed mitigation to lower your triage score before 2028 fees.
- Starts
- Jan 1, 2027
- We prepare
- Mitigation record
Building codeIn effect
Utah WUI Code local adoption (HB 48)
Utah. Cities and counties, with guidance from Utah Division of Forestry, Fire and State Lands
Under HB 48, cities and counties had to adopt and enforce the Utah WUI Code by January 1, 2026, with local WUI maps and building code updates drawn from the WUI sections of the 2006 International Fire Code.
- You’ll need
- A home inside the program’s boundary
Details and how to comply
- Details
- Applies mainly to new construction and permitted work. Ask your city or county which WUI code sections apply to vent replacements, gutters, and remodels.
- How
- Before permitted work in a mapped WUI area, ask your local building department which Utah WUI Code requirements apply.
Free help
Assessments and services you don’t pay for.
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.
Local programs
Counties, cities, and fire districts with their own money or help. Open your county to see everything that applies there.
In progress
2025 HB 48 took effect January 1, 2026: high-risk WUI boundary published, cities and counties to adopt the Utah WUI Code, insurers to use the state boundary. 2026 HB 41 (signed by Gov. Cox in March 2026, per KPCW) moved the start of the homeowner fee from January 1, 2026 to January 1, 2027 and lets local governments petition during 2026 to add or remove properties from the fee area. Fee is estimated at $20 to $100 per structure per year for the first two years; from 2028 it is set by a certified lot assessment triage score plus square footage, and properties with no assessment are billed at the highest level. FFSL says the assessment request program and private assessor certification standards were not live yet, and appeals will be set by administrative rule. About 60,000 buildings were inside the late-2025 draft boundary (TownLift).
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.