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.
Cost shareOpenApply before buying
Sheridan County Fuels Mitigation Program
Sheridan County wildland urban interface. Sheridan County Fuels Mitigation Program
Free property assessment by a fuels mitigation specialist and possible reimbursement for approved defensible space and fuels work for WUI property owners.
Free assessment; reimbursement for approved work (amount not published).
Apply before buying. It wants an assessment and approval before you buy parts or start work.
- You’ll need
- An assessment before the work and a home in a mapped hazard zone
Details and how to claim
- Details
- Brush and dead vegetation clearing, tree thinning, ladder fuel reduction, and defensible space around structures.
- How
- Contact Fuels Mitigation Coordinator Paul Wright at 307-683-3370 or [email protected] for an assessment, and get work approved before starting.
- We prepare
- Grant or rebate packet
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.
In progress in Wyoming
2026 session passed HB 36 (state forestry wildland fire modules), HB 78 (forest health grant program for nonprofits and governments, not individuals), and SF 17 (Good Neighbor authority); none gives homeowners insurance discounts or grants. Insurers told the Joint Appropriations Committee in November 2025 that home hardening, a 5 ft noncombustible zone, and IBHS or Firewise programs improve insurability, and suggested grants, tax credits, or sales tax exemptions; no bill followed. News reports the IBHS Wildfire Prepared Home application fee is $125.
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.