Home > Personal insurance > Homeowners insurance in California · Leer en español

Homeowners insurance in California: which form fits the house?

Updated 2026-10-03 by Insurance City Agency, LLC, CA License #6003045. Reviewed by Santo Militello, California-licensed Property & Casualty agent (CA License #1737723).

Homeowners insurance in California is the policy for a house you live in. A condo unit uses a unit-owner form. A house you rent out uses a dwelling form, not this homeowners form. Insurance City quotes all three. The Stockton office is at 956 W Robinhood Dr, Stockton, CA 95207. Check whether you qualify for one admitted policy. If an admitted insurer does not offer one, the California FAIR Plan remains the lawful last-resort market for basic fire coverage. Call (209) 670-1556.

Get a Quote (209) 670-1556

This page answers the statewide question: homeowners insurance in California, and home insurance in California. A Stockton address stays on the Stockton home insurance page. Foothill counties are on the Sierra foothills home insurance page. As of June 2026 the FAIR Plan reported 696,562 dwelling and commercial policies in force, an 8 percent increase since September 2025 (California FAIR Plan, Key Statistics & Data, checked 10/3/2026). That count is not a quote, and it is not a residential-only total.

What is the difference between an HO-3, an HO-5, a condo policy, and a DP-3?

An HO-3 is the special form for the house the owner lives in. An HO-5 is the comprehensive form, and it is the one that also puts personal property on an open-perils basis. A condo is an HO-6. A rental is usually a DP-3. The declarations page, not this paragraph, names the form on your policy.

The NAIC's 2026 homeowners market-data definitions describe the forms this way. An HO-3 (special form) covers all perils except those the policy excludes, and the definitions name flood and earthquake as examples of exclusions. An HO-5 (comprehensive form) provides open-perils coverage for both the dwelling and personal property. An HO-6 covers the real-property interest and the personal property of someone who owns a condominium unit or a share in a cooperative. A DP-3 (special form) is a dwelling policy: open-perils coverage for the dwelling and attached structures, again with exclusions such as flood and earthquake written into the form (NAIC, Definitions for State Regulator Homeowners Market Data Call 2026).

New York's Department of Financial Services, describing the same ISO form names, adds the practical split people ask about: on an HO-3 the dwelling is covered for risks of physical loss except the exclusions, and an HO-5 typically gives personal property that same open-perils treatment. A lender often asks for the HO-3 when you live in the house. The condo association's master policy usually covers the building shell; the HO-6 covers the interior the unit owner is responsible for, plus belongings and liability. Read both the master policy and the unit policy. Our condo and home insurance comparison and the condo insurance page stay on that split.

A rented house does not belong on an owner-occupied homeowners form. The dwelling policy, often a DP-3, is the landlord contract: the building, landlord-owned property, lost rent after a covered loss, and premises liability. The tenant's belongings are the tenant's policy. See landlord insurance in California. Stillwater, an insurance company we are appointed with, and Bamboo, a managing general agency we are appointed with, are described on their own pages: Stillwater home insurance in California and Bamboo home insurance in California. Appointment is not an offer of coverage. Bamboo's published menu is on the Bamboo page, admitted products only.

What does a homeowners policy cover?

Most homeowners policies have the same parts. The declarations page shows the limit for each one.

• Dwelling: the structure of the house.
• Other structures: a detached garage, a fence, a shed.
• Personal property: your belongings.
• Loss of use: added living costs while a covered loss keeps you out of the house.
• Personal liability and medical payments: if someone is hurt on the property, or you are responsible for damage to someone else.

Flood and earthquake are excluded from standard homeowners forms and are bought separately: flood insurance and earthquake insurance.

Ask us to compare the dwelling limit with the insurer's estimate of what it would cost to rebuild the house today. A limit set to the purchase price or the loan balance can be too low.

Insurance City is an independent insurance brokerage, so we quote more than one company. Stillwater and Bamboo are two of the companies we are appointed with. Auto insurance can be quoted at the same time.

Is a FAIR Plan policy plus DIC the same as one admitted policy?

No. FAIR Plan plus a difference-in-conditions policy is two contracts. One admitted homeowners or dwelling policy is one contract, and only if an insurer actually quotes it. Check whether you qualify for one admitted policy.

The California Department of Insurance describes the FAIR Plan as basic fire insurance when a traditional carrier will not write the property. The FAIR Plan says it is not a state agency and not funded by taxes. It is a pool of insurers licensed to write property and casualty insurance in California. Liability, theft, and many water losses sit on the DIC if you buy one. The Department counts those DIC policies separately. Keep the FAIR Plan in force until an admitted policy is bound with an overlapping effective date, the lender has the new evidence of insurance, and only then cancel the FAIR Plan and the DIC. The full comparison is on California FAIR Plan alternatives. A rental uses the landlord DP-3 guide. The step-by-step document list lives on Via Rapida: leave the California FAIR Plan.

What did CDI approve for the 2026 FAIR Plan dwelling rate?

The Department of Insurance approved a 29.1 percent average rate change on the FAIR Plan dwelling fire program. File 25-2174 requested 35.6 percent and was closed approved on April 6, 2026. That percentage is a statewide average for the dwelling fire program, not your renewal.

Those fields are in the Department's year-to-date closed list through August 31, 2026, checked 10/3/2026: personal lines, fire and allied lines, program name dwelling fire, filing type rate, status approved, SERFF number MOCC-134657692. A second file, 25-2455, dwelling fire and allied lines, closed the same day at a 0 percent approved change. Do not mix the two files. The closed list does not print an effective date. The Orange County Register, Pat Maio, May 20, 2026, republished by InsuranceNewsNet, reported that the FAIR Plan is raising rates 29.1 percent starting October 15, 2026, and quoted a FAIR Plan spokeswoman that not every customer will see a premium rise of that amount, that the wildfire portion drives the change, and that some policyholders will see a decrease. Your percentage is on the renewal. The longer note is the 2026 FAIR Plan rate page.

What wildfire questions do admitted carriers ask?

They commonly ask the age and material of the roof, a wildfire score such as FireLine, and how close brush sits to the house. This page does not publish a cutoff score, a roof-year limit, or a brush distance. Those are general underwriting questions, not a FAIR Plan rule.

A high score does not by itself accept or decline the house. Send the address and we check whether you qualify for one admitted policy. Home hardening and defensible space, including the Department of Insurance Safer from Wildfires steps, are written up for the five foothill counties on the Sierra foothills page. Roof questions in general are also on does your roof affect homeowners insurance.

What should I send for a California homeowners quote?

Send the address, how the house is occupied, the year built, the roof, the size, and the declarations page you already have. That packet is what we read. It is not a promise that a company will offer a policy.

• Street address, city, and ZIP.
• Whether you live there, rent it out, or own a condo unit.
• Year built, and approximate living area.
• Roof material, and the year it was replaced if you know it.
• The declarations page in force now. If that is a FAIR Plan policy, send the DIC declarations too.
• The mortgage company, if a lender must be named.

Have this list ready when you call (209) 670-1556 or when you write the note. Photos of the roof and the first five feet around the walls help the foothill files.

Homeowners pages by city

Local pages cover these areas:

• Home insurance in Stockton
• Homeowners insurance in Manteca
• Homeowners insurance in Lathrop
• Homeowners insurance in Elk Grove
• Homeowners insurance in Clovis
• Sierra foothills: El Dorado, Placer, Nevada, Calaveras, and Amador

There is no separate town page for foothill communities. Arnold, Murphys, Placerville, Auburn, Grass Valley, and Jackson are covered on the foothills page, by county.

Where does Insurance City quote California homeowners?

From the Stockton office at 956 W Robinhood Dr, Stockton, CA 95207. Phone (209) 670-1556. Stockton office hours are Monday through Friday, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.

Other offices, if one of them is closer: San Jose, 25 N 14th St Ste 125, San Jose, CA 95112, and San Rafael, 9 Vivian St, San Rafael, CA 94901. Maps: Stockton, San Jose, and San Rafael.

No broker fees on standard policies (Stockton and San Jose offices). Our licensed team brings more than 70 years of combined insurance experience.

Frequently asked questions

What is the difference between an HO-3, an HO-5, a condo policy, and a DP-3?

An HO-3 is the special form for a house the owner lives in. An HO-5 is the comprehensive form, and it extends open-perils coverage to personal property as well as the dwelling. A condo unit-owner policy is an HO-6. A rental is usually a DP-3 dwelling form, not a homeowners form. The declarations page names the form. Flood and earthquake are common exclusions on these forms.

Is a FAIR Plan policy plus DIC the same as one admitted policy?

No. FAIR Plan plus a difference-in-conditions policy is two contracts. One admitted homeowners or dwelling policy is one contract when an insurer quotes it. Check whether you qualify for one admitted policy. If none is offered, the FAIR Plan remains California's lawful last-resort market for basic fire coverage.

What did CDI approve for the 2026 FAIR Plan dwelling rate?

File 25-2174 is a dwelling-fire rate filing for the California FAIR Plan. The Department of Insurance closed it approved on April 6, 2026. The request was 35.6 percent. The approved change was 29.1 percent. That is a statewide average for the dwelling fire program, not a flat change on every policy. The closed list does not print an effective date. The Orange County Register reported on May 20, 2026 that the increase starts October 15, 2026.

What wildfire questions do admitted carriers ask?

They commonly ask roof age and roof material, a wildfire score such as FireLine, and how close brush sits to the house. Those are general underwriting questions. This page does not publish a cutoff score, a roof-age limit, or a brush distance. The foothill page covers defensible space and the Department of Insurance Safer from Wildfires steps.

What should I send for a California homeowners quote?

Send the address, whether you live there, rent it, or own a condo, the year built, the roof material and the year it was replaced if you know it, the square footage, and the declarations page you have now. Include the FAIR Plan and the DIC if those are the current policies, and the mortgage company if a lender is on the policy.

Sources

• NAIC. Definitions for State Regulator Homeowners Market Data Call 2026. HO-3, HO-5, HO-6, and DP-3. Checked 10/3/2026.
• New York Department of Financial Services. Choosing a homeowners policy. HO-3 special form and HO-5 comprehensive form, including personal property. The form names are the ISO names used on California declarations; the declarations control.
• California FAIR Plan. Key Statistics & Data. 696,562 dwelling and commercial policies in force as of June 2026, an 8 percent increase since September 2025. Checked 10/3/2026.
• California Department of Insurance. Rate filings closed, year to date through Aug. 31, 2026. File 25-2174: requested 35.6 percent, approved 29.1 percent, closed April 6, 2026, SERFF MOCC-134657692. File 25-2455: 0 percent, same closed date. Parsed 10/3/2026. Linked from the rate-filing approvals page.
• Orange County Register, Pat Maio, May 20, 2026, republished by InsuranceNewsNet: California FAIR Plan rates going up 29.1% in late 2026. Reported start October 15, 2026. Checked 10/3/2026.
• California Department of Insurance. Safer from Wildfires. Checked 10/3/2026. Detail is on the foothills page.

Related

• California FAIR Plan alternatives
• FAIR Plan vs admitted homeowners calculator
• 2026 FAIR Plan rate change
• Sierra foothills home insurance
• Landlord insurance in California
• Stillwater, an insurance company we are appointed with
• Bamboo, a managing general agency we are appointed with
• Esta página en español

Reviewed by Santo Militello, California-licensed Property & Casualty agent (CA License #1737723) and owner of Via Rapida Services — CA Insurance License #6003045. Our licensed team brings more than 70 years of combined insurance experience. Phone (209) 670-1556. Insurance City, 956 W Robinhood Dr, Stockton, CA 95207. No broker fees on standard policies (Stockton and San Jose offices). Last reviewed 2026-10-03.