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California FAIR Plan alternatives: can one admitted policy replace FAIR plus DIC?

Published 2026-10-02 by Insurance City Agency, LLC, CA License #6003045. Reviewed by Santo Militello, California-licensed Property & Casualty agent (CA License #1737723).

Some California homes on the FAIR Plan can move to one admitted policy, and some cannot. Check whether you qualify for one admitted policy. The FAIR Plan is a lawful last-resort market for basic fire coverage. It is not a full homeowners policy. Keep it in force until an admitted carrier binds a replacement. Insurance City runs that check by phone from Stockton, 956 W Robinhood Dr, and San Jose, 25 N 14th St Ste 125. Call (209) 670-1556.

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As of June 2026 the FAIR Plan reported 696,562 policies in force, an 8% increase from September 2025 (California FAIR Plan, Key Statistics & Data, checked 10/2/2026). On Sept. 30, 2025 its residential ZIP file totaled 621,234 residential policies, and its county file totaled 642,010 policies across residential, commercial, and businessowners lines. The 2026 dwelling rate change is a separate question from whether an admitted policy will write the house. Rentals use a different path: landlord FAIR Plan to an admitted DP-3.

What does the California FAIR Plan cover, and what does it leave out?

It covers basic fire insurance for a property that cannot get coverage from a traditional carrier, and it does not replace a homeowners policy. The California Department of Insurance fact sheet of Jan. 13, 2025 describes the FAIR Plan that way. The FAIR Plan says it is not a state agency, not a public entity, and not funded by taxpayers. It is a syndicated fire insurance pool of insurers licensed to write property and casualty insurance in California, created by California Insurance Code sections 10090 and following in August 1968 (California FAIR Plan, About the FAIR Plan).

The FAIR Plan also says its goal is attrition: a temporary safety net until coverage from a traditional carrier is available. A difference-in-conditions (DIC) policy is a second contract. The Department counts DIC policies separately from FAIR Plan policies in its county tables. Liability, theft, and many non-fire losses are why people buy that second policy. Read the declarations. The form, not a summary, controls what is covered.

Can I get off the FAIR Plan?

Sometimes, if an admitted carrier will write the house. The FAIR Plan is not a permanent assignment. Its own site calls it a temporary safety net. Check whether you qualify for one admitted policy. If the house does not qualify, staying on the FAIR Plan is a lawful way to keep fire coverage.

In 2023, insurers and homeowners together did not renew 788,485 residential policies statewide (California Department of Insurance, Residential Insurance Policy Analysis by County, 2020 to 2023). That count includes non-renewals the policyholder started, such as a sale or a move to another company. The Department's Jan. 13, 2025 fact sheet says past research found that about 75 to 80 percent of non-renewals were started by policyholders and the remaining 20 to 25 percent by insurance companies. It does not publish that split for 2023. A non-renewal is a reason to shop. It is not proof that an admitted policy is available.

Which admitted carriers are writing California homes?

Stillwater and Bamboo are carriers we are appointed with for admitted California homeowners and dwelling coverage. Appointment means we can submit a complete file. It does not mean either carrier will quote your address. Check whether you qualify for one admitted policy.

On July 17, 2026, Bamboo announced additional admitted homeowners and dwelling-fire capacity in California, including about $150 million of new admitted capacity, for new business and renewals with effective dates beginning July 1, 2026 (Bamboo Insurance announcement, July 17, 2026). That is capacity, not an eligibility promise. Stillwater's California homeowners rate change of 12.4 percent, reduced from a requested 27.5 percent, took effect November 27, 2025 (Consumer Watchdog, Sept. 23, 2025). A rate change shows the company is an active admitted homeowners writer. It does not show that every ZIP is open. We do not name carriers we are not appointed with on this page.

How does FAIR Plan plus DIC compare with one admitted policy?

FAIR Plan plus DIC is two policies. One admitted policy is a single contract when a carrier offers it. The only statewide premium we will print is the FAIR Plan homeowners average. We do not have a sourced statewide range for DIC premiums or for an admitted replacement, so those cells stay blank of dollar figures.

A lower or higher premium is not the reason to move. Compare the perils, the deductible, the mortgagee clause, and whether fire is on the admitted form. The Department of Insurance approved a 29.1 percent average dwelling-fire rate change for the FAIR Plan in file 25-2174. What that does at renewal is on our 2026 FAIR Plan rate page.

What can disqualify a home from an admitted policy?

Roof age, a wildfire score such as FireLine, and distance from brush are common reasons an admitted carrier declines to quote. They are general underwriting questions, not a published FAIR Plan rule, and they differ by carrier. This page does not set a roof-year cutoff, a FireLine number, or a brush distance.

• Roof age and material. Carriers ask how old the roof is and what it is made of. An older roof can limit the market. It does not, by itself, decide the FAIR Plan.
• A wildfire score such as FireLine. Some admitted programs use a modeled score. A high score can narrow who will quote. We do not publish a passing score.
• Brush distance and slope. How close fuel sits to the walls is part of the inspection. Defensible-space work can matter to an underwriter. It is not a promise of a quote.

Vacant houses and some specialty occupancies are a different conversation. For a tenant-occupied rental, start with the DP-3 eligibility guide and the California landlord insurance page rather than this homeowners check.

How do I switch without a coverage gap?

Keep the FAIR Plan in force until the admitted policy is bound with an effective date that overlaps it. Canceling first is how a house ends up with a gap. The mortgage company needs the new evidence of insurance before the old policy comes off.

1. Pull the FAIR Plan declarations and the DIC declarations. Note both expiration dates.
2. Ask us to check whether you qualify for one admitted policy. Send roof and panel photos if we ask.
3. If a carrier offers a policy, bind it effective before the FAIR Plan cancellation date.
4. Send the new evidence to the lender. Then cancel the FAIR Plan and the DIC, in that order, so fire coverage never drops.

The day-by-day document list for an owner-occupied home is on Via Rapida's leave the FAIR Plan guide and its FAIR Plan homeowners post. This page is the check. Those posts are the timeline. We do not copy them here.

What does the FAIR Plan cost?

The average FAIR Plan homeowner paid just over $3,000 a year as of September 2025, according to the San Francisco Chronicle. The Chronicle divided FAIR Plan premium totals by policy counts. That is a statewide average for homeowners on the FAIR Plan, not a quote, and not the cost of FAIR Plan plus DIC. The same report shows ZIP averages far above and below that figure, including a San Francisco homeowners average of $1,153 a year.

An admitted quote can come in higher or lower than the two bills you pay now. We will not guess it. The 2026 average rate change, and what to do before renewal, is covered on the rate-increase page.

Where are FAIR Plan policies concentrated?

Nobody qualifies because of a county name. These counts show where FAIR Plan policies were in force on Sept. 30, 2025. A house in a high-count county can still be declined, and a house in a low-count county can still be written. Check whether you qualify for one admitted policy.

Figures below are from the California FAIR Plan county file for Sept. 30, 2025. That file combines residential, commercial, and businessowners policies. It is not the residential-only ZIP file. Statewide, that county file totals 642,010 policies. The residential ZIP file for the same day totals 621,234. The FAIR Plan notes that totals can differ by report.

Source: California FAIR Plan, Policy Growth by Fiscal Year, data by county, residential, commercial, and businessowners lines, Sept. 30, 2021 through Sept. 30, 2025. Residential ZIP detail is in the residential ZIP file for the same date. County growth through 2026 for a smaller set of counties is in our FAIR Plan growth study. “Sierra foothills” here means the six counties named in the table, not a FAIR Plan region.

Frequently asked questions

Is the California FAIR Plan a full homeowners policy?

No. The California Department of Insurance describes the FAIR Plan as basic fire insurance for properties that cannot get coverage from a traditional carrier. The FAIR Plan's own site says it is not a state agency and is not funded by taxpayers. Liability, theft, and many water losses usually sit on a separate difference-in-conditions policy if you buy one.

Can I get off the FAIR Plan?

Sometimes. The FAIR Plan describes itself as a temporary safety net until a traditional carrier is available. That is not the same as an approval. Check whether you qualify for one admitted policy. If you do not, the FAIR Plan can stay in force.

Which admitted carriers does Insurance City use for this check?

Stillwater and Bamboo are carriers we are appointed with for admitted California homeowners and dwelling coverage. Bamboo announced additional admitted homeowners and dwelling-fire capacity in California on July 17, 2026. Appointment is not an offer of coverage. Each home is underwritten.

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

No. FAIR Plan plus a DIC wrap is two contracts. One admitted homeowners or dwelling policy is one contract when a carrier quotes it. The San Francisco Chronicle reported that the average FAIR Plan homeowner paid just over $3,000 a year as of September 2025. That figure is the FAIR Plan premium only, not FAIR plus DIC, and it is not a quote.

What can disqualify a home?

Admitted carriers commonly review roof age and roof material, a wildfire score such as FireLine, and how close brush sits to the house. Those are general underwriting questions. They are not a FAIR Plan rule, and this page does not publish a cutoff score or a brush distance. The declarations page and an inspection decide the file.

How do I switch without a coverage gap?

Do not cancel the FAIR Plan first. If an admitted policy is offered, bind it with an effective date that overlaps the FAIR Plan, confirm the mortgagee has the new evidence of insurance, and only then cancel the FAIR Plan and the DIC. A rental uses a different form. See the landlord guide.

What does the FAIR Plan cost?

The San Francisco Chronicle reported that, as of September 2025, the average FAIR Plan homeowner paid just over $3,000 a year. That is an statewide average for FAIR Plan homeowners, not a quote, and it does not include a DIC policy. ZIP averages in that report sit far above and below the statewide average.

Does my county mean I qualify?

No. County policy counts show where the FAIR Plan is in force. They do not mean a house in that county qualifies for an admitted policy. On Sept. 30, 2025 the FAIR Plan county file showed 6,200 policies in Santa Clara County, 4,361 in Marin, 11,694 in Alameda, 12,837 in Contra Costa, 8,748 in Sonoma, and 3,042 in Napa, counting residential, commercial, and businessowners policies together. Check whether you qualify for one admitted policy.

Sources

• California FAIR Plan. Key Statistics & Data. Total policies in force 696,562 as of June 2026. Checked 10/2/2026.
• California FAIR Plan. About the California FAIR Plan. Not a state agency; Insurance Code sections 10090 and following; temporary safety net. Checked 10/2/2026.
• California FAIR Plan. County policies in force, all lines, through Sept. 30, 2025 (PDF).
• California FAIR Plan. Residential policies in force by ZIP, through Sept. 30, 2025 (PDF). Statewide residential total 621,234.
• California Department of Insurance. Fact sheet on residential policies and the FAIR Plan, Jan. 13, 2025 (PDF).
• California Department of Insurance. Residential policy analysis by county, 2020 to 2023 (PDF). Statewide non-renewed policies in 2023: 788,485.
• California Department of Insurance. Rate filings closed, year to date through Aug. 31, 2026 (Excel). File 25-2174. Linked from the rate-filing approvals page.
• San Francisco Chronicle. California FAIR Plan home insurance premiums mapped by ZIP code. Average homeowner just over $3,000 a year as of September 2025. Page checked 10/2/2026; the article is script-gated, and the figure is taken from the article text.
• Bamboo Insurance. Admitted capacity announcement, July 17, 2026.
• Consumer Watchdog. Stillwater homeowners rate settlement, effective Nov. 27, 2025. Also PR Newswire, Sept. 23, 2025.

Related

• California FAIR Plan rate increase, 2026
• Landlord FAIR Plan to an admitted DP-3
• Landlord insurance in California
• FAIR Plan growth study
• Insurance City Stockton
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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. San Jose office: 25 N 14th St Ste 125, San Jose, CA 95112. No broker fees on standard policies (Stockton and San Jose offices). Last reviewed 2026-10-02.