Reduce Wildfire Risk.
Protect Your Home.
Get Insurance Discounts!
NEW: California FAIR Plan Discounts
The Wildfire Guys provide reports that you can use to document your wildfire hardening and mitigation efforts. Our reports are prepared by Dave Millman, CWMS (Certified Wildfire Mitigation Specialist) certified by the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA), and meet the requirements of most insurance plans.
Click here to learn how The Wildfire Guys can help you get discounts on a FAIR Plan policy.
About the California FAIR Plan
The California FAIR Plan (“Fair Access to Insurance Requirements Plan”) is a state-mandated program that provides basic fire insurance coverage to Californians who cannot obtain coverage in the voluntary market. On November 15, 2025, the FAIR Plan announced discounts on the wildfire portion of your premium when specific wildfire-hardening measures are completed and verified.
Common Examples of Discounts
Immediate Surroundings Discount – e.g., cleared vegetation, ember-resistant zone within 5 ft of the home (up to ~5 %).
Structure Hardening Discount – e.g., Class-A fire-rated roof, ember-resistant vents, enclosed eaves (up to ~10 %).
Firewise USA® Community Bonus – additional discount if your neighborhood is
Firewise USA certified.
Together, qualifying improvements may lead to meaningful savings on the wildfire portion of a FAIR Plan policy — though exact eligibility and discount levels depend on meeting all listed criteria.
Are your fire insurance rates out of control? The Wildfire Guys can help you qualify for discounts offered by your insurance company. If you have California FAIR Plan insurance, those discounts can total over 16%.
Here’s how The Wildfire Guys can help:
Do you need a wildfire risk assessment? We’ll examine your property from the chimney down to the ground and out 100 feet. We’ll analyze everything: the building materials, roofing, gutters, eaves, siding, vents, flashing, windows and doors to identify ember hazards. On your property we’ll look at every tree, branch and bush to recommend how to make the landscaping beautiful AND protect against wildfire. Your report will describe the most appropriate steps to harden your home and property against wildfire. This is the most thorough assessment that will ever be performed on the exterior of your home!
Do you need a fire policy or discount application? We help clients across Northern California obtain fire insurance and qualify for all available discounts. We document AND certify all criteria required by your insurer. Whether your insurer is the FAIR Plan, State Farm, AAA, Farmers or another insurer writing policies in California, we will ensure your application conforms to their ever-changing criteria.
Your report is your confidential information. We will not deliver it to any other party. Contact us today for a free consultation. Call or text 408-256-3796 for more information, or fill out the contact form. We serve the entire San Francisco Bay Area.
NEW: California Rule Changes
In April 2026, California published new draft rules for wildfire hardening, which will take effect statewide starting January 1, 2027. While all the rules have not yet been finalized, some significant changes were made since the law passed several years ago:
The most significant change: Certain types of trees and plants will be allowed in the area from 1 foot to 5 feet from the house (nothing is allowed in the first foot). Many restrictions apply, including how far your eaves extend from the house.
Wooden gates, fences and other combustible improvements are no longer allowed in Zone 0. Wooden fences are allowed outside Zone 0, but posts and boards in the first five feet from the house must be replaced with noncombustible material.
Tree branches are allowed within 5 feet above the roof
Click here to learn how The Wildfire Guys can help you meet the new rules.
What Homeowners Say about The Wildfire Guys
Mari, Santa Cruz County
“We moved into our new home in the Santa Cruz mountains in August, 2021. Our homeowners insurance company cancelled us in 2022, then the new company we found cancelled us again in 2023. We’ve been insured by the California FAIR Plan for two years, at a fire insurance premium of $10,850. This does not include theft or liability insurance, just fire insurance.
“The Wildfire Guys did an on-site assessment for us. Even though our home is only 14 years old, they pointed out vulnerabilities in our gutters and decks, and especially in dead tree branches and vegetation out to 30 feet from the house. We decided to remove just one dying tree, and to trim up the branches on about 15 others. We also put up mesh below the decks to stop leaves and embers from blowing in, and installed new gutter guards.
“After all that, The Wildfire Guys did another on-site assessment at a big discount. We submitted that assessment to the FAIR Plan. They granted all of the discounts.”
Jackie & Scott, Santa Clara County
“AAA cancelled us last year after 22 years without any claims. Now the FAIR Plan costs twice as much. We heard that we could get a discount for clearing out zones and vents, but had no idea where to start.
“Our neighbor who is a realtor said that we should call Dave the Wildfire Guy. He came out to our property and flew a drone to take pictures of the roof and the small deck in the back and the trees between us and our neighbors. He showed us how dead branches piled up against the fence could light on fire really easy. He gave us a list of things to clean up. We hired a handyman to put in an iron gate where the wooden fence touched the house. Then we did all of the landscape work ourselves. Then Dave came back and took new pictures and wrote a new report that shows what our house looks like after all the work. Our broker says that report is perfect to get the discounts.”
Our Team
Dave Millman, CWMS
Certified Wildfire Mitigation Specialist
Dave founded The Wildfire Guys to help California homeowners who are facing insurance cancellation or drastic cost increases. He has developed proprietary tools to create home assessments and reports that earn discounts from insurance providers, including the California FAIR Plan.
After more than 30 years of home ownership, insurance carriers cancelled Dave’s homeowners policies three times in four years. His home is now covered by the California FAIR Plan at an 860% cost increase. We understand your pain!
Dave is a Certified Wildfire Mitigation Specialist (CWMS) certified by the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA). You may click here or on the badge below to verify this certification.
Ben Carnahan
Operations Manager
Ben is experienced in all aspects of home hardening and maintenance for wildfire mitigation. He’s worked on every part of a home from the crawl space to the attic. He has managed and delivered services throughout California and Arizona.
Although the prospect of cleaning up a multi-acre property
can be daunting, Ben likes to say, “Start with the first thing, then do the next thing and pretty soon your home is hardened against wildfire. And you’ll be able to see between the trees again!”
Free Initial Consultation
Your first step is easy and free: schedule an initial consultation with The Wildfire Guys. We’ll ask questions to understand your situation, explore your options, and discuss next steps. There is no cost or obligation.
To schedule your free consultation, click this link.
On-Site Wildfire Risk Assessment
The Wildfire Guys will conduct a detailed wildfire risk assessment of your home and property, including:
Roof, gutters, walls, vents and foundation
Attachments: decks, fences, sheds
Landscaping, structures and fuel loads on the property:
Immediate Zone (Zone 0, out to 5 feet)
Intermediate Zone (Zone 1, 5-30 feet)
Extended zone (Zone 2, 30-100 feet)
You will receive a confidential report of our findings, plus mitigation recommendations to harden your home and reduce your risk of damage from wildfire. This report is not available to any other party.
On-Site Follow-Up Reports
Our clients often use our reports as a guide to hardening their home and property against wildfire. If you have made significant improvements that reduce your wildfire risk, The Wildfire Guys can provide a Follow-Up Report. During a second on-site visit, we will assess all of the same issues and write a new report. We offer a 50% discount on Follow-Up Reports.
Mitigation Services and
Contractor Referrals
Upon request, The Wildfire Guys can discuss mitigation services including installation of:
Ember-resistant vents in the eaves or foundation
Metal gutters or gutter guards
Flashing between decks or fences and your home
We can also provide referrals to state licensed, bonded and insured contractors who understand wildfire risk mitigation and can provide:
Tree trimming, landscaping and hardscaping services
Moving or removal of combustible structures
Roofing, fence and deck repairs or other construction
Your Report is Confidential!
Reports created by The Wildfire Guys belong to you. They are your confidential information. We will not deliver your reports to any third party.
Many of our customers choose to share their report with their insurance company as evidence of their home hardening and wildfire risk mitigation efforts. You may also share your report with contractors, banks, appraisers or other parties. Upon your request, we will discuss your report with these third parties. There is no additional cost for this consultation.
Your Questions, Answered
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So was ours…three times over four years! We’re on the California FAIR Plan, which is the only carrier offering fire insurance in our area. So we understand what you’re going through.
The FAIR Plan and some other carriers offer discounts if you can demonstrate your home is hardened against wildfire. We can help you qualify for the discounts offered by your carrier. Contact us today to learn more.
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Free consultations
On-site assessments to identify wildfire risks to your structure and property
Insurance Discount Applications ready to submit to your insurance carrier
Home hardening services and contractor referrals
First and foremost, we offer free consultations. When our homeowners insurance was cancelled, we didn’t know where to turn. If this has happened to you, or your rates are out of control, schedule a free consultation and we’ll point you in the right direction.
Second, we offer Wildfire Risk Assessments and Mitigation Recommendations. We’ll visit your home to examine everything from the roof down to the foundation and out onto your property. You’ll receive a detailed, confidential report describing how to lower your wildfire risk and harden your home. You can share this report with your insurance company. If you want to address the identified issues first, we can revisit your home and write a new report.
Finally, we are able to address some home hardening issues ourselves, and recommend state-licensed contractors. We are also happy to talk to your current contractors to explain the issues on our report.
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Free phone consultations and on-site visits from a Certified Wildfire Mitigation Specialist! (We don’t try to sell you satellite images you could get free from Google.)
The Wildfire Guys was founded for just one purpose: To assist homeowners in reducing their wildfire risk and get the best possible fire insurance rates.
Call us today to learn more.
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Because fire authorities and insurers judge homes differently. A home that meets state Zone Zero requirements may be rejected by your fire insurance company. We will help you navigate these conflicting requirements:
The Wildfire Guys will assess your home using whatever set of rules matters to you and your insurer.
We will certify the application for submission to your insurance company.
The application will conform to the unique requirements of your insurance carrier.
You should absolutely take advantage of whatever help your county offers. We will help you get fire insurance at the lowest possible cost.
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On the date you schedule, we will meet you at your property and conduct a complete assessment. Typically we are looking at:
The roof, gutters, flashing and penetrations
The exterior walls, vents, windows and doors
Decks, fences, sheds and other attached structures
Zone 0 (Immediate Zone) 0-5 feet from your home
Zone 1 (Intermediate Zone) 5-30 feet out
Zone 2 (Extended Zone) 30-100 feet from your home
It is not necessary for us to enter your home or structure for this assessment.
At the end of the visit, we are happy to walk your property with you to review our initial findings. This is a great opportunity for you to see some of the areas of interest up close.
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All of our assessments are conducted on-site. We start at the roof and eaves and closely examine every aspect of the structure and landscape for wildfire vulnerability. While we may use satellite photos or terrain maps to analyze the nearby slopes and vegetation, this is just background research for our on-site report.
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Getting started is simple. Reach out through our contact form or call or text 408-256-3796 . We’ll answer all your questions and discuss the next steps.
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