The notice on the right is a typical example of the notices California homeowners have received from their insurers. It is important to understand what the notice says, and how it was created.

Dwelling replacement cost removed, premium increasing

In the upper highlighted section, the notice says that the premium is increasing, while simultaneously the dwelling replacement cost coverage is being removed. In the event of a loss, these changes may cause an immense financial burden to the homeowner. This type of notice is one of the most serious you can receive.

“Identified from an inspection of your property”

The last line of the upper highlighted section claims that an inspection was made of the property. This puzzled the homeowner, because no inspector had visited.

It turns out that insurers now use aerial photography supplied by third-parties to “inspect” your property. Unlike satellite photos that are taken from hundreds of miles above the earth, these are high-resolution photos taken from aircraft flying below 5000 feet. More than 96% of all residences in North America have been “inspected” using aerial photography since 2020.

Four important words out of fifty

Further down the notice, the second highlight says “Excessive granule loss noted.” This observation, somehow extracted from an aerial photograph, is embedded in a paragraph fifty words long that includes terms like “sagging,” “deteriorated,” “lifting shingles” and “tarp.” None of that computer-generated verbiage applies in this case. The paragraph requests that the granule loss be addressed by a licensed contractor, nothing else.

Need help with an insurance notice? Call Today!

The Wildfire Guys have helped hundreds of homeowners deal with notices from the California FAIR Plan and other insurers. We will come on site, perform an expert assessment, document our findings and write a report to your insurer with full details including drone and ground photography. Contact us today for a free consultation call.