April 2026 City of San Diego Zone 0 Guidelines versus Insurance Company Expectations? John Lortscher asked 3 weeks ago
April 2026 City of San Diego Zone 0 Guidelines versus Insurance Company Expectations?

City of San Diego’s Fire-Rescue Department recently released its Zone 0 Guidelines for Existing Structures, and our HOA is evaluating potential updates to landscaping and fencing to align with these guidelines.

From an insurance standpoint, we on the Fire Safe Council are trying to understand how closely compliance with the City’s Zone 0 guidance is likely to align with current — and anticipated — requirements from major insurers.

Specifically:

  • Given that our homes are already “fire hardened” (built in 2016 to Chapter 7A code), if we update landscaping and fencing to meet the City’s guidelines, is that generally expected to satisfy most insurance company underwriting expectations?
  • Or is it likely that insurers may require additional or stricter measures beyond the City’s standards in the near future?

We recognize that underwriting decisions vary by carrier, but our goal is to make informed, durable improvements, ideally avoiding the need for multiple rounds of changes.

Thanks in advance for any insights.

1 Answers
Joel Laucher Joel Laucher Expert answered 1 week ago
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HI John,

These are great questions.

From our perspective, the San Diego Zone Zero Guidelines appear to be thoughtfully developed. They aim to meaningfully reduce wildfire risk while still allowing for some reasonable aesthetic flexibility. That balance is important—it can encourage broader homeowner participation, which is a key factor in effective community-wide mitigation.

The guidelines themselves note that insurer requirements may not always align with city standards, and that is likely accurate.

It’s also important to keep in mind that insurers are still paying claims from recent major urban wildfires in Los Angeles. As a result, many are reassessing their underwriting practices and risk tolerance.

So, to your question:

Some insurers may accept homes that meet San Diego’s standards, even if those standards fall short of the Insurance Institute for Business and Home Safety (IBHS) benchmarks. However, meeting local standards does not guarantee coverage.

Insurers are also relying on additional tools and factors, including:

Property-specific risk characteristics (e.g., roof condition, vegetation, defensible space)

Aerial imagery and inspection data

Location-based risk modeling (e.g., slope, proximity to brush or forest)

Concentration risk (how many homes they insure in a given area)

Because of these broader underwriting considerations, some homes that comply with local mitigation standards may still face challenges obtaining or maintaining coverage in the admitted market.

Best of luck, Joel