What Washington law does — and doesn’t — require

What your insurer must do: Under RCW 48.18.2901, an insurer that refuses to renew a homeowners policy must deliver or mail written notice at least 60 days before the policy expires, and that notice must include the insurer’s actual reason for refusing to renew. For wildfire-driven non-renewals, that reason is usually a phrase like “increased wildfire exposure” or “property located in a high wildfire risk area.”

What your insurer doesn’t have to do (yet): Tell you your wildfire risk score, explain how it was calculated, or list mitigation steps. In the 2026 session, SB 5928 would have required exactly that — score disclosure, plain-language factors, and a right to challenge the score after mitigation or on factual error. It passed the Senate 48–1 but died in the House Consumer Protection & Business Committee. A companion bill, SB 6079, proposed the Strengthen Washington Homes Program, a voluntary state grant program to retrofit homes to IBHS Wildfire Prepared Home standards, under which participating homeowners could not be canceled or non-renewed based on wildfire risk. It passed the Senate 37–11 and died in the same committee. Neither became law in 2026. Both are expected back.

The scale of the problem: According to the Office of the Insurance Commissioner, the number of Washington homeowners non-renewed or canceled by their insurer roughly doubled between 2021 and 2025, from 11,763 to 24,106 — a share of them driven by wildfire risk scores that homeowners were never shown.

If your notice gives only a general reason, you can ask the insurer in writing for the specific factors. Some carriers will share the mitigation list voluntarily. If you believe the notice doesn’t comply with RCW 48.18.2901, you can file a complaint with the OIC.

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What insurers look for in Washington

With no state-mandated list, the practical standard is what carriers use internally: third-party wildfire risk scores plus the IBHS Wildfire Prepared Home checklist. Doing the work to that standard is the best available answer to a letter that didn’t say what to do.

Defensible space (vegetation)

• Clear all combustibles within 5 feet of the structure — no bark mulch, firewood, or dead vegetation
• Thin and space trees and shrubs from 5 to 30 feet; remove ladder fuels
• Extend fuel reduction to 100 feet on slopes and in timber
• Remove limbs overhanging the roof and within 10 feet of the chimney
• Keep grass mowed and irrigated within 30 feet during fire season

Structure hardening

• Class A fire-rated roof; roof and gutters clear of needles and debris
• Ember-resistant vents (1/8-inch metal mesh)
• Metal gutter guards
• Noncombustible decking or enclosed deck undersides
• Combustible fencing separated from the house
• 6 inches of noncombustible clearance at the base of exterior walls

Documentation

• Dated before-and-after photos, organized by zone and item
• A written scope of work
• Contractor L&I registration number and certificate of insurance
• Where available, a DNR Wildfire Ready Neighbors assessment report

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Free assessments before you spend anything

The Washington Department of Natural Resources runs Wildfire Ready Neighbors, which offers free home wildfire risk assessments in participating counties, with a written action plan. It doesn’t do the work, but the report gives you a mitigation list when your insurer didn’t — and it’s the kind of document some carriers will accept as a starting point.

Many fire protection districts also offer free property visits and chipping days. Use them. Then bring the assessment to your contractor so the scope matches what an inspector would look for.

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What it costs in Eastern and Central Washington

Work	Typical range
Zone 0–1 clearing, small lot	$700 – $2,200
Full defensible-space clearing, standard lot	$2,000 – $6,000
Timbered acre-plus lot, fuel reduction and thinning	$4,000 – $15,000+
Hazard tree removal (per tree)	$400 – $3,000+
Vent replacement and gutter guards	$400 – $1,800
Annual maintenance after initial work	30–50% of initial cost

Costs run lower than in California and roughly in line with Oregon. Disposal and access are the main variables on rural parcels.

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Where we match homeowners in Washington

Chelan County — Wenatchee, Leavenworth, Chelan, Manson, Peshastin

Okanogan County — Omak, Okanogan, Twisp, Winthrop, Tonasket

Spokane County — Spokane south hill and foothills, Nine Mile Falls, Cheney, Deer Park

Kittitas County — Ellensburg, Cle Elum, Roslyn

Yakima County — Yakima foothills, Naches, Tieton

Stevens and Pend Oreille Counties — Colville, Chewelah, Newport

Don’t see your county? Submit a request anyway. We’re adding coverage as contractors sign on.

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How it works

1. Tell us what your notice says — even if it’s not much. The form takes two minutes. If you have a Wildfire Ready Neighbors report or any inspector’s list, note it.
2. Up to three licensed contractors contact you. Each is verified against Washington L&I contractor registration before they receive your information.
3. You choose, the work gets done, and you get the paperwork. Documentation you send to your insurer or use when shopping for a new carrier.

There is no cost to homeowners. Contractors pay us a flat referral fee; it doesn’t affect your quote.

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Every contractor we match is

• Registered and active with Washington Labor & Industries
• Carrying general liability insurance
• Able to provide dated before-and-after documentation
• Familiar with DNR’s Wildfire Ready Neighbors standards and the IBHS Wildfire Prepared Home checklist

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Frequently asked questions

My letter just says “wildfire exposure.” How do I know what to fix?

Request the specific factors from your insurer in writing. Then get a free DNR Wildfire Ready Neighbors assessment if your county participates. Between those two, you’ll usually have a workable list. If neither produces one, the IBHS Wildfire Prepared Home checklist is the standard carriers are converging on.

Will mitigation get me renewed?

Nobody can promise that, and in Washington there’s currently no law requiring insurers to credit the work. What mitigation does is make the property insurable to a carrier that’s still writing in your area, and give you documentation to show them. We don’t contact your insurer, and neither does the contractor.

Is there a Washington FAIR Plan?

Yes. The Washington FAIR Plan has operated since 1968 as the state’s insurer of last resort — a joint reinsurance association of the property insurers licensed here, supervised by the Office of the Insurance Commissioner. Coverage is limited and the cost is high. Documented mitigation is what moves a property back toward the standard market.

Does Western Washington need this?

Mostly not yet. Non-renewals for wildfire risk are concentrated east of the Cascades and in the Columbia Gorge. If you’re west of the mountains and got a wildfire non-renewal, ask your insurer for the factors — it may be a scoring error worth challenging.

What if I already did some of this work?

Photograph and date it now, by zone and item, and send it to your insurer or agent with a request for reconsideration. Even without a legal requirement to credit it, some carriers will.

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MitigateMyHouse is an independent referral service. We are not an insurance agency, public adjuster, contractor, or law firm. We do not perform mitigation work, guarantee any insurance outcome, or contact insurers on your behalf. Contractors are independent businesses; verify licensing and insurance directly before signing any contract. Legal references on this page are provided for general information and reflect Washington law as we understand it as of [date]; confirm current requirements with the Office of the Insurance Commissioner.