The insurance market built for the homes insurers turn down.

Why this market exists

This market exists because wildfire risk in California changes faster than standard insurers can update their filed prices. Standard insurers file their prices and rules with the state, which makes them slow to change. When risk moves faster than that, standard insurers respond by narrowing what they'll write.

That's the backup this market provides: regulated specialty insurers with more flexibility on pricing and terms, built to take on homes standard insurers step away from.

It is not new, and it is not exotic. Much of California's commercial property, high-value homes, and brush-exposed homes have been insured this way for decades.

In 2023, about 50,000 California homes were insured this way. Today it is more than 300,000.

That growth is not just about wildfire. In fast-growing areas, even homes with no real fire risk end up here too, simply because there was not enough room left with standard insurers.

Non-admitted doesn't mean unregulated

Non-admitted just means the insurer hasn't filed its rates with California, the way standard insurers do. It does not mean unlicensed or unsupervised.

The people who arrange this coverage are licensed specialists with real legal duties. The insurers themselves must meet California's standards for financial strength, and carry ratings you can check.

Ask us who the insurer is, and its financial strength rating, any time before anything is final. There's real paperwork behind a policy like this, and we handle all of it for you.

One honest difference: these policies are not covered by California's state guaranty fund, the safety net that backs up standard insurers if they fail. You'll see this disclosed to you in writing before you buy. It's the reason financial strength ratings matter more here, and the reason we show them to you.

The rules that protect you

Three things happen with every legitimate policy in this market.

• Standard insurers come first. If one will cover your home, that's the better answer, and you should have it before looking anywhere else.
• You'll sign a one-page state notice, often called the D-1, before the policy starts. It explains, in plain terms, that your insurer is non-admitted and what that means for you. Signing it is completely normal for this kind of policy.
• Taxes and fees are itemized. These policies carry a state tax and a stamping fee, shown as separate line items, never hidden in the price. If a quote doesn't itemize them, ask why.

How you get there

You can't shop this market yourself: specialty insurers don't sell directly to consumers. The path runs through a licensed professional with access to this market, which is why most homeowners have never had it checked for them at all.

That's exactly what casa was built to do: one form, standard insurers first, then specialty insurers, in one pass. We handle all of it for you.

When this market is the right answer, and when it's not

It's the right answer once standard insurers have genuinely said no, and the alternative is thin coverage or none. It's the wrong answer if a standard insurer would still say yes, since their policies are backed by the state guaranty fund and their pricing is filed.

That's why checking standard insurers first matters. Skipping that step is not a shortcut. It is a red flag.