San Francisco County Fire Hazard Severity Zone (FHSZ) and insurance
CAL FIRE wildfire hazard for San Francisco County, California, how physical hazard differs from an insurer's risk assessment, and your home coverage options.
| Wildfire hazard (CAL FIRE FHSZ) | Low |
|---|---|
| Earthquake exposure | High |
| Flood exposure | Yes |
| Coastal exposure | Yes |
| Wind-driven fire risk | No |
| Region | Bay Area |
| County seat | San Francisco |
This is a qualitative county-level overview derived from CAL FIRE wildfire hazard data and companion perils, not a parcel-level score. Check a specific address on the CAL FIRE viewer linked below.
Hazard is not the same as your insurance risk
A Fire Hazard Severity Zone measures long-term physical wildfire hazard to guide building codes and defensible-space rules. It is not an insurer's underwriting score, and the California Department of Insurance has stated that CAL FIRE's maps do not by themselves determine insurance rates or availability. Carriers weigh your roof, your defensible space, your access and water supply, and their own catastrophe models - so a zone designation and a carrier's decision can and do diverge.
We explain that gap in full, including what the 2025 statewide map update changed and why most homes destroyed in the Eaton Fire sat outside the mapped very-high zone, on our California Fire Hazard Severity Zone guide. You can look up any San Francisco County address on the official CAL FIRE zone viewer.
Wildfire and home insurance in San Francisco County
Wildfire risk is relatively low across most of San Francisco County, so home coverage here is usually available in the standard market.
San Francisco County sits in a seismically active area, and because standard home policies exclude earthquakes, separate earthquake coverage is worth considering.
Flooding is a real consideration in San Francisco County, and since standard home policies exclude flood, separate flood coverage may be needed for exposed properties.
Coastal areas of San Francisco County add wind, storm, and flood considerations for properties near the shore.
A dense, fully urban city-county. Wildfire risk is minimal, but earthquake exposure on the San Andreas and Hayward systems and coastal flooding are the defining hazards.
FAIR Plan reliance in San Francisco County
The California FAIR Plan is the state's insurer of last resort - basic fire coverage for homes the standard market will not write. Its policy count is a direct gauge of how hard a county has become to insure.
California FAIR Plan policies in force (residential, commercial, and business owner lines), by county, as of September 2024. Source: California FAIR Plan.
A rising FAIR Plan count does not mean bare-bones coverage is your only option. As an independent broker we still check the admitted and surplus lines markets first, and when the FAIR Plan is the right base we pair it with a difference-in-conditions policy for the theft, liability, and water damage it excludes.
Coverage options in San Francisco County
- Wildfire and hard-to-insure home coverage
- California FAIR Plan plus difference-in-conditions
- Standard homeowners, condo, and renters coverage
Sources
San Francisco County FHSZ FAQ
Is San Francisco County in a Fire Hazard Severity Zone?
San Francisco County has relatively low overall wildfire hazard, but CAL FIRE Fire Hazard Severity Zone maps still flag some Moderate, High, or Very High areas, mainly along its wildland edges.
Does a Fire Hazard Severity Zone set my insurance rate in San Francisco County?
No. A CAL FIRE zone classifies long-term physical wildfire hazard for planning and building rules, not insurance pricing, and the California Department of Insurance has stated the maps do not by themselves determine rates or availability. Carriers price each San Francisco County property on its own roof, defensible space, access, and their own catastrophe models.
Can I still get homeowners insurance in San Francisco County?
Yes. As an independent broker we shop admitted carriers writing San Francisco County, then surplus lines wildfire markets and the California FAIR Plan paired with a difference-in-conditions wrap when a home is hard to place in the standard market.
How many California FAIR Plan policies are in San Francisco County?
As of September 2024, San Francisco County had 1,353 California FAIR Plan policies in force across all lines, up from 442 in 2020 - a sign of how far the standard market has pulled back. The FAIR Plan is the insurer of last resort; a broker can still check admitted and surplus lines options first.
Does the California FAIR Plan cover San Francisco County?
Yes. The California FAIR Plan is available statewide, including San Francisco County, as a last-resort option for fire coverage when the standard market declines. It is typically paired with a difference-in-conditions policy for the theft, liability, and water damage the FAIR Plan does not include.
Insuring a home in San Francisco County?
Tell us what you need and a licensed California broker will reach out with real options. Simple situation or complicated one, we shop it the same way.
Prefer to talk? Call (916) 469-5253.