How do you get and keep home insurance on a Colorado mountain home?

What does HB25-1182 change for mountain homeowners?

• Signed May 28, 2025. The law took effect July 1, 2026.
• An annual notice. Insurers send a written notice each year with the home's wildfire risk score and the mitigation discounts on offer.
• A right to appeal. Policyholders appeal the score to the insurer.
• Discounts for mitigation. An insurer whose model ignores mitigation must give discounts for documented mitigation.

Keep every notice. It shows the score the insurer used and the discounts you have not claimed yet.

What is the Colorado FAIR Plan?

• A fallback insurer. The Colorado FAIR Plan was created by law in 2023.
• Three declines first. Applicants need proof that three insurers declined.
• Actual cash value. The FAIR Plan pays actual cash value. Ask your agent how that compares with a replacement-cost quote.

What mitigation should you document for an insurer?

• The roof. The CSFS guide calls for a Class A roof. Keep the roofing invoice.
• Vents and siding. 1/8-inch metal mesh on vents and 6 inches between the ground and the siding.
• Zone 1 and Zone 2. Photos of a clear 0 to 5 foot zone and 10 feet between tree crowns out to 30 feet.
• County paperwork. A Boulder County Wildfire Partners certificate or a Jefferson County defensible space permit.
• Ask what counts. Ask each insurer which mitigation items its model scores.

Photos with dates carry weight in an appeal. Take them after every round of work.

How should a buyer handle insurance on a mountain home?

• Quote early. Request quotes in the first days of the inspection period, not the last.
• Check the map. Look up the address on the Colorado Forest Atlas Wildfire Risk Viewer.
• Ask the seller. Request the seller's mitigation invoices, certificates and last insurer notice.

Call the Kenna Real Estate Group at 303-955-4220 to line up quotes before your inspection deadline. Confirm every coverage term with a licensed insurance agent.