Wildfire mitigation funding in California
Every program below was checked against the agency that runs it. California also has local programs in 7 counties, listed further down.
✓Every program checked against the agency that runs it · last verified 2026-07-31
Local programs by county
8 programs across 7 counties. County programs are usually the most generous and the least known, because nobody aggregates them.
El Dorado County
1 program · 1 open to homeowners
Marin County
1 program · 1 open to homeowners
Napa County
1 program · 1 open to homeowners
Placer County
1 program · 1 open to homeowners
Santa Barbara County
1 program · 1 open to homeowners
Santa Cruz County
2 programs · 2 open to homeowners
Sonoma County
1 program · 1 open to homeowners
California programs and insurance discounts
Amounts are as each program publishes them. They are not quotes, and budgets can exhaust mid-year.
IBHS Wildfire Prepared Home™ (CA Elevated Discount)
Insurance discount15–30% premium reduction
California carriers remaining in the admitted market and E&S (surplus lines) carriers often offer larger IBHS discounts due to dramatically elevated WUI premiums. Certification can also improve your chances of carrier retention when facing non-renewal.
Who qualifies: CA WUI homeowners — especially valuable if facing non-renewal risk
AB 38 Home Hardening Retrofit Incentive
Insurance discountCarrier-determined (est. $300–600/yr)
California AB 38 created market pressure for carriers to reward hardened homes. Completing documented retrofits (ember-resistant vents, ignition-resistant siding, noncombustible decking) can improve your insurance rating and reduce premiums with carriers still writing CA policies.
Who qualifies: Homes with documented hardening retrofits — verify discount with your specific carrier
Firewise USA Community Discount
Insurance discount5–15% premium reduction
Residents of NFPA-recognized Firewise USA communities qualify for discounts from State Farm, Farmers, and many regional carriers. Over 1,600 communities are recognized nationwide. Check firewise.org/find-a-firewise-community to see if yours qualifies.
Who qualifies: Residents of officially recognized Firewise USA communities — verify with your carrier
Official program page →Documented Defensible Space Discount
Insurance discount5–12% premium reduction
Most WUI carriers offer standalone discounts for documented Zone 1, 2 & 3 clearance — no full IBHS cert required. Submit dated before/after photos plus a contractor invoice or county assessment letter to your agent.
Who qualifies: Contact your carrier — requires written documentation of Zone 1 (0–5ft), Zone 2 (5–30ft), and Zone 3 (30–100ft) clearance
Class A Fire-Rated Roofing Discount
Insurance discount3–8% premium reduction
Metal, concrete tile, or Class A composition shingles eliminate ember ignition from above and qualify for carrier discounts in all wildfire states. Provide your carrier a letter from the roofing contractor confirming the UL Class A rating.
Who qualifies: New or recently replaced roofs — ask your carrier for their fire-rating documentation requirements
Home Hardening & Fire-Resistant Materials Discount
Insurance discount3–12% premium reduction
Documenting fire-resistant upgrades — fiber cement siding, metal gutters, dual-pane tempered windows, enclosed eaves, and 1/16" ember-resistant vents — can qualify for additional carrier discounts. Bundle with defensible space docs for maximum combined discount.
Who qualifies: Ask your carrier for their home hardening checklist and documentation requirements
CAL FIRE Vegetation Management Program (VMP) Grant
GrantUp to $10,000
CAL FIRE funds defensible space, fuels reduction, and prescribed burns on private land adjacent to State Responsibility Areas (SRAs) through VMP agreements. Projects are state-directed and often bundled with neighboring parcels for efficiency. Apply through your local CAL FIRE unit.
Who qualifies: Private landowners in CAL FIRE SRAs — find your unit at fire.ca.gov
Official program page →USDA Forest Service State Fire Assistance (SFA)
GrantPassthrough to state programs
USDA Forest Service SFA grants flow to every state forestry agency, which distributes them as cost-share programs and grants. This is the federal funding source behind the state-specific programs listed here — you apply through your state forestry agency, not directly to USFS.
Who qualifies: Applied through your state’s forestry agency — see state-specific programs above
County Wildfire Mitigation Rebate Programs
Rebate$500–2,500
Sonoma, Marin, Santa Barbara, Nevada, El Dorado, Placer, and Tuolumne counties operate rebate programs for defensible space and home hardening. Funding is annual and often exhausted by summer — apply in January or February.
Who qualifies: Check your county OES or local Fire Safe Council — varies by county and year
Utility Wildfire Hardening Rebates (PG&E / SCE / SDG&E)
RebateUp to $1,000
PG&E, SCE, and SDG&E operate customer rebate programs for fire-resistant landscaping and home hardening near utility infrastructure. Programs vary by year and IOU territory. Check your utility’s wildfire preparedness portal or call your account representative.
Who qualifies: Customers of PG&E, SCE, or SDG&E in High Fire Threat Districts (HFTDs)
CA FAIR Plan — Last Resort Coverage Resource
RebateN/A (coverage info)
If you’ve been non-renewed, the California FAIR Plan provides basic fire coverage as a last resort. Pair with a Difference in Conditions (DIC) policy for comprehensive protection. Completing IBHS hardening steps may help you return to the standard admitted market.
Who qualifies: CA homeowners facing non-renewal — apply at cfpnet.com or call (800) 339-4099
Official program page →California tax treatment
Fire Safe Home Tax Credits (Fire Safe Home Tax Credits Act)
California created two income-tax credits for homeowners who harden against wildfire, available for tax years 2026 through 2031. One credit covers home-hardening work in high and very high Fire Hazard Severity Zones; the other covers vegetation management / defensible-space work statewide. Both reimburse 50% of qualified costs up to a cap, and both have income limits.
- ✓Home-hardening credit: 50% of qualified hardening expenses, with a maximum credit of roughly $1,000–$2,000 depending on your fire hazard severity zone.
- ✓Vegetation-management credit: 50% of qualified defensible-space / fuel-reduction costs, up to about $500.
- ✓Income limits apply — broadly, adjusted gross income under $140,000 (joint) or $70,000 (single/separate).
- ✓Available for tax years 2026–2031, subject to a statewide annual funding cap (about $50M/year).
- ✓California also generally does not tax qualifying state wildfire-mitigation grants/rebates as income — confirm for your specific grant.
Federal programs
Most federal wildfire money goes to communities and Tribes rather than individuals, so these are split by who can actually apply. Verified 2026-07-31.
Open to homeowners
NRCS Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP)
USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service
Cost-share, varies by practice and state
Pays part of the cost of conservation practices on private land, including forest-management and fuels-reduction work that lowers wildfire risk. This is the main federal program an individual landowner can apply to directly.
Who qualifies: Owners of non-industrial private forestland, agricultural producers, and Tribes. A written Forest Management Plan is required before financial assistance is approved. Available practices, funding pools and cutoff dates are set state by state.
- !Property must be non-industrial private forestland or agricultural land — a standard suburban lot generally will not qualify
- !A Forest Management Plan must be written for the property before assistance is approved
- !The agricultural-land route additionally requires a USDA Farm Service Agency farm/tract number, which most residential homeowners do not have
- !Application cutoffs are set per state; contact your local NRCS office for the current window
Community & Tribal applicants only
Community Wildfire Defense Grant (CWDG)
USDA Forest Service
$1 billion, five-year competitive program
Funds Community Wildfire Protection Plans and the mitigation projects inside them. Homeowners cannot apply directly — the money flows to the community, so the useful move is asking your fire district or county whether they have applied.
Who qualifies: Communities and Tribes. Priority goes to communities in high wildfire-hazard areas that are low-income or recently affected by a severe disaster.
- !Individual homeowners are not eligible applicants — ask your fire district, county, or HOA whether they are applying
- !Competitive: round three drew 573 applications for more than $1.6 billion, and 58 projects totaling $200 million were selected
FEMA Building Resilient Infrastructure and Communities (BRIC)
Federal Emergency Management Agency
$1 billion made available in 2026
Funds hazard-mitigation infrastructure projects, wildfire among them. Applications run through your state or Tribal emergency-management agency, not from individual homeowners.
Who qualifies: States, territories, Tribal Nations and local governments apply; individuals benefit through a project their jurisdiction runs.
- !Individual homeowners are not eligible applicants
- !The program was announced as ending in April 2025 and reinstated in March 2026 — confirm the current application window before relying on it
Eligibility-based overview, not a quote and not a guarantee. Program budgets open and exhaust during the year, so confirm current availability with the program itself before counting on it. Amounts are as each program publishes them. FireRisk.ai is not affiliated with any agency listed here and is never paid for these listings.
Check what applies to your exact address
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