If you own a home anywhere near Colorado’s foothills — or honestly, anywhere an insurance company thinks embers might travel — there’s a letter headed for your mailbox. As of July 1, 2026, insurers that use a wildfire risk score to price, write, or non-renew your homeowners policy have to show you that score, explain it in plain language, and tell you what discounts your mitigation work qualifies for. It’s called HB 25-1182, and it’s one of the most homeowner-friendly insurance laws Colorado has passed in years. Here’s how to actually use it.
What the law requires, in plain English
For years, wildfire risk models operated behind a curtain. Your premium jumped or your policy got non-renewed, and the explanation amounted to “the model said so.” HB 25-1182 pulls the curtain back. If your insurer uses a wildfire risk model, catastrophe model, or any scoring method to underwrite, price, non-renew, or surcharge your policy, it now has to:
- Send you an annual written notice — at application, renewal, or non-renewal — showing your wildfire risk score, any other risk classification used, and the mitigation discounts available to you.
- Explain the score in plain language, including the range of possible scores and the primary features of your property that drove yours.
- Post on its website the premium savings available for property-specific and community-level mitigation, plus the process for appealing your score.
- Actually count your mitigation. The models must incorporate property-specific actions like defensible space, home hardening, and recognized certifications, plus community-level efforts like Firewise USA designations.
The appeal right is the part with teeth
If your score doesn’t reflect the work you’ve done — you cleared defensible space, put on a Class A roof, sealed your vents — you can appeal directly to your insurer. And the law puts them on a clock: the insurer must acknowledge your appeal in writing within 10 calendar days and give you a reconsideration and decision within 30 calendar days. No more shrugging.
The catch: an appeal is only as strong as your documentation. Before you file one, pull together dated photos of your defensible space and hardening work, receipts and invoices, any mitigation inspection reports, and proof of community designations like Firewise. If your insurer denies the appeal without good reason, the Colorado Division of Insurance is your next stop.
Why this matters right now
Colorado homeowners premiums are up roughly 58% since 2018, and we’re now one of the most expensive states in the country to insure a home. In the foothills, non-renewals pushed a growing number of homeowners onto the state’s FAIR Plan — the insurer of last resort. Lawmakers passed HB 25-1182 precisely because Coloradans were spending real money on mitigation and getting zero credit for it. Now the credit is mandatory, the score is visible, and the appeal process has deadlines.
And a reality check from the same legislative session: the Division of Insurance found hail damage accounts for an average of 26–54% of an annual homeowners premium in Colorado. So even if your wildfire score comes back clean, your roof is still doing a lot of work on your bill. Mitigation on both fronts — fire hardening and impact-resistant roofing — is where the savings live.
What to do when your notice arrives
- Read the score and the “why.” The letter must tell you which features of your property drove the number.
- Check the discounts listed against work you’ve already done. If you’ve mitigated and see no credit, that’s your appeal.
- Document before you dispute. Photos, receipts, inspections, certifications.
- Shop it. Different carriers use different models — the same house can score very differently across companies. That’s exactly the comparison an agency does for you.
If you live along the foothills edge, our local guides for Boulder, Lakewood, and Littleton dig into what wildfire risk means for your specific area — and our wildfire insurance guide for Front Range homeowners covers the coverage side in depth.
Wildfire risk score FAQ
What is a wildfire risk score?
It’s a number your insurer’s model assigns to your property based on factors like vegetation, slope, access, building materials, and mitigation. Insurers use it to price your policy, decide whether to write it at all, or non-renew it. Under HB 25-1182, they now have to show it to you and explain it.
When did the notice requirement start?
July 1, 2026. Insurers that use wildfire risk scores must now provide the written notice at application, renewal, or non-renewal — so most homeowners will see their first one at their next renewal.
How do I appeal my wildfire risk score?
Appeal directly to your insurer with documentation of your mitigation — dated photos, receipts, inspection reports, and any certifications. The insurer must acknowledge your appeal within 10 calendar days and issue a decision within 30. If it’s denied unfairly, contact the Colorado Division of Insurance.
Will mitigation actually lower my premium?
Under the new law, insurers must factor property-specific and community-level mitigation into their models or provide a discount when you can prove the work was done. Savings vary by carrier — which is why comparing how different companies score your home is worth doing before you renew.
Get a second opinion on your score
A wildfire risk score letter shouldn’t be a mystery — or the final word. We’ll read it with you, figure out whether your mitigation is being credited, and compare how other carriers would score your home. Contact Agency of the Rockies or call (303) 420-6000. We make insurance not suck — wildfire scores included.
Sources
- Colorado General Assembly — HB25-1182, Risk Model Use in Property Insurance Policies — enacted bill summary: annual notice, score disclosure, mitigation requirements, website posting, and appeal rights.
- Colorado General Assembly — HB25-1182 bill text (PDF) — appeal timelines: 10-day acknowledgment, 30-day decision.
- Colorado Senate — law effective July 1 announcement — notice at application, renewal, or nonrenewal; Division of Insurance hail findings (26–54% of premium).
- The Colorado Sun — updated homeowners insurance breakdown covering HB 1182 and recent wildfire-related consumer protections (July 2026).
- Colorado State University, Regional Economic Development Institute — Colorado homeowners premiums up ~58% (2018–2023).
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