Your insurance claim
- Declarations page
- The summary page of your policy, often called the dec page, that lists who and what is insured, the policy period, and your coverage limits. After a fire you can ask your insurer for a full copy of the policy, not just this page.
- Coverage A, B, C, and D
- The lettered parts of a standard homeowner policy: A pays to rebuild the dwelling, B covers other structures like a detached garage or fence, C covers personal property, and D, Loss of Use, covers extra living costs while the home is uninhabitable.
- Replacement cost value (RCV)
- What it costs today to rebuild your home or replace an item with one of like kind and quality, without subtracting for age or wear.
- Actual cash value (ACV)
- Replacement cost minus depreciation. On a replacement cost policy, insurers commonly pay actual cash value first and release the rest after you rebuild or replace and show what you spent.
- Recoverable depreciation
- The amount held back as depreciation that the insurer pays once you complete repairs or replacement and submit proof of the cost.
- Deductible
- The portion of a loss you pay yourself before insurance contributes, set in your policy.
- Additional living expenses (ALE), or Loss of Use
- Coverage for the extra costs of living away from a home that is unsafe to occupy: temporary housing, meals above your normal spending, and similar expenses. After a declared emergency, California insurers must offer an advance.
- Advance payment
- An early partial payment, such as an advance on living expenses or on personal property, that an insurer provides after a declared disaster so you are not left waiting on the full claim.
- Adjuster
- The person who inspects and values your claim. A company adjuster works for your insurer; a public adjuster is licensed and hired by you to represent your interests for a fee.
- Proof of loss
- A formal, signed statement of what you are claiming and its value, which an insurer may require by a stated date during the claim.
- Contents inventory
- The room-by-room list of personal property you lost. After a total loss following a declared emergency, California law lets you collect a percentage of the contents limit without a full itemized list first.
- Underinsurance
- When your policy limits are lower than the actual cost to rebuild, leaving a gap between the payout and the bill.
- Extended replacement cost
- An add-on that pays a set percentage above your dwelling limit when rebuilding costs run higher than expected.
- Building code upgrade coverage, or Ordinance or Law
- Coverage that helps pay the added cost of rebuilding to current building codes, such as current wildfire standards, rather than only the prior standard.
- Appraisal
- A policy process for resolving a disagreement over the amount of a loss, in which each side names an appraiser and the two select an umpire to decide disputed figures.
- Subrogation
- When your insurer, after paying your claim, pursues a party it believes caused the loss to recover what it paid. It can affect how a separate recovery is shared.
Disaster aid programs
- Major disaster declaration
- A presidential declaration that opens federal individual assistance for an area. Many programs, including FEMA Individual Assistance, depend on it.
- FEMA Individual Assistance
- Federal help for individuals and households after a declared disaster. It is separate from insurance and does not duplicate it. Apply at DisasterAssistance.gov or 1-800-621-3362.
- Disaster Recovery Center
- A physical location where survivors can get in-person help from FEMA, the SBA, and other agencies, often including help replacing several documents in one visit.
- SBA disaster loan
- A low-interest federal disaster loan from the Small Business Administration. Homeowners and renters, not only businesses, can apply to repair or replace a home and belongings.
- Cal OES
- The California Governor’s Office of Emergency Services, which coordinates state disaster response and works with FEMA on recovery programs.
- Disaster CalFresh
- Temporary food benefits for households affected by a disaster, run through the California Department of Social Services and county welfare departments.
- Disaster Unemployment Assistance
- Income support administered by California’s EDD that may help people, including the self-employed, who lost work because of a disaster.
- 2-1-1
- A free, around-the-clock phone and web service that connects Californians to local help with housing, food, and disaster recovery. Dial 211 or visit 211ca.org.
Health, home, and rebuilding
- Defensible space
- The managed area around a home that slows or stops a wildfire and gives firefighters room to work, defined by CAL FIRE in zones around the structure.
- Wildland Urban Interface (WUI)
- Areas where homes meet or mix with wildland vegetation. Rebuilding here usually must meet California’s wildfire building standards.
- Fire Hazard Severity Zone
- A state mapping of how prone an area is to wildfire. A property’s zone helps determine which building standards apply.
- Chapter 7A
- The part of California’s building code with wildfire construction standards for roofing, siding, windows, decks, eaves, and vents in fire-prone areas.
- Consolidated debris removal
- A government-run cleanup program often offered in two phases: Phase 1 removes household hazardous waste, and Phase 2 removes structural debris, concrete, metal, and contaminated soil.
- Right of Entry
- The form a property owner signs to enroll in a government debris removal program, giving crews permission to access the lot.
- Contractors State License Board (CSLB)
- The California agency that licenses and regulates contractors. You can verify a license, classification, bond, and discipline history at cslb.ca.gov before signing anything.
- Calamity reassessment
- A county property tax reappraisal that can lower the assessed value, and the tax, on a home damaged or destroyed by a fire, generally filed within a set time after the loss.
- Mortgage forbearance
- A temporary pause or reduction of mortgage payments offered by a servicer during hardship. You still owe the full amount and repay the paused portion later, so confirm the terms in writing.
Legal terms, in general
- Negligence
- A general legal theory that someone failed to use reasonable care and caused harm. Whether it fits any situation is fact-specific and a question for a licensed attorney.
- Inverse condemnation
- A California theory that can focus on whether a public entity’s or utility’s equipment caused damage, rather than on carelessness. It is a general concept, not advice about any case.
- Nuisance
- A legal theory about conduct that substantially and unreasonably interferes with the use or enjoyment of property. Application depends on the specific facts.
- Statute of limitations
- A general legal time limit for bringing a claim. The limit depends on the type of claim and the facts, it is not a personal deadline, and it must be confirmed with a licensed attorney.
- Contingency fee
- A fee arrangement in which an attorney is paid a percentage only out of a recovery their work helps obtain, so there is usually no fee up front. California requires the agreement in writing.
- Coordinated proceeding (JCCP)
- A way California courts manage many related cases from one event together for efficiency, while each person’s claim remains individual. It is general background, not advice.
- Class action
- A case in which one or more people represent a larger group with similar claims. It is one possible structure among several and depends on the facts.
- Cause and origin investigation
- The work, often by CAL FIRE and sometimes the CPUC, to determine where and how a fire started. A formal finding of legal responsibility comes through the legal process, not the fire report alone.
- Lawyer Referral Service
- A State Bar of California certified service that connects the public with attorneys in good standing who carry insurance, often with low-cost or free initial consultations.
This handbook is general recovery information for people affected by California wildfires. It is not legal, medical, financial, or insurance advice, and reading it creates no attorney-client relationship. Program rules and deadlines change and depend on facts specific to you. Confirm anything that affects a decision with the agency, your insurer, or a licensed professional before you act on it.