Construction costs for wildfire-resistant homes

An analysis from Headwaters Economics and the Insurance Institute for Business & Home Safety (IBHS) shows that building wildfire-resistant homes is achievable and affordable. The findings demonstrate that home hardening should become a core component of every community’s wildfire risk reduction strategy.

The detailed analysis in this report concludes that the cost of building new homes to high wildfire-resistant standards is only 2–3% more than traditional construction. Not all wildfire-resilient actions involve construction. Low- or no-cost actions, like clearing debris from the deck, roof, and gutters, maintaining a noncombustible zone around home, and relocating flammable materials from underneath the home and deck can significantly reduce the likelihood that a home will burn.