Building a wildfire-resistant home: Codes and costs

This study compares existing codes and standards for wildfire-resistant construction and estimates cost differences in constructing a wildfire-resistant home compared to a typical home. It also examines the cost of retrofitting a typical home to be more wildfire-resistant.

Key findings include:

• A new home built to wildfire-resistant codes can be constructed for roughly the same cost as a typical home.
• Costs vary for retrofitting an existing home to be wildfire-resistant, with some components such as the roof and walls having significant expense. Some of these costs can be divided and prioritized into smaller projects.
• Many wildfire-resistant home features have additional benefits, such as a longer lifecycle and reduced maintenance.