SAN DIEGO — CBS 8 is Working For You to sort out confusion when searching for homeowners insurance. Well-known companies are dumping out of California, leaving lesser-known companies to fill the gaps.

Bamboo Insurance, Hamilton Insurance DAC, or Accelerant Insurance are companies most people have never heard of, but that’s starting to change, according to San Diego insurance broker Kiyoma Yoshizumi.

“There are three tiers of insurance that I like to tell all my clients about. The first level, which everyone should go for, is admitted insurance companies,” said Yoshizumi.

Admitted insurance agencies include State Farm, Allstate, and Farmers, the big names people recognize. In general, they offer the best coverage, so admitted companies should be your first choice.

“These are vetted by the Department of Insurance here in California. They file their insurance rates with the Department of California and they generally have more comprehensive policies available,” said Yoshizumi.

Some of the lesser-known insurance companies are non-admitted and more expensive.

“These are more of what we write today than ever before, because admitted insurance companies are the companies that are shut down right now in California,” said Yoshizumi.

It can get confusing because some companies like Bamboo Insurance, for example, offer both admitted and non-admitted policy options.

“They have admitted homeowners. They haven’t admitted landlord or rental property policies. And they also have a non-admitted homeowners available for California residences,” said Yoshizumi.

The third tier of insurance is the California Fair Plan, which only covers fire damage.

“California Fair really is reserved for the last-resort clients out there who will not be able to even get a non-admitted or an admitted insurance company to insure their home,” said Yoshizumi.

Keep in mind, mortgage companies may only accept insurance firms with an “A” rating, so make sure you shop around.

“If you call one insurance agent and they don’t have very many options for you, or if they only give you a Fair Plan, you might want to call another office just to see what they might be able to offer you,” said Yoshizumi.

Another tip: If you are purchasing a home, Yoshizumi said you might want to have two homeowners insurance policies standing by in case your lender doesn’t approve one of them.

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