This Backyard Add-On Could Save Your Home and Insurance From Wildfires

AccuWeather predicts 5.5 million to 8 million acres will burn this year, with drought conditions covering more than 40% of the country. 

Meanwhile, plenty of Palisades and Eaton fire families are still negotiating additional living expense extensions, depreciation holdback releases, and underinsured rebuild gaps more than a year after the loss.

All of this has pushed insurers to raise home insurance premiums, tighten underwriting, or pull back from high-risk markets altogether. 

Here’s the good news: If you live in a wildfire-prone region, investing in a high-tech exterior wildfire protection system may be the key to locking in coverage for your home.

“Exterior sprinklers and gel applicators are a good idea but only as one piece of a real defense plan. They can protect against ember showers, which is how most homes actually ignite during a wildfire event, but they can’t make up for a wood shake roof or fuel sitting against the siding,” says Jordan Blake, director of communications and operations at Shoreline Public Adjusters LLC in Naples, FL.

Why exterior sprinkler systems alone are not enough

Rooftop and perimeter sprinklers as well as gel or foam based systems can help reduce ignition risk by wetting vulnerable areas of your home like the roof, eaves, decks, vents, and nearby vegetation.

As long as they’re part of a larger wildfire mitigation strategy, they’re worth the investment. 

“Unless your home has a reliable private water source such as a dedicated underground tank, pool connection, or backup pump system, you should be cautious. Don’t assume these systems will perform as intended under extreme conditions by themselves,” says Michael Ashker, chairman and CEO at FortressFire in San Mateo, CA.

The more dependable approach is to reduce your property’s actual ignition vulnerabilities first: ember intrusion, nearby combustible materials, vulnerable vents, decks, roofs, and structure-to-structure exposure. 

“For many homes, the most important and cost-effective steps are screening vents, creating a noncombustible zone within the first 5 feet around the property, hardening vulnerable features, and addressing ember entry points,” explains Ashker.

Benefits of these systems

The dual benefit of exterior wildfire protection systems is real: They can physically safeguard your home’s structure and help you secure or retain home insurance in an increasingly volatile market. 

However, that benefit depends on whether the mitigation efforts are documented and credible. 

Physically, these systems may reduce the chance that embers or radiant heat lead to ignition, especially when paired with defensible space and home hardening. 

“Suppression technology has recently come into play as part of underwriting decisions, although insurers are increasingly focused on verifiable reduction in ignition risk,” Ashker says. 

That’s where the distinction matters. 

A sprinkler system alone may not materially change the wildfire resilience profile if the home still has open vents, combustible mulch against the walls, or a vulnerable deck. 

“However, a verified mitigation plan that shows the home’s ignition risks have been identified and addressed can give insurers a more objective basis for evaluating the property,” adds Ashker.

Tips for installation

If you’re interested in a wildfire protection system, the first step is to understand your home’s actual risk. 

Once you get a wildfire risk assessment from a fire protection company, insurer, or local fire department, Ashker recommends prioritizing low-cost, high-impact measures to improve wildfire resistance. 

“Add ember-resistant vent screening, remove combustible materials within 5 feet of the home, maintain roofs and gutters, harden structures with noncombustible materials, and create defensible space,” says Ashker. 

After that, evaluate whether a rooftop sprinkler, perimeter sprinkler, or gel or foam system makes sense for your home’s exposure.

Costs for exterior protection systems can vary widely based on property size, water supply, pump needs, roofline, topography and whether the system is manually operated or remotely monitored. 

However, according to Blake, a basic exterior sprinkler setup runs roughly $3,000 to $8,000 installed if it ties into municipal water, and a stand-alone version with its own cistern, pump, and generator can climb past $15,000. 

“Gel kits start around $500 for a DIY canister and go up from there for permanent applicator systems on the home,” says Blake.

No matter which system you decide on, don’t forget what carriers actually care about: installation by a licensed contractor, documentation, and an inspection report.

How to present your system to insurers

Unfortunately, simply telling an insurance company, “I installed a sprinkler,” is not enough to land affordable coverage. 

You must document the full mitigation picture.

“That means providing photos, receipts, contractor documentation, inspection reports, product specifications and, ideally, a property-specific assessment showing which ignition risks were present and how they were reduced, “ Ashker explains.

The stronger case is: “Here were the specific vulnerabilities on this property; here are the actions we took; here is the verified condition of the home now.”

Beth Swanson, insurance analyst at The Zebra in Bella Vista, AR, points out that whether you’ll qualify for a discount depends on where you live and the insurance company you choose. However, it never hurts to ask. 

“Whether you’ve already made changes to your home, or are planning to soon, check in with an agent to see if there are savings available for you. Sometimes it’s as simple as checking their website, but oftentimes it’s better to call and explicitly ask what discounts are available and how to get them,” explains Swanson.

If you find that an insurance company pushes back on coverage or a discount even though you believe your system makes you eligible for one, Blake recommends you appeal its decision directly to your state’s department of insurance.