PROPERTY UNDERWRITING RESOURCES
Wildfire risk for structures in a given area, active fire perimeters and historical fire data, evacuation zones, and satellite hot spots.
What does your building look like from Google Earth’s view?
A comprehensive guide to hardening your property against wildfire risks.
If you have an older electrical panel (main or sub-panel), it could be a serious fire hazard. This document highlights three types of breaker panels, Stab-Lok, Zinsco/Sylvania and Challenger, all known to have dangerous safety defects. Use this guide to help you identify if your electrical system could be affected and learn why replacing these outdated panels is a smart and potentially life-saving decision.
Resources on local evacuation routes, fire safety documents, and community engagement through events and volunteer opportunities.
CRITICAL INFORMATION FOR THE BEST INSURANCE APPLICATIONS
- What year was the home or commercial building constructed built?
- 30+ years can be difficult.
- Year the roof was replaced?
- Hopefully within the past 30 years.
- Year the electrical was updated?
- The building should be on circuit breakers.
- Is the panel Zinsco or similar?
- These are known fire hazards and insurance companies don’t want to write buildings with these types of main or sub-panels.
- Year plumbing updated?
- Galvanized plumbing is bad.
- Year HVAC updated?
- Partial or full replacement.
- Fire department within five miles?
- Must be paid; not volunteer.
- Fire hydrant within 1,000 feet?
- It’s worth the time to look for it.
- Google Street View
- This is what the underwriters look at first.
- Is the building well-maintained?
- No cracks, peeling paint, debris, etc.
- Need by date?
- More time is better.
- Who is the insured?
- The insured should always be the one talking to the insurance agent.
- How is Title held to the property?
- It’s different if held in a Trust or LLC.
- What are we quoting?
- Commercial building, house or manufactured home?
- Who occupies the building?
- Owner-occupied or tenant-occupied.
START AN INSURANCE APPLICATION FOR YOUR AGENT
It’s best to be prepared when your agent asks the questions. Use this link to start gathering the information.
Once you are finished, our software will email a summary of your answers to any email address you want.
We made the form fields flexible so you can make notes to yourself in each response and none of the fields are required fields.
Bidwell’s Promise to You
If you use this form, Bidwell Insurance Agency will not contact you. This is not a sales tool. It’s only intended to help you gather information you need to provide to your insurance agent. The form doesn’t even ask your name.