IBHS Wildfire Prepared Homes
Wildfire Prepared Home was developed to help protect your home from wildfire, based on years of scientific research by the Insurance Institute for Business & Home Safety (IBHS).
The table below is your pathway to better protection against wildfire.
It provides you with a chart of the what is included in both the Base and Plus IBHS Wildfire Prepared Homes.
This is an abbreviated list of program requirements. Please review the How-To Checklist to learn more.
IBHS has two solutions and designated levels. To receive a designation certificate, your home must meet all requirements listed for desired level.
BASE: The BASE DESIGNATION establishes a set of fundamental wildfire mitigation measures to help protect homes from wind-driven embers—the leading cause of home ignitions— and reduce the risk of fire spreading to the home. Base-level requirements include:
• Creating the 0–5 Foot Noncombustible Zone
• Maintaining 30 feet of defensible space
• Upgrading vulnerable building features
PLUS: The PLUS DESIGNATION builds on the Base level, which is designed for ember defense, and is often achieved through new construction or exterior renovations. It provides stronger protection against radiant heat and direct flame contact by adding enhanced building features and stricter defensible space requirements within the first 30 feet of the home.
| Base | Plus | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| BASE | ||||
 | Create and maintain the 5-foot buffer | The 5-foot area immediately around the home must have only hardscape or bare soil. All vegetation, including tree branches that overhang this area, must be removed. The area must be completely noncombustible. | X | X |
 | Ensure roof must be Class A fire-reated | Roof must be Class A fire-resistant rated: most roof covers are, like asphalt shinges, masonry tiles that include bird stops, and metal. | X | X |
 | Choose noncombustable Gutters and Downspouts | Gutters and downspouts must be made from noncombustable material such as metal | X | X |
 | Clear roofs, gutters, and downspouts of debris | The roof, gutters, and downspouts must be cleaned regularly to prevent accumulation of debris such as leaves and pine needles. | X | X |
 | Install ember-resistant vents | Vents must be either ember and fire resistant or covered (inside or outside) with 1/8 inch or finer metal mesh. | X | X |
 | Ensure a 6-inch ground clearance for exterior walls | There must be a minimum of 6 vertical inches (measured from the ground up) of noncombustible material at the base of exterior walls. | X | X |
 | Clear and maintain decks and covered porches | Top deck surfaces must be kept clear of debris and combustible materials. Underneath of deck and stairs must be kept clear of vegetation or any storage items; decks less than 4 feet high must be enclosed. All decks must hae 5 feet of noncombustible defensible space (home ignition zone required.) | X | X |
 | Maintain defensible space | The remainder of the property beyond the home igition zone must be maintained by removing yeard debris and dead vegetation and pruning trees and bushes. | X | X |
 | Remove combustible fencing within 5 feet of the home | There must be no combustible fencing with 5 feet of the home, including where fences attach to the home. | X | X |
 | Keep accessory structures compliant | Within 30 feet of the home, there must be no more than 3 accessory structures (larger than 15 square feet each) like sheds, playsets, gazebos, and ADUs. Each must meet the same requirements as the home, including noncombustaible 5-foot home ignition zone. | X | No structures within 30 feet of home |
| PLUS LEVEL | ||||
 | Cover gutters | Install noncombustible gutter guards. | X |
|
 | Enclose underside of eaves | Eaves must be enclosed on the underside with soffits made of noncombustible, ignition-resistant material, or 2-inch lumber (no plywood). | X |
|
 | Install metal dryer vent | Dryer vents must be made of metal and have a louver or flap. | X |
|
 | Install a noncombustible exterior wall cover | Siding must be noncombustible such as fiber-cement, stucco, stone, or brick. | X |
|
 | Ensure shutters, if in place, are noncombustible | Shutters, if in place, must be made of a noncombustible material. | X |
|
 | Upgrade to fire-resistant windows | All exterior glass in windows, skylights, and within doors must be multipaned glass with at least 2 tempered panes, have a fire-rating, or glass blocks for windows. | X |
|
 | Upgrade to concombustible exterior doors | Exterior doors must be noncombustible or have a noncombustible storm door installed as the outermost exterior door. | X |
|
 | Enclose the space underneath bay windows | The area underneath bay windows on the first floor must be enclosed with a noncombustible wall. | X |
|
 | Ugrade to a noncombustible deck | All deck components including posts, joists, railings, stairs, and walking surfaces must be constructed with noncombustible materials or follow noncombustible retrofit requirements. | X |
|
 | Remove back-to-back fencing | There must be no back-to-back fencing (meaning separate fences that are closer that 5 feet apart). | X |