Insurance Info
14 Frequently Asked Questions
Colorado Homeowner’s Insurance Crisis
Created by Rotary Wildfire Safety in Conifer, Evergreen, Bailey
Operating under the Conifer Rotary Foundation.
(updated January 1, 2026)
You’re not alone. Many people in the foothills are seeing enormous increases in their homeowners’ insurance, or cannot find a company to sell to them at all.
The cost and availability of homeowner’s insurance in Colorado’s mountain communities is approaching a crisis. Premium costs are rising exponentially and many homeowners and home buyers are having difficulty finding insurance.
That’s why we wrote these 14 Frequently Asked Questions in the left column, to translate the jargon, tell you what’s changing and why, and encourage you to dig into what is happening to your coverage. Click on each question for the answer.
Experience shows that many, if not most, homeowners who lose their homes in a wildfire are underinsured. They don’t know how to read their policies (they are full of arcane terms), determine whether they have adequate coverage, or consider changes that could save them money.
SOURCES:
The answers were synthesized from 3 primary sources:
- The Colorado Division of Insurance has separate FAQs for homeowners, HOAs and townhome/condo owners here.
- United Policyholders (uphelp.org) is a consumer group that focusses on homeowner’s insurance and using insurance as you recover from wildfire-related damage or loss. Information on is found on their website under the “Get Prepared” tab and the “Recovery Help” tabs. Colorado-specific can also be found here.
- Rocky Mountain Insurance Information Association (rmiia.com), the insurance industry trade association and lobby group, was the source of some of the statistics.
JARGON:
You need to understand the industry jargon to read your policy and determine if it is adequate. Your insurance policy contains a lot of jargon. In order to review your policy and determine whether it is adequate to protect you or to compare policies, you need to know the jargon. We suggest looking at the Common Homeowners and Property Insurance Terminology page on the Colorado Division of Insurance website.
If you have questions related to your specific situation, please contact an insurance broker.
Disclaimer: The information provided in this document has been compiled by volunteers to assist homeowners in making informed decisions. Every effort has been made to source and review the content from reliable industry and government sources, ensuring the material is as current and relevant as possible. However, this information has not been independently verified for accuracy, and the authors and publishers make no guarantees regarding its correctness or completeness.
Readers are strongly encouraged to verify any information independently before taking action. The authors and publishers of this document shall not be held liable for any potential risks or consequences resulting from misinformation, including but not limited to harm to health, property, public safety, or democratic processes.