A non-renewal notice from your home insurance carrier feels personal. It usually is not. Colorado carriers have been shedding hail and wildfire exposure across entire ZIP codes, and thousands of well-maintained homes with claim-free owners are receiving the same letter you did.
Here is exactly what to do, in order.
1. Read the notice and find the reason
Carriers must state why they are non-renewing. The reason determines your path: roof age points one direction, a wildfire score another, claims history a third, and a full market withdrawal means it truly was not about you. Keep the notice; other carriers and your broker will want to see it.
2. Mark the date and do not let coverage lapse
You have until the stated end date, and Colorado requires advance written notice before that date arrives. A lapse in coverage violates most mortgage agreements and makes every future placement harder and more expensive. Whatever happens, have the next policy bound before the old one ends.
3. Gather your documents
Your declarations page, the non-renewal notice, your roof’s age and any replacement records, photos of recent updates, and documentation of any wildfire mitigation. A complete file makes you placeable at better rates because underwriters price uncertainty against you.
4. Fix what is fixable
If the trigger was roof age, a replacement or even a roof inspection certificate can reopen standard markets. If it was wildfire exposure, documented defensible space and ember-resistant work can move your score. If it was an old open claim, get it formally closed.
5. Shop the entire market once, properly
This is where an independent agency earns its keep. We check standard carriers first, then specialty and surplus lines markets that exist precisely for non-renewed homes. Most homes we see are placeable within days, and surplus lines coverage is often far better than its reputation. Colorado’s FAIR Plan exists as a last resort, but we treat it as the floor, not the plan.
6. Plan the path back
A specialty placement is usually a chapter, not the whole book. As roof age, claims, or carrier appetite change, we re-shop at every renewal. Most clients return to standard markets within one to three cycles.
Holding a non-renewal notice right now? Our non-renewal placement guide covers the options in detail, or skip straight to a quote request and we will start the same business day.