Home insurance in LA has turned into its own nightmare. People are getting dropped, premiums are jumping hundreds a month, and some are stuck on the California FAIR Plan as a last resort.
If you own (or are trying to buy) in LA right now:
Curious what people are really dealing with out there. 
Yes, it’s still worth it, especially if you have a mortgage. Lenders require it, and going uninsured in LA is financial suicide after the 2025 fires.
In non-brush urban/South Bay/Valley floor areas you can still get admitted carriers (AAA/CSAA, Mercury, some Farmers) in the $1,800–$3,500 range. High-risk foothills/Palisades/Malibu/Topanga/Altadena is a different story: FAIR Plan + DIC wrap is the reality and it’s expensive ($5k–$15k+).
Shop early, harden the property (defensible space, ember-resistant vents), get a recent rebuild-cost appraisal, and use an independent broker who knows surplus lines. The market is ugly but not completely dead. I wouldn’t have the guts to go without it.
It’s rather mandatory for some. Worth it? Sure, if you enjoy paying $8k–$15k a year for a policy that only covers fire, then another policy to cover everything the first one doesn’t, while praying your carrier doesn’t non-renew you the week after the next Santa Ana event. Bonus points if you get the FAIR Plan assessment fee passed through to you as a thank-you for living here.
That’s why I keep renting. I gave up on buying a long time ago. It’s just not worth it, at least not in Southern California. Especially if you include things like HOA or property taxes.
If you’re buying in a brushy ZIP in 2026 you’re basically gambling that the next fire doesn’t wipe you out and that FAIR doesn’t raise rates another 30%+ next year. Not worth the stress or the money. Sell and move somewhere insurers still act like normal companies. Not a solution? Yeah, I know.. But what can we do? This is getting out of control.