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Hail, Not Wildfire, Identified as Top Driver of Colorado Homeowners Insurance Rates

State officials point to roof upgrades as the most immediate path to relief.

Overview

  • New state analysis of data from 20 insurers across 11 counties representing about 80% of the market finds hail accounts for roughly 26%–54% of premiums, compared with about 1%–25% for wildfire.
  • Insurers are spreading hail risk statewide, raising prices even in low-hail areas, while wildfire risk is priced more narrowly and more often affects policy availability in high-risk communities.
  • Estimated savings from hail-fortified roofs range from about $82 to $387 a year, far outpacing average reductions from wildfire mitigation of roughly $3 to $25.
  • Examples in the report include hail comprising about half of premiums along the Front Range and Eastern Plains, 35.6% in Summit County despite infrequent hail, and just 1% of Denver premiums tied to wildfire risk.
  • Lawmakers are revisiting a grant program to scale hail‑resistant roofs after a 2025 fee-backed bill failed, as the FAIR plan has issued about 140 policies and a wildfire-rate transparency law takes effect in July 2026.