Home › FAIR plans › Colorado FAIR Plan

FAIR plan · Colorado

Colorado FAIR Plan

Checked against official sources · Last reviewed October 13, 2026

What the Colorado FAIR Plan is

A FAIR plan (Fair Access to Insurance Requirements) is a state-created pool that sells basic property insurance when regular insurers won't. The Colorado FAIR Plan Association was created by HB23-1288, signed May 12, 2023. It is run by a nine-member board appointed by the Governor. It is a not-for-profit organization funded by assessments on insurance companies, not by public money.

The plan calls itself "a market of last resort." In its own words, it "is not intended to address affordability concerns," and its policies "are not priced below the standard market and provide less coverage."

A 2025 law, HB25-1205, says the association is not a state agency and not an insurance company. It also says the only claims a policyholder can bring against the association are for breach of contract or breach of the duty of good faith and fair dealing. The same law requires the association to follow several Colorado homeowners-insurance rules, including the 60-day notice rule for cancellations and nonrenewals (C.R.S. 10-4-110.7).

This site is not the Colorado FAIR Plan and is not affiliated with it. For your policy, call the plan's Customer Care Team at (833) 554-5425 or visit coloradofairplan.com. [4][8][11][12][13][14]

Who is eligible

According to the plan, you must:

- Own a property standard insurers consider uninsurable. The plan names wildfire risk, hail risk, claims history, age and location as typical reasons. - Apply through an agent. Only a licensed agent registered with the Colorado FAIR Plan can submit your application. - Show three declinations. You need proof that three different insurance companies declined your property. The plan's FAQ says the declinations must be from within 45 days of your application. The law itself requires "at least three declinations of coverage" with the application.

Eligibility depends only on whether you can get insurance from a standard insurer, "not by financial need, property size, or other factors." The plan's comparison guide also says your property must meet minimum condition standards and that policyholders can renew "Annually for Up to Three Years." Confirm current renewal rules with the plan or your agent. [1][8][9][10]

What it covers and what it doesn't

The plan offers "basic property insurance," not a full homeowners policy. Its sample residential policy is a dwelling policy.

General exclusions include ordinance or law, earth movement, water damage, power failure, neglect, war, nuclear hazard, intentional loss and government action.

Because the plan pays actual cash value only, it covers "the actual cash value of your home, not the cost to rebuild or replace it." Ask your agent whether that would be enough to rebuild. [1][2][10]

Filling the gaps: difference-in-conditions (DIC) policies

A difference-in-conditions (DIC) policy is a separate policy from another company that adds coverage the FAIR Plan leaves out. The plan says DIC policies "can provide coverage against perils not covered by the Colorado FAIR Plan, such as liability, water, and theft." It also says each DIC product varies in coverage and limits, and that it "does not endorse any DIC product or carrier." Ask your agent what is available. See our DIC insurance guide. [15]

How to apply

The plan does not sell policies directly to the public. Coverage is only available through a licensed agent or broker registered with the plan. Use the plan's agent search if you don't have one. Agents must be licensed in Colorado but don't have to be located in the state.

The plan's residential application steps:

1. Your agent can get a "quick quote" price indication first. It is only an estimate. 2. The agent completes the application. Quotes can only be submitted for effective dates within 30 days. 3. If you accept the quote, the agent uploads photos of all four sides of the house and asks to bind. Agents cannot bind coverage themselves. 4. You or your agent e-sign the documents. 5. An underwriter reviews the application, may adjust the premium, and binds the policy if the home meets the plan's guidelines. 6. If you pay the bill yourself, payment is due 21 days after underwriting approval or the request for payment.

Inspection: you may also be asked to complete a 15-minute self-guided virtual inspection with your phone or tablet. You get a link by email and have 14 days to finish it. If the link expires, your agent must resubmit the application, and a new effective date may apply. [6][9][16][17]

Paying, claims and wildfire scores

Payments: you can pay in full, semiannually or quarterly. Pay online through the plan's E-pay page by credit card or ACH. You need the payer's name and email, your policy number and the ZIP code of the billing address (if your mortgage lender pays through escrow, that is the lender's ZIP code). No account is required. The plan lists these fees: credit card 3.9% of the payment, ACH $7 per transaction, and $6 extra for any plan other than pay-in-full. Mail payments go to Colorado FAIR Plan, P.O. Box 562, Gretna, NE 68028.

Claims: claims are reported by phone at (833) 554-5425, Monday to Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. MT. The plan says an adjuster will contact you within one business day. Take photos, keep receipts for temporary repairs, and don't start permanent repairs until the plan's adjuster or representative has contacted you. If the damage involves a peril the FAIR Plan doesn't cover (such as water), also report it to any other insurer that covers that peril.

Wildfire risk scores: the plan uses ZestyAI's Z-FIRE model. It gives a community score and a property score, each from 1 (lowest risk) to 10 (highest). If you think your score is wrong, you can ask for a review and send supporting documents. The plan says it "does not provide discounts for individual mitigation actions taken," but "verified changes that materially affect wildfire risk" may be considered in rating. Colorado's HB25-1182, in effect since July 1, 2026, applies its risk-score notice and appeal rules to the FAIR Plan too: a written acknowledgment within 10 calendar days and a decision within 30. [5][7][18][19][20]

Getting back to the regular market

The plan says it is "not meant to replace standard insurance." It tells policyholders to keep working with their agent, because "marketplace conditions change routinely, and new insurance options may become available." Before or instead of the FAIR Plan, an agent may also check the surplus lines market. These insurers specialize in higher-risk properties and, according to the plan, "may offer more customized coverage options than the FAIR Plan."

The plan also says that "a well-mitigated property is the best path away from the Colorado FAIR Plan" and links to wildfire and hail resources such as IBHS's Wildfire Prepared Home and FORTIFIED Roof standards. See our wildfire home hardening and FORTIFIED roof guides, and the surplus lines guide. [1][8][19]

Who pays if the plan runs short

By law, every admitted insurer that writes property insurance in Colorado must pay an assessment if the plan's finances require it. Each insurer's share is based on its share of Colorado's property insurance premiums. An insurer can recoup the fee from its own policyholders as a surcharge, but it may not raise premiums because of the fee. [9][12]

Help and complaints

Call your agent first. The plan's Customer Care Team is at (833) 554-5425. Mail for policies and claims goes to Colorado FAIR Plan Association, P.O. Box 546, Worcester, MA 01613.

The Colorado Commissioner of Insurance must approve the plan's plan of operation. You can reach the Colorado Division of Insurance (DOI) Consumer Services team at (303) 894-7490, or (800) 930-3745 outside the Denver area, or file a complaint. For more on Colorado's rules, see our Colorado homeowners insurance page. [4][9][18][21]

Questions people ask