Guard your home. Start with knowing your risk.
Charred Guard walks your property zone by zone against Wildfire Prepared Home standards, then hands you a clear, prioritized report — ready to act on whenever works for you, or hand straight to your insurer.
A full picture of your property, zone by zone.
Tap a marker on the photo for a specific detail, or a zone below it for the bigger picture — from the ground right up to your roofline.
Tap a marker to see what we check
Seven points on the photo, grouped into the four zones we write every report against — shown here on a real assessed property.
An assessment you can actually trust.
- Flat-fee pricing. One price for your package, agreed before we start. No surprise add-ons once we're on site.
- Built on published criteria. Every finding is measured against Wildfire Prepared Home's own criteria and local Fire Hazard Severity Zone data, not a generic score.
- Photo-documented, zone by zone. Every finding in your report is backed by a photo, organized by zone, so you can see exactly what we saw.
- Independent assessment. We're not selling the mitigation work or a policy, so there's no incentive to inflate — or downplay — what we find.
Insurance in fire country is complicated. We’re here to help you navigate it.
More insurers are pulling back from high-risk areas, and thousands of California homeowners have landed on the FAIR Plan, the state’s insurer of last resort. A documented, criteria-based assessment gives you the kind of paperwork carriers actually ask for — showing exactly where your property stands today. It’s not a guarantee of coverage or a discount; that’s always up to your individual carrier. But walking in with real documentation puts you in a stronger position than walking in with none.
How your assessment becomes an action plan.
You don’t need to know anything about wildfire hardening going in — here’s every step, in plain terms, from entering your address to an entirely optional follow-up report at the end.
Enter your property address
That's all we need to start. We look up your California Fire Hazard Severity Zone — the risk category the state already assigns your area — so your assessment is scoped correctly before you answer anything else.
Serving property owners across Southern California.
From coastal chaparral to inland foothill canyons, every report is checked against the Fire Hazard Severity Zone your property actually sits in — not a generic checklist. We’re based in North San Diego County, with Orange County as another primary service area.
Pick the level of inspection you need.
Guided Photo Assessment
From $200A guided walkthrough you complete yourself with your phone, reviewed and written up by us. Start today — no waiting on a scheduled visit.
On-Site Inspection
From $500A full zone-by-zone walkthrough and written report, covering every WPH category for your property.
Post-Mitigation Reports
Once your hardening work is done, we can prepare a tailored follow-up report — for certification readiness, your insurance provider, or both — scoped to your situation.
Prices shown are typical starting rates — answer a few questions to get your exact quote based on package and property size.
A look inside your report.
This is a sample page. Filter by priority, or click a finding to see why it matters.
142 Ridgeline Dr
Essential Assessment · Wildfire Prepared Home Base criteria
Bark mulch within 3 ft of siding
0–5 ft noncombustible zone · 2 photos attached
Bark and wood mulch are combustible and sit directly against the structure here, giving embers an easy foothold right at the wall line. Fix: replace with rock, gravel, or bare mineral soil within the first 5 feet of the home.
Wood-slat gate inside defensible space
5–30 ft defensible space · 1 photo attached
Not an immediate ember-entry risk since it's away from the structure, but combustible fencing that runs toward the house can carry fire closer over time. Worth replacing on your normal maintenance schedule rather than urgently.
Class A roofing material
Structure · 1 photo attached
This roofing material already meets Wildfire Prepared Home criteria for ignition resistance. No action needed here — noted for the record.
Frequently asked.
Is this the same as getting Wildfire Prepared Home certified?
No. Charred Guard's assessment is independent of the official Wildfire Prepared Home certification process. We measure your property against the same published criteria, but the actual designation is issued separately by IBHS after their own verification. Our report is meant to get you ready for that step, not replace it.
What's the difference between Essential and Enhanced?
They're our two package levels, named after Wildfire Prepared Home's own Base and Plus criteria. Essential covers ember protection — the 0–5ft zone, defensible space, roof, gutters, and vents. Enhanced adds structural hardening like siding, windows, doors, decks, and eaves, and fits best if you're renovating or building new. Either way, we look at the same property — the package determines which criteria your report is written against.
Do you inspect in person, or remotely?
Both, depending on the package. Our Get Started flow walks you through a short property questionnaire and a free optional call, then you can choose a guided remote assessment or an on-site walkthrough.
Is a phone-guided assessment as thorough as an on-site visit?
Yes. Both options are checked against the exact same Wildfire Prepared Home criteria and produce the same style of report — the only real difference is who's holding the camera. Guided Photo Assessment walks you through exactly what to photograph and from what angle, so nothing gets missed, and it's faster to start since there's no visit to schedule.
How long does the whole process take?
Most inspections are scheduled within a week, and you'll have a written, prioritized report within about 48 hours of the walkthrough or your submitted photos.
What happens after I get my report?
You'll get a ranked list of what to fix first, with photo evidence for every finding. Once the work is done, we can also prepare a tailored follow-up report on a case-by-case basis — whether that's getting ready to apply for certification at wildfireprepared.org, or something formatted for your insurance provider.
I'm selling my home in a high fire-hazard zone — does this help?
It can. California's AB-38 law (Civil Code 1102.19) requires sellers in a High or Very High Fire Hazard Severity Zone to give buyers documentation of defensible space compliance before closing. We don't issue that official paperwork — only your local fire department can — but our assessment flags likely issues ahead of time, so you're not scrambling to fix things mid-escrow. Real estate agents are welcome to reach out too.
Will this get me an insurance discount or official certification?
Not automatically — both depend on your specific property and, for insurance, on your individual carrier. Our report shows exactly where your home stands against Wildfire Prepared Home criteria, but whether an insurer offers a discount is entirely their own policy, and official certification requires every required criterion to be met, verified separately by IBHS. Some properties qualify after one round of fixes; others need more work first. We'll tell you honestly where yours stands, either way.
Ready to see where you stand?
Answer a few questions, get a package recommendation, and book your assessment.