Over the past few years, many Idaho homeowners have opened their mailboxes to find something unsettling: an insurance bill that’s jumped dramatically or a letter saying their policy won’t be renewed.
Across the country, insurers say a combination of wildfires, climate risk and higher rebuilding costs are driving up homeowners insurance prices. In Idaho, new data from the state Department of Insurance shows average homeowners’ premiums rose more than 37% between 2022 and 2024, and thousands of policies have been non-renewed.
At the same time, many homeowners say they don’t understand why their rates are going up or what they could do to lower them.
Now a bipartisan group of lawmakers is trying to address that. House Bill 618 would require insurance companies disclose the wildfire risk scores and models they use to help determine rates and coverage decisions.
The bill is co-sponsored by lawmakers from both parties, including Rep. Monica Church (D-Boise) and Rep. Mark Sauter (R-Sandpoint).
The two represent very different parts of the state, but both say their constituents are feeling the pressure of rising insurance costs. They joined Idaho Matters to talk more.
