Free guide · the shot list

Document your hardening so an underwriter can't say no

Most discount requests fail on documentation. The work was done; the proof was thin. This is the complete, category-by-category list of what to photograph and what paperwork to keep, the same requirements our packets are built against. Use it freely. When you're ready, we turn the pile into the packet.

CLASS A ROOFEMBER-RESISTANT VENTSGUTTER GUARDSDUAL-PANE GLASSNONCOMBUSTIBLE SIDINGDECK ATTACHMENTZONE 0 · NONCOMBUSTIBLE 5 FT
Fig. 1 · The hardening points wildfire insurers and WUI standards check. Your packet documents these first.

Three rules before you shoot

  • Prove the detail, then the context. Every measure needs a closeup that shows the thing itself and a step-back that shows where it lives on your property.
  • Labels win arguments. A photo of a vent is an opinion. A photo of the vent's ember-resistant rating label is a fact.
  • Shoot everything, every side. Underwriters assume the side you skipped is the problem.

The shot list, category by category

Class A roof

  • Full roof from each side of the house (four photos)
  • Closeup of the shingle or tile surface
  • Material label, bundle wrapper, or spec sheet if you have it
  • Paperwork: A roofing invoice showing material and install date beats everything.

Ember-resistant vents

  • One closeup per vent opening, label or mesh clearly visible
  • A step-back shot showing where each vent sits on the structure
  • Paperwork: Product spec or purchase receipt with the model number.

Zone 0 · the first five feet

  • The base of every exterior wall, all the way around
  • Gravel, pavers, or bare soil visible against the foundation
  • Under-deck and fence-to-wall connections
  • Paperwork: Landscaping invoice if the work was contracted.

Defensible space · zones 1–2

  • Wide shots in each compass direction from the house
  • Tree canopy spacing and limbed-up trunks
  • Cleared ladder fuels, with no shrubs under trees
  • Paperwork: A defensible-space inspection report is the strongest single document you can hold.

Windows & doors

  • Each window with frame visible
  • Corner closeup showing dual-pane spacing if visible
  • Paperwork: Window invoice or spec sheet stating tempered/dual-pane glazing.

Gutters, eaves & debris

  • Gutter line from below, clean, with guards visible if installed
  • Enclosed eaves from ground level
  • Roof surface free of needles and leaves
  • Paperwork: Dated maintenance receipt if a service does it.

Upload exactly what you have, even half of this list, and the free readiness scan tells you which categories are documented, which are weak, and the precise shots that finish the job.

The zones, mapped

California's defensible-space law (PRC §4291) divides your parcel into three zones, and carriers evaluate each one separately. Zone 0, the five feet against your walls, decides most files.

HOMEZONE 0 · 0–5 FT · NONCOMBUSTIBLEZONE 1 · 5–30 FT · LEAN & CLEANZONE 2 · 30–100 FT · REDUCED FUEL
Fig. 2 · Defensible-space zones under PRC §4291. Each zone takes its own photo set, and we tell you exactly which shots.
Sources
CAL FIRE: Defensible Space (PRC §4291) zone requirements
insurance.ca.gov: Safer from Wildfires qualifying actions
IBHS: Wildfire Prepared Home designation standards
California Building Code Chapter 7A: materials & construction in WUI zones

You've done the work. Finish the file.

Check your address, upload what you have, and get clear photo instructions for anything still missing. Free.

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