California Insurance Crisis: Newer way to build homes could lower your costs

FRESNO, Calif. (KFSN) -- More and more families are finding that their properties are in a fire risk zone.

ABC30's data journalism team found the likelihood of a fire in a zip code like 93611 in Clovis sits at 60.3%, and the foothill community of Tollhouse in the zip code 93614 is at 97.4%.

Now, some people are turning to a unique solution; it's a type of construction that creates noncombustible houses.

PHNX Development builds those noncombustible home out of concrete and steel, meaning there's no wood.

The company uses Insulated Concrete Forms, also known as ICF.

RELATED: California Insurance Crisis: Non-renewals and the CA FAIR Plan

"Metal studs and everything is noncombustible," PHNX Development construction manager André-Noël Chiara said.

The home sits in the gold rush town of Groveland, overlooking Pine Mountain Lake in the Sierra foothills.

"It is in a very high fire hazard area," PHNX Development architect and co-founder Laurie Fisher said.

She says if flames were to burn through this area, the home may have cosmetic damage but not structural damage.

"If a spark lands on a PHNX roof or lands on a PHNX wall, nothing's going to happen," Fisher explained. "There's nothing for it to ignite. We have no roof penetrations. We have no roof vents. We have plumbing vents."

"We are protected for at least four hours," Chiara said.

PHNX says its homes could also withstand an earthquake.

"The metal beams retain every wall at the same time, and it creates a solidity and strength and for sharing of whatever movement, it keeps everything together," Chiara explained.

Despite all the differences between noncombustible homes and those framed with wood, the company says the cost and construction timelines are similar.

"This project was around June we started, and we should finish end of April," Chiara stated.

The technical director for the California Building Industry Association (CBIA) disagrees on that point, telling us noncombustible homes can be more expensive when it comes to material and labor.

CBIA adds the increased use of concrete and steel in the homes goes against California's climate goals.

However, PHNX says the homes are all electric net zero energy and 90% of the time, your home will generate the energy needed to function.

"PHNX homes can meet Tier 2 CalGreen Building Code Standards - not only the highest standard in CA, but the highest code standard in the nation," Fisher said.

"We are all electric. So you know, we're getting fossil fuels out of the whole equation."

The equation also includes the potential for more insurance options in high fire risk areas - at a time when many homeowners are dealing with rising prices and non-renewals.

The company has worked with Mercury Insurance to make that possible, but it's not a guarantee.

Mercury Insurance says home construction is one of many factors it considers, along with geography, nearby structures, landscaping and its concentration of insured properties within the area.

If your new home does qualify, Mercury says the average customer could save 10% on their total premium and those in high wildfire risk areas could save even more.

Mercury's Sr. State Product Manager, Adam Bacons, said in a statement that the company "recently wrote a policy for a PHNX home where the owner realized a savings of more than 45% less than the amount they were paying for FAIR Plan coverage."

If you're interested in a noncombustible home, experts say to be sure to use a builder that is skilled in that type of construction and tour their previous projects before committing.

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