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What do insurers want on and under my deck?

Clear under it, keep nothing stored there, and enclose a low deck with 1/8 inch mesh. IBHS Essential asks for all three. The clearing is also in the state draft and on the state and FAIR Plan lists. The mesh is not.

The state Zone 0 rule is not law yet. Insurers and IBHS already use their own lists.

What to check

  1. Clear everything from under the deck.

  2. Measure the height of the walking surface.

  3. If it is 4 feet or less, look at how the sides are enclosed. IBHS wants 1/8 inch mesh.

  4. Look at the base of posts and stairs for the 6-inch covering.

What each list says

The lists do not always agree. Here is what each one says about this.

IBHS Essential

Decks and stairs count as part of the house, so the 5-foot zone starts at the outermost posts. Under an elevated deck, all plants and combustible ground cover come out, down to bare mineral soil, and nothing is stored there. A deck 4 feet or less above the ground is fully enclosed with noncombustible, corrosion-resistant mesh with openings no larger than 1/8 inch. Combustible lattice comes out of the bottom 6 inches or is replaced (section 2.1.5).

IBHS Enhanced

A new deck is fully noncombustible. An existing deck needs a solid, gap-free noncombustible walking surface, noncombustible railings within 5 feet of the house and 6 inches of noncombustible covering at the base of posts. Stairs wider than 4 feet get mesh underneath (section 3.1.7).

State discount list and FAIR Plan

Vegetation and debris cleared from under decks.

State draft

The area under decks, balconies, pergolas and stairs must be free of plants and anything that burns. It does not require mesh.

San Diego

Required: 1/8 inch noncombustible mesh on decks 4 feet or less in height, to keep debris from building up (section 4.7).

Check my yard

Sources

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