Fire Insurance Rebuild https://www.nationalforesthomeowners.org/forums/posts.aspx?topic=1640615 Mon, 13 Jul 2026 07:10:46 GMT Sat, 20 Nov 2021 22:37:30 GMT Copyright © 2021 National Forest Homeowners Fire Insurance Rebuild https://www.nationalforesthomeowners.org/forums/posts.aspx?topic=1640615 https://www.nationalforesthomeowners.org/forums/posts.aspx?topic=1640615 Thu, 18 Nov 2021 22:16:11 GMT Response - It Depends https://www.nationalforesthomeowners.org/forums/posts.aspx?topic=1640782 https://www.nationalforesthomeowners.org/forums/posts.aspx?topic=1640782 To answer your first question, while in most cases the USFS does approve rebuilding a cabin lost to fire, there have been situations where the cabin lot was deemed unsafe to build on following a fire. In those cases, an in-lieu lot in the same or adjacent forest may be offered as an alternative location to build a replacement cabin.

As for your second question, it depends on the terms of the insurance policy and potentially the state the cabin is located in.  Insurance is regulated by state law, so specific policy terms may vary not only by the insurance company, but the state where the policy was issued.

As an example, I believe insurance regulations in California require a policy to pay a replacement claim, even if the structure is not replaced. This is not the case for some other states.  A true replacement policy written by some insurance providers will only pay a claim when replacing the structure "as is, where is". Others may pay a lower (cash) amount if the structure is not replaced. It becomes an obvious problem if you are not allowed to rebuild on the same lot, and might even be a problem if you rebuild on an in-lieu lot in another location.

We recommend discussing with your insurance agent for clarity.

Doug Gann
NFH President

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