CONSTRUCTION DEFECT JOURNAL

"News and Information for Construction Defect and Claims Professionals"

CONSTRUCTION DEFECT JOURNAL - ISSUE 242749 - THURSDAY, OCTOBER 9, 2025

Older Homes for Sale in California Now Come With Wildfire Warnings

Real Estate Agent having person sign document

The state is the first to require sellers in high-risk areas to disclose what they’ve done to protect houses.

September 30, 2025
Todd Woody - Bloomberg

Most California homes were built long before the state required that they be constructed to withstand wildfires. Now, sellers of older homes in high-risk areas must disclose to potential buyers not only a dwelling’s susceptibility to fire but what they’ve done to address those vulnerabilities.

As climate change intensifies natural disasters, states across the US have been mandating that home sellers disclose risks such as flooding. But the California disclosure is the first to zero in on a property’s ability to survive a catastrophe.

That could make the state a model as wildfire and other climate threats endanger homes across the US. While three dozen states require some degree of flood-risk disclosure, only California currently mandates home sellers reveal wildfire hazards.


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