WSRB conducts inspections for the FAIR Plan, assessing the overall physical condition of the building alongside other important criteria.
In this article, you'll find answers to these questions:
What is the FAIR Plan?
The Washington FAIR Plan Association was established in 1968 to provide fire insurance coverage to both commercial buildings and dwellings where they may not have been able to obtain a policy in the standard insurance market. Policies are available anywhere in Washington, providing the property is occupied and is reasonably maintained.
The FAIR Plan provides coverage for properties with substandard building conditions, no public fire protection in the area, too many recent claims, or, more recently, properties in wildfire hazard areas.
WSRB's work for the FAIR Plan
Inspections
When we do an inspection for the FAIR Plan, we gather information on the property, with specific focus on the overall condition of the property.
We verify features such as the type of heating and electrical systems and look for any deficiencies that can contribute to a fire. In addition, we assess the overall physical condition of the building for issues such as poor roof condition, damaged or decaying siding, unpainted surfaces, decaying porches or decks, and general lack of maintenance. We also observe general housekeeping conditions for clutter both inside and outside the building.
The FAIR Plan will sometimes note the reason why the building is unable to obtain standard insurance (ex. a flood in the kitchen, or fire damage to the garage) and will ask us to verify that all repairs have been made, alongside additional specific items they are interested in. We have a conversation with the property owner about the work that has been done or is planned.
All information gathered is included in our final report.
The entire process is generally completed within 20 days of receiving an application.
Wildfire Risk
If a building’s location is subject to potential wildfires, we include observations on any mitigation the owner may have done to lessen the risk. We also include multiple photos of the interior and exterior of the building, a diagram that shows the building and its surroundings, information on the size, construction, and protection class of the building, and a brief paragraph stating our general observations.