Green Shield Risk Solutions, a managing general agent focused on catastrophic risk, has introduced its flagship homeowners program, Guardian Elite Home.
The program is designed for wildfire-prone areas in Colorado and California, aiming to address property insurance challenges in regions where market capacity is limited.
Guardian Elite Home targets affluent homeowners in areas with heightened wildfire risk, offering coverage options that include comprehensive dwelling protection, replacement cost options, and primary liability coverage.
The program also provides protection for other structures, personal property, and additional living expenses. Enhancements specific to wildfire exposure, such as debris removal, landscaping restoration, and mitigation support, are included.
Pat Blandford (pictured above), founder and CEO of Green Shield Risk Solutions, said, “Guardian Elite Home was created to fill that desperate need. Our mission is to make the world more insurable, starting with solutions that give agents the power to step in where others have walked away.”
The Guardian Elite Home program is available to appointed retail agents as a non-admitted solution, backed by Lloyd’s of London A+ paper. The offering leverages Green Shield’s proprietary wildfire analytics platform, Property Guardian, and the company’s underwriting expertise to provide coverage for homes in areas that traditional carriers may consider uninsurable.
Coverage is available for primary, secondary, and vacation residences, with flexibility to address the needs of households in high-risk wildfire zones. The program is positioned as a differentiated solution for brokers and agents seeking options for clients in constrained property insurance markets in California and Colorado.
California has responded to escalating wildfire risk and market strain by expanding the FAIR Plan’s commercial property coverage limits. As of 2025, the insurer of last resort is required to offer up to $20 million in coverage per building and up to $100 million per location, more than doubling previous limits.
The fallout from recent California wildfires has had significant financial implications for the insurance industry. Lloyd’s of London reported a $2.3 billion loss from the fires, while State Farm sought a 22% rate increase for homeowners’ insurance in the state. As a result, insurers are tightening policies, raising premiums, and reassessing risk, especially for homeowners in high-risk areas.
Meanwhile, regulatory changes in California now require homeowners in fire-prone areas to clear combustible materials around their properties. There is an increased focus on fire-resistant construction and defensible space, with these factors influencing both the availability and pricing of insurance coverage.
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