Utah's wildfire fee: what homeowners need to know for 2027 and 2028

Owners of structures inside the state's high-risk wildland-urban interface (WUI) boundary. A structure is in the boundary when it scores 7 or 8 on the state's 1–8 exposure scale and sits within 820 feet of at least two other structures. About 60,000 structures qualify statewide.

Most of them are in southern Utah and the Wasatch Back. Washington and Iron counties alone account for over 40% of the addresses inside the boundary; Davis County has none. See where the zone is.

$20 to $100 per structure per year, a flat amount based on square footage for the first two years. The fee was originally set to start January 1, 2026; a 2026 law (HB 41) moved the start to January 1, 2027. Counties collect it.

From 2028 the fee is based on each lot's risk score from a property assessment. Owners who opt out of an assessment are charged the highest fee and treated as highest risk. Work that lowers the risk — clearing vegetation and hardening the house — can lower the score, and with it the fee.

Assessments can be done three ways:

• by the Utah Division of Forestry, Fire & State Lands (FFSL) on request, from a waitlist;
• by counties that have an agreement with the state;
• by private assessors certified to FFSL's standards — those standards are still being written.

An assessment lasts five years.

Start with the first five feet around the house (no wood mulch, firewood or dense plants against walls), then thin and space vegetation out to 30 feet and beyond. Ember-resistant vents, clean gutters and fixing wooden decks and fences where they touch the house are common hardening steps. There is no state grant money in HB 48 today, so owners pay for the work themselves. What the work typically costs.

Insurers must use the state's boundary when they label a property high-risk, and must explain a wildfire-related increase of more than 20% if you ask. Utah premiums rose faster than any other state's from 2021 to 2024. The IBHS Wildfire Prepared Home certification became available in Utah in April 2026, and some insurers give discounts for certified homes — ask your agent whether yours does. We don't give insurance advice.

The state's rules for the 2028 score and for appeals are still being written. We'll update this page when they're published. Until then, the state's FAQ is the best source.