A Georgia homeowner should consider the FAIR plan, run by the Georgia Underwriting Association, only after standard insurers and specialty markets have declined the home. It exists so every insurable Georgia property can get basic coverage, not to compete on price or breadth. This guide covers when it's the right call, what it pays, what to try first and how to get back to the regular market.
A Georgia homeowner should consider the FAIR plan only after standard and specialty insurers have declined the home, typically because of an old roof, several claims, vacancy or high storm exposure. The Georgia Underwriting Association provides basic property coverage of last resort. It does cover wind, but settles wind losses at actual cash value, so treat it as temporary.
- It's the last resort, not the first call. Specialty and surplus lines markets often write homes standard insurers won't.
- It covers wind. Georgia's insurance regulator says wind losses under these policies are settled at actual cash value.
- Coverage is narrower than a typical homeowners policy. Check liability, theft and contents before you bind.
- Plan your exit on day one. Fixing the roof or letting claims age can reopen the regular market.
Do this: if you've been non-renewed, have an independent agent shop standard and specialty carriers first, and ask for the FAIR plan only if every one of them declines.
If someone has mentioned the FAIR plan to you, it's probably because your home insurance just got harder. Maybe your carrier sent a non-renewal notice, maybe three companies declined your roof, maybe the house has sat empty since a relative passed. The FAIR plan is Georgia's answer to "nobody will insure this house," and it's worth understanding before you need it.
It's also widely misunderstood. Some websites say FAIR plans often exclude windstorm, which isn't how Georgia's works. Others describe it as a cheap backup, which it isn't. Here's what it actually is, when it makes sense, and why most homeowners should treat it as a bridge back to the regular market rather than a destination.
The Georgia FAIR plan at a glance
| Item | What it means | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Official name | Georgia Underwriting Association (GUA) | O.C.G.A. § 33-33-1 |
| Created | 1970, amended 1975 and 1995 | O.C.G.A. §§ 33-33-1 through 33-33-11 |
| Who runs it | An association of insurers licensed to write property insurance in Georgia | O.C.G.A. § 33-33-1; Georgia OCI |
| Wind coverage | Included; wind losses settled at actual cash value | Georgia OCI disaster guide |
| Premium tax | Paid by the GUA directly to the state from tax year 2025 | OCI Directive 25-EX-7, Dec 1, 2025 |
| Consumer help | Georgia OCI Consumer Services, 1-800-656-2298 | Georgia OCI |
What Is the Georgia FAIR Plan?
The short answer: it's the Georgia Underwriting Association, a state-authorized pool of property insurers that provides basic coverage for homes the regular market won't write.
FAIR stands for Fair Access to Insurance Requirements. Georgia created its plan in 1970 under O.C.G.A. § 33-33-1, which authorizes insurers licensed to write property coverage in Georgia to form an underwriting association, subject to the Insurance Commissioner's approval and regulation. The member insurers share its results, which is how it can offer coverage on homes no single company wants. For typical Georgia premiums, see what homeowners insurance costs in Georgia.
The Georgia Office of the Commissioner of Insurance describes it as an association of Georgia licensed insurers that maintains fair access to insurance, and points homeowners there when private insurers decline. The GUA also administers Georgia's FORTIFIED home program, according to R Street Institute, which matters if you're strengthening a roof to get back into the regular market.
When Should You Consider the Georgia FAIR Plan?
The short answer: when standard insurers and specialty markets have all declined your home and your current coverage is about to end.
The usual paths to the FAIR plan in Georgia look like this:
- A non-renewal with no replacement lined up. Georgia now requires 60 days' notice, which is time to shop but not unlimited time.
- An old roof several insurers won't take. Often 20 years or more, or a roof with visible wear.
- Several recent claims. Especially water and roof claims within the last three to five years.
- A vacant or unoccupied home. Estate properties and homes between tenants are frequently declined.
- Condition problems. Outdated wiring, a damaged roof or deferred maintenance that an inspection flagged.
- High storm exposure. Some coastal homes where private wind capacity is limited.
If you're here because of a non-renewal, start with our step-by-step guide to getting home insurance after a non-renewal. The FAIR plan is the last step in that guide, not the first.
What Should You Try Before the Georgia FAIR Plan?
The short answer: standard carriers through an independent agent, then specialty and surplus lines insurers, then fixing whatever caused the declines, in that order.
- Shop the standard market widely. One captive agent can only show you one company's answer. An independent agent can ask many at once.
- Try specialty property carriers. Some insurers specialize in older homes, manufactured homes or homes with prior claims. Our direct appointments include American Modern, Foremost, Orion180, Homeowners of America and Universal Property, each with different roof and claims rules.
- Try surplus lines. Excess and surplus lines insurers can write risks admitted carriers won't, often with an actual cash value roof or a higher deductible, which can still beat the FAIR plan on breadth.
- Accept a higher deductible. The Georgia OCI's own homeowners guide notes that being willing to take a higher deductible can open options.
- Fix the cause. A new roof, updated wiring or repaired damage often reopens the standard market faster than anything else.
What we check before anyone mentions the FAIR plan
| Market | Richard Johnson Group |
|---|---|
| Standard insurers: Travelers, Cincinnati Insurance, Liberty Mutual, The Hanover | Quote directly |
| Specialty property: American Modern, Foremost, Orion180, Homeowners of America, Universal Property | Quote directly |
| Captive insurers: State Farm, Allstate, Georgia Farm Bureau | Through carrier and agency partners |
| Georgia Underwriting Association (FAIR plan) | Last resort, only after the rest decline |
We'll show you which markets declined and why, because that tells you what to fix. The full list of carriers we represent is in our carrier appointment list.
Georgia's rule 120-2-66-.03 also bars insurers from declining a home on dwelling age alone without considering updated systems, so if the only reason given is that the house is old, ask what they considered.
What Does a Georgia FAIR Plan Policy Cover and Leave Out?
The short answer: it covers the structure against basic perils including wind, settles wind losses at actual cash value, and is generally narrower than a standard homeowners policy.
On wind, the record is clear. The Georgia OCI's disaster guide directs homeowners whose policies exclude wind to the Georgia Underwriting Association and states that "wind related losses are settled on an Actual Cash Value basis under policies issued by the Georgia Underwriting Association." Actual cash value means depreciation comes off the claim, so an older roof damaged by wind pays well below the cost of a new one.
Beyond wind, expect a policy built to protect the structure rather than to match a full HO-3. Before you bind, ask for the policy form and declarations page and confirm, in writing, whether it includes personal liability, theft, contents, loss of use and water damage, and at what limits. Flood is excluded, as it is in every homeowners policy. The full coverage breakdown is coming in our guide to what the Georgia Underwriting Association covers.
How Do You Fill the Gaps a FAIR Plan Leaves?
The short answer: confirm what's missing, add separate policies where they exist for those gaps, and set aside cash for the depreciation an actual cash value claim won't pay.
- Flood. Buy a separate flood policy through the NFIP or a private flood insurer. See what flood insurance costs in Georgia.
- Liability. If the FAIR plan policy doesn't include personal liability, ask your agent about a standalone personal liability policy.
- Contents. If contents coverage is limited or absent, price it separately where available.
- Depreciation. Keep an emergency fund sized to the difference between your roof's actual cash value and a new roof.
A Fort Oglethorpe homeowner is non-renewed over a 23-year-old roof. Every standard carrier declines. The FAIR plan offers coverage, with wind settled at actual cash value. She gets a roof bid and compares staying against fixing.
That payback ignores the bigger benefit: a future wind claim settled at replacement cost instead of depreciated value. Figures are illustrative.
How Do You Get Off the Georgia FAIR Plan?
The short answer: fix what caused the declines, keep proof of it, and have an agent re-shop the standard market before every FAIR plan renewal.
- Replace or certify the roof. Keep the invoice, permit and photos. A FORTIFIED designation is even stronger evidence.
- Let claims age. Many insurers look back three to five years. Georgia also limits non-renewal over two or fewer claims in 36 months that weren't caused by negligent or intentional acts.
- Document updates. Wiring, plumbing and HVAC updates matter under Georgia's rule on dwelling age.
- Re-shop 60 to 90 days before renewal. Carrier appetite changes; a home declined last year may be welcome this year.
- Compare carefully when you move back. Use our home quote comparison checklist so the new policy isn't narrower in a different way.
Since January 1, 2026, Georgia insurers must give 60 days' written notice before non-renewing a homeowners policy, up from 30, which gives more time to find an alternative before the FAIR plan becomes the only option.
From tax year 2025, the Georgia Underwriting Association pays premium tax on FAIR plan policies directly to the state under OCI Directive 25-EX-7. And after Georgia's homeowners loss ratio reached 112 percent in 2024, more homes are being pushed toward specialty markets, making it more important to shop broadly before settling on the plan.
When Is the FAIR Plan the Wrong Answer?
The short answer: whenever a standard or specialty insurer will write the home, even with a higher deductible or an actual cash value roof, because that policy is usually broader.
- Only one insurer declined you. One decline says little. Shop wider first; the 2026 Georgia home insurer rankings are a starting point.
- The problem is price, not availability. The FAIR plan isn't designed to be cheap. See Georgia's cheapest home insurers by study.
- Your lender has specific requirements. Confirm your mortgage company will accept the policy before you bind, or it may buy force-placed coverage instead.
- The home is a rental. A landlord policy from a specialty carrier often fits better. See Georgia landlord policy costs.
- Your rates are rising but you haven't been declined. That's a shopping problem; see why Georgia home rates keep rising.
- You live in Catoosa County. Local specialty markets may write the home; see home insurance in Ringgold, Georgia.
The Bottom Line
A Georgia homeowner should consider the FAIR plan only after standard and specialty insurers have declined the home. The Georgia Underwriting Association exists so insurable Georgia homes can get basic coverage, and it does cover wind, but it settles wind losses at actual cash value and is generally narrower than a standard homeowners policy.
Shop widely first, check exactly what the policy includes before you bind, fill the gaps with separate coverage, and plan your way back to the regular market from the first day. We shop standard, specialty and surplus lines markets together and tell you honestly when the FAIR plan is the only answer left.
Declined or non-renewed? Let's look before you settle.
Send us the notice and your declarations page. We'll shop standard and specialty markets first and walk you through the FAIR plan only if it's truly the last option. More in our home insurance guides and on our Georgia home insurance page.
Related questions
Yes. The Georgia Underwriting Association is the organization that runs Georgia's FAIR plan, created under O.C.G.A. § 33-33-1. You'll see both names used for the same thing.
No. Like standard homeowners policies, it doesn't cover flood. You'd need a separate flood policy through the NFIP or a private flood insurer.
Often, but not automatically. Lenders set their own coverage requirements, so confirm with your mortgage servicer before you bind. If the policy falls short, the lender may add force-placed coverage at your expense.
Applications usually go through a licensed agent, who can also confirm you've exhausted other options. For questions about the plan itself, Georgia OCI Consumer Services is at 1-800-656-2298.
Frequently asked questions
What is the Georgia FAIR plan?
The Georgia FAIR plan is the Georgia Underwriting Association, an association of insurers licensed to write property insurance in Georgia, created in 1970 under O.C.G.A. § 33-33-1. It provides basic property coverage for homes that can't get insurance in the regular market. It's regulated by the Georgia Insurance Commissioner and is meant as a last resort.
Who should use the Georgia FAIR plan?
Homeowners whose property has been declined by standard insurers and specialty markets, typically because of an old or damaged roof, several recent claims, vacancy, condition problems or high storm exposure. If any standard or specialty insurer will write the home, even with a higher deductible, that policy is usually broader than the FAIR plan.
Does the Georgia FAIR plan cover wind and hail damage?
Yes, it covers wind. The Georgia Office of the Commissioner of Insurance states that wind-related losses under Georgia Underwriting Association policies are settled on an actual cash value basis, meaning depreciation is subtracted. An older roof damaged by wind may therefore pay well below the cost of replacing it.
Is the Georgia FAIR plan more expensive than regular home insurance?
It often is, and it's generally narrower. The FAIR plan isn't designed to compete on price; it exists so hard-to-insure homes can get basic coverage. That's why it's worth shopping standard, specialty and surplus lines insurers first, and re-shopping before every FAIR plan renewal.
How do I get off the Georgia FAIR plan?
Fix what caused the declines, such as replacing the roof or updating wiring, keep invoices and photos as proof, let recent claims age, and have an independent agent re-shop the standard market 60 to 90 days before each renewal. A FORTIFIED roof designation can also help show the home is a better risk.
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