Do I have to be turned down before the Ohio FAIR Plan will cover me?

Yes. At least two insurance companies must have declined the coverage you asked for. Even then there is no guaranteed right to a policy - the plan inspects the home, usually within 30 days of your application, and decides whether it qualifies.

What kinds of damage does an Ohio FAIR Plan policy actually pay for?

The basic homeowners policy pays for damage from fire, lightning, wind, hail, explosions, riots, aircraft, vehicles, smoke, vandalism, sinkhole collapse, and volcanic eruption, plus limited theft (capped at $1,000 or $5,000) and personal liability if someone is hurt on your property. A broader option covers the house against all causes of damage except the ones the policy specifically lists as excluded. The most the plan will insure at one address is $2 million, building and contents combined.

Will it cost more than regular home insurance?

Often, yes. The Ohio Department of Insurance says FAIR Plan coverage is likely to cost substantially more than the regular market, which is why it tells homeowners to exhaust their other options first. The plan itself says the price is sometimes somewhat higher and sometimes comparable - it depends on your home and the inspection. You can run a free estimated quote at ohiofairplan.com, and quarterly payment plans are available.

The Ohio FAIR Plan, explained

What Ohio's insurer of last resort covers, who qualifies, and how to use it as a bridge instead of a destination.

By the TMRW Team · Published September 2, 2026

The short answer

The Ohio FAIR Plan Underwriting Association is Ohio's insurer of last resort — basic property coverage for homes the regular market won't take.
Like most FAIR plans, it covers fewer kinds of damage than a normal policy and usually costs more — treat it as a bridge while you work back to a regular insurer.
Check the alternatives below before settling in; many homeowners qualify for the regular market again sooner than they expect.

Quick facts


Official name	Ohio FAIR Plan Underwriting Association
Website	ohiofairplan.com
Consumer phone	1-800-282-1772 (also 614-839-6446)
Established	1968
Maximum home coverage	$2 million per location, counting the building and everything in it together (Ohio Administrative Code 3901-1-18(F)(1))
Covers	Fire and lightning, Windstorm and hail, Explosion, Riot or civil commotion, Damage from aircraft and vehicles, Smoke damage, Vandalism and malicious mischief, Sinkhole collapse, Volcanic eruption, Theft, up to a $1,000 or $5,000 cap on the basic homeowners form, Personal liability of $100,000 or $300,000 if someone is hurt on your property, plus up to $1,000 in medical payments, A broader option (the HO-3 'special form') covers the house itself against all types of damage except the ones the policy specifically excludes, Separate policies exist for renters, condo owners, landlords (1-4 family rentals), farms, small businesses, and homes under renovation

Verified against the official plan site and state insurance department — see Sources.

Who qualifies

You must have been turned down for the coverage you want by at least two insurance companies There is no guaranteed right to buy a policy - the plan inspects your home (usually within 30 days of applying) and decides The home must be free of hazards and unrepaired damage, not in foreclosure, and not behind on property taxes For homeowners policies the home must be your primary residence, with at least 50% of it occupied; a separate dwelling policy covers tenant-occupied 1-4 family homes Minimum dwelling coverage applies: at least $15,000 on the basic form, at least $25,000 (and at least 50% of replacement cost) on the broader HO-3 form Basic safety rules apply: handrails on stairs of more than 3 steps, fenced pools, barriers for hot tubs and trampolines

How to apply

1.
Get your turn-downs in order
The plan requires that at least two insurance companies have declined the coverage you are asking for, so keep the names and dates of the companies that said no.
2.
Go through an insurance agent
Any Ohio-licensed property and casualty agent is required by state rule to help you apply - no special FAIR Plan agent exists. You can also use the Find an Agent tool or run an estimated quote yourself at ohiofairplan.com.
3.
Expect a home inspection
The plan typically inspects the property within 30 days of receiving the application, then issues a premium quote. The inspection decides whether the home qualifies and what it will cost.
4.
Pay the deposit to start coverage
Once the underwriter approves, coverage can begin as early as the day after the plan receives your fully completed application and the binder deposit premium - the upfront payment that locks coverage in.

What it costs

The Ohio Department of Insurance warns that FAIR Plan coverage "is likely to cost substantially more than through the standard insurance marketplace so be sure to exhaustively search before resorting to the FAIR Plan."

The plan's own FAQ is more measured: "In some situations the cost of insurance may be somewhat higher, while in other situations the rates may be comparable to the standard market."

The plan publishes no rate tables. Your price depends on the property and the inspection; ohiofairplan.com offers an estimated-quote tool, and quarterly payment plans are available on homeowners and dwelling policies.

Deductible choices on the quote tool run from $250 to $3,000 for residential policies, and your choice affects the premium.

Alternatives in Ohio

Keep shopping the regular market first - the Ohio Department of Insurance says to exhaustively search before resorting to the FAIR Plan, and an independent agent can quote many companies at once Fix what got you declined - the FAIR Plan itself refuses homes with hazards or unrepaired damage, so repairs that satisfy its inspection may also make a regular insurer say yes If a company cancels or refuses to renew you, its written notice must explain how to apply to the Ohio FAIR Plan - use that window to compare both routes Renters and condo owners who only need contents and liability coverage can use the plan's renters (HO-4) and condo (HO-6) policies rather than going without

Wherever you land, most FAIR-type policies leave gaps a second policy has to fill — see the gap (DIC) policy, explained.

Common questions

TMRW is an independent wildfire-mitigation company. We are not affiliated with, endorsed by, or connected to the California FAIR Plan Association or any state FAIR Plan, wind pool, or insurance program.

This page is educational. TMRW is not an insurance agent, broker, or producer, and nothing here is insurance advice, a coverage recommendation, or an offer of insurance. Talk to a licensed agent or broker about your coverage.

Sources

Ohio FAIR Plan - official site (name, year, coverages, quote tool, phone) — Ohio FAIR Plan Underwriting Association, accessed 2026-09-02
Ohio FAIR Plan Underwriting Guidelines, effective 4/2026 (perils, $2M limit, two-declination rule, agent rules) — Ohio FAIR Plan Underwriting Association, accessed 2026-09-02
Ohio FAIR Plan FAQs (apply through any agent, 30-day inspection, effective date, payment plans, cost) — Ohio FAIR Plan Underwriting Association, accessed 2026-09-02
Homeowners Insurance Guide - Ohio FAIR Plan section (no guaranteed right, inspection, funding, cost warning) — Ohio Department of Insurance, accessed 2026-09-02

Keep reading

FAIR Plans: insurance of last resort, explained

FAIR Plans are state-organized insurers of last resort — expensive, fire-focused, and thinner than they look. What they are, what they cost, and how homeowners get back to regular insurance.

The gap policy: Difference in Conditions (DIC) insurance, explained

A DIC policy is the gap-filler that turns bare-bones FAIR Plan coverage back into something like normal home insurance. What it covers, what it costs, and how to buy one.

The California FAIR Plan, explained

What the California FAIR Plan is, what it really costs with the second policy you'll need, what happens if it runs out of money — and how homeowners get back to real insurance.