The Pennsylvania FAIR Plan, explained
What Pennsylvania'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 13, 2026
The short answer
- The Insurance Placement Facility of Pennsylvania (the Pennsylvania FAIR Plan) is Pennsylvania'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 | Insurance Placement Facility of Pennsylvania (the Pennsylvania FAIR Plan) |
| Website | pafairplan.com |
| Consumer phone | (215) 629-8800 (toll-free 1-800-462-4972) |
| Established | 1968 |
| Maximum home coverage | $500,000 for the building and household contents combined ($335,000 for a vacant dwelling) |
| Covers | Fire and lightning — the basic policy (ISO form DP-0001) covers these two only, Windstorm or hail, for homes that qualify for the broad form (DP-0002), Smoke damage, Riot or civil commotion, Damage from vehicles or aircraft hitting the property, Vandalism — deliberate damage by others (broad form), Volcanic action, Burglary and robbery, through a separate crime policy — not part of the dwelling policy, Not covered: flood, and the dwelling policy includes no theft or personal liability coverage (liability means money you owe if someone is hurt on your property) |
Verified against the official plan site and state insurance department — see Sources.
Who qualifies
You must have an insurable interest in real or personal property located in Pennsylvania — you own it, or you lose money if it is damaged You must have been unable to get this insurance from the regular (voluntary) insurance market The plan's published eligibility rules do not require a specific number of rejection letters — no declination count appears in Section II of its General Rules You must allow the plan to inspect the property; refusing inspection makes you ineligible Anyone convicted of, or under indictment for, arson or insurance fraud is ineligible The property itself must qualify: motor vehicles, farms, condemned or structurally unsafe buildings, extremely dilapidated property, and most buildings vacant over 30 days (unless boarded up or under active renovation) are ineligible
How to apply
- 1.
Try the regular market first
The FAIR Plan is for people who could not get property insurance from the voluntary market, so shop licensed insurers and agents first. The Pennsylvania Insurance Department counts more than 200 licensed insurers selling homeowners policies in the state.
- 2.
Apply directly or through any agent
You do not need an agent: any person with an insurable interest in the property may file directly, or a licensed property insurance agent or broker can file for you. An electronic application and quote tool are on pafairplan.com, and paper Dwelling Fire Insurance Applications can be downloaded.
- 3.
Complete one application per property and expect an inspection
Each location needs its own fully completed, signed application — incomplete ones are returned. The plan may inspect the property, and submitting an application neither binds the plan to insure you nor obligates you to buy. Misrepresentations can void the coverage.
What it costs
Neither the FAIR Plan's website nor the Pennsylvania Insurance Department publishes typical FAIR Plan premiums; the price depends on the individual property and the plan's filed rating rules.
The Pennsylvania Insurance Department's homeowners guide says basic fire and crime insurance is guaranteed to all Pennsylvania residents through the FAIR Plan "at comparable rates."
The plan states that no federal, state, or local funds are used to support or subsidize it — it is an association of the property insurers licensed in Pennsylvania.
For 1-4 family homes the $500,000 maximum applies to building and household contents combined; a vacant dwelling is capped at $335,000, and the plan's overall cap for all insurable property at any one location is $1,750,000.
Alternatives in Pennsylvania
Shopping the voluntary market: over 200 licensed insurers sell homeowners policies in Pennsylvania, through direct writers, independent agents, and exclusive agents The surplus lines market — insurers permitted to issue policies to Pennsylvania residents but not licensed by the department; note the state guaranty fund does not protect you if such a company fails National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) flood insurance for flood damage, which every homeowners form excludes (1-888-CALL-FLOOD) State-run mine subsidence coverage for damage from collapsing old mines, available by calling 1-800-922-1678
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
- Pennsylvania FAIR Plan — official site (contact, history, eligibility statement, coverages) — Insurance Placement Facility of Pennsylvania, accessed 2026-09-02
- PA FAIR Plan coverages offered (DP-0001, DP-0002, perils list, crime policies) — Insurance Placement Facility of Pennsylvania, accessed 2026-09-02
- General Rules Manual, Section V — Maximum Limits of Liability ($500,000 / $335,000 dwelling; $1,750,000 per location) — Insurance Placement Facility of Pennsylvania, accessed 2026-09-02
- General Rules Manual, Section II — Eligibility (eligible applicants, ineligible property; no declination count) — Insurance Placement Facility of Pennsylvania, accessed 2026-09-02
- General Rules Manual, Section VI — How to Apply (direct or producer filing, electronic application) — Insurance Placement Facility of Pennsylvania, accessed 2026-09-02
- Your Guide to Homeowners Insurance — FAIR Plan, surplus lines, flood and mine subsidence alternatives, toll-free number — Pennsylvania Insurance Department, 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.