7+ years writing insurance and personal finance content
Certified financial education instructor (CFEI)
Choncé was a licensed life insurance agent before becoming a freelance personal finance writer. She’s passionate about helping people learn to protect themselves with insurance.
3+ years experience in insurance and personal finance editing
NPN: 20564519
Katie uses her knowledge and expertise as a licensed property and casualty agent in Massachusetts to help readers understand the complexities of insurance shopping.
David Marlett is the Managing Director of the Brantley Risk and Insurance Center. He is a professor in the Department of Finance, Banking, and Insurance at Appalachian State University and holds the IIANC Distinguished Professorship. David also serves on the Board of Directors for the Invest program and previously chaired the Loman Advisory Committee for the CPCU Society.
David has taught courses in Risk Management and Insurance for the last 25 years, starting at Florida State University while in the doctoral program. Prior to graduate school, David worked as a commercial lines underwriter for USF&G in Tampa.
He serves as a resource on insurance issues and is a frequent media contributor. He has been quoted by a wide range of outlets, including The New York Times, CNN, Reuters, and NPR.
David has been reviewing articles for Insurify since March 2025.
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Insurance companies consider a variety of factors when quoting the cost of homeowners insurance, including the age and size of your home, square footage, and outdoor play equipment. But they also consider your home’s protection class, which grades your house’s proximity to fire protection services. Insurance Services Office Inc. (ISO) issues these grades based on how close a home is to fire protection services.
Finding your home’s protection class requires a little digging. Because insurance companies primarily use protection class grades, no central protection class lookup tool exists for homeowners. But you have ways to find it. Read on for a step-by-step guide to getting and understanding your home’s grade.
What’s a home protection class?
A home protection class is a grade given to homes by ISO. It primarily depends on the home’s proximity to the community’s fire protection services.
Homeowners in communities with better public fire protection services tend to have a better protection class rating and pay lower insurance premiums.
A protection class code is the grade ISO gives to a home as part of the Public Protection Classification (PPC) program. Protection classes range from 1 to 10. Class 1 indicates the best level of fire protection available, while a Class 10 ISO rating indicates the worst level of protection or none at all. “Fire protection class” is another name for a protection class.[1]
Good to Know
The Fire Suppression Rating Schedule (FSRS) uses points to rate the area’s fire suppression program, considering factors like the number of fire departments, access to fire hydrants, and emergency communications systems. ISO refers to the FSRS point system to determine classes. The more points a community earns from these different evaluations, the better its protection class rating.
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Why a fire protection class matters
The protection class code system helps communities understand and evaluate their public fire-protection services. It also helps insurers determine the risk level certain homes have when it comes to fire damage.
As a homeowner, you want the best protection class, Class 1. This protects your home against fire and can also lead to lower home insurance premiums. But having a higher protection class can increase your premiums or make it harder to get insurance coverage.
The FSRS issues a point range from 0 to 105.5, according to the features and performance of an area’s fire protection program. The FSRS uses three main areas of a community’s fire suppression system to help determine your home’s rating:
Emergency communications
Fire department
Water supply
Additionally, there’s a Community Risk Reduction section that acknowledges community efforts to prevent losses through means such as advanced fire loss protection and fire investigation.[1]
Public Protection Classification (PPC)
Fire Suppression Rating Schedule (FSRS)
Class 1
90.00 or more
Class 2
80.00 to 89.99
Class 3
70.00 to 79.99
Class 4
60.00 to 69.99
Class 5
50.00 to 59.99
Class 6
40.00 to 49.99
Class 7
30.00 to 39.99
Class 8
20.00 to 29.99
Class 9
10.00 to 19.99
Class 10
0.00 to 9.99
How to find your protection class
Homeowners don’t have access to a single database for all protection class lookup information because ISO doesn’t make PPC information available to policyholders or the general public — only insurance industry professionals. But you can do a protection class code lookup by address online. You can search your state, town, or ZIP code and use the phrase “protection class code lookup by address” to start.
Some services do provide this information, though it’ll depend on where you live. You can sometimes find this information at one of the resources below:
Fire protection rating sites: You can search for your class code on websites like ISO’s Public Protection Classification (PPC) database.
Local government and fire department websites: Some local government and fire departments have class code information on their websites.
Mobile applications: A few fire safety apps help users find their fire protection class code quickly.
Insurance company databases: Your insurance company may have an online database or tool that you can use to find your protection code.
State insurance department: Contact the department by phone or visit the website to find your community’s classification.
Factors that determine your PPC class
The location of your home and the community it belongs to help determine the PPC class. To assign each home’s protection class, someone from ISO collects relevant data and calculates FSRS points according to four key factors:
Emergency communication systems
This factor considers how well the fire department receives and dispatches fire alarms. The evaluation will also consider the reporting system used and the number of telecommunicators on staff relative to the size of the community. Communities can receive a maximum of 10 points for this factor.
Fire department
ISO examines whether the community’s fire departments check their pumps regularly and reviews the training the fire company provides to personnel. Communities can receive a maximum of 50 points based on the fire department evaluation.
Water supply
ISO surveys all components of the water supply system to see whether the community has sufficient water to suppress fires. It also reviews fire hydrant inspections and counts the number of hydrants less than 1,000 feet from the representative locations. Communities can receive a maximum of 40 points for their water supply evaluation.
Community risk reduction
This section provides up to 5.5 extra points for communities that strive to proactively improve fire prevention, fire safety education, and fire investigation.[2]
PPC ratings range from 1 to 10. If your home is in a Class 10 area, it means your community doesn’t meet ISO fire-suppression standards. Some insurance companies won’t allow you to purchase home insurance for Class 10 homes.
If you have a Class 10 home and need insurance, here are some steps you can take:
Ask neighbors about their insurance. Look into which insurance companies the residents of your community are using. Ask them questions about coverage and satisfaction and see whether they recommend a specific insurance agent to work with.
Research companies. Shop around for insurance companies by getting quotes online. This is the easiest way to narrow down the best coverage options for your needs since you can submit your address and find insurers that will cover a Class 10 home.
Advocate for community improvements. Contact your local fire station or community officials to encourage them to make ongoing efforts to improve the area’s fire-suppression program for residential properties, businesses, and commercial properties.
Just because your home has a Class 10 code doesn’t mean it’s uninsurable. Insurance companies weigh factors differently from one another when determining policy premiums, and not all insurers use ISO. Some companies may prefer to calculate your insurance premiums based on your home’s distance from a fire station and the number of losses in your ZIP code.
How the protection class affects home insurance premiums
If you have a lower protection class, your home insurance company will likely reward you with lower premiums than property owners living in areas with higher protection classes. Residential homes with a higher protection class have a higher risk of fire, making insurance claims more likely. Insurance companies increase premiums to offset this risk.
Here’s how you can find more affordable homeowners insurance even if you have a high protection class:
Compare quotes. The best way to find the cheapest coverage for your insurance needs is to compare quotes from multiple insurers. The best home insurance company for you will have the coverage you need at a price you can afford.
Qualify for discounts. Make sure you always ask about what discounts you may qualify for. Commonhome insurance discountsprovide savings for bundling insurance products, installing security systems, having fire and smoke detectors, and remaining claims-free.
Increase your deductible. You can typically decrease your annual premium by increasing your home insurance deductible. But before increasing your deductible, make sure you have the funds to cover it in the event of a claim.
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How to improve your protection class
Improving your protection class is possible, but it’s not always the simplest process since the reason for your community’s ranking is usually out of your control. But you can try a few options, such as:
Contact community leaders or attend town hall meetings to raise the topic of improving emergency communication systems, water supply systems, and more.
Contact your local fire department and ask whether it’s making efforts to increase the city’s PPC.
Ask a city official to contact ISO to request a re-evaluation if your community’s officials have taken steps to improve water supply and fire protection.[3] You can reach a mitigation specialist at the organization by calling 1 (800) 444-4554.[4]
Protection class lookup FAQs
Many factors can affect the cost of homeowners insurance, including its protection class. Check out this additional information about insurance and protection classes.
What is an ISO code in the home protection class?
An ISO code is the number assigned to your home based on its fire protection assessment. The codes range from 1 to 10, with Class 1 being the best level of fire suppression protection and Class 10 being the worst in the PPC program. ISO’s expert staff considers the municipal fire-protection efforts where you live, including whether firefighters can quickly access your home without accessibility issues.
How can you find the protection class of your property?
It’s not always easy to find the protection class code for your home — which Insurance Services Office Inc. (ISO) determines based on its address or ZIP code — but you can try looking it up online or checking your city’s official website. If you live in a large city or town that covers multiple ZIP codes, you’ll want to focus on locating the PPC code for your specific ZIP code.
You can also try contacting your realtor, insurance company, or a city or fire official in your community. Unfortunately, no official protection class lookup tool exists for homeowners in the United States since insurance companies and insurance regulators are the primary users of the data.
Can an insurance fire protection class change?
Yes. An insurance fire protection class can change after a re-evaluation of your community if ISO finds that it meets more of its qualifications. This can include an improved water supply, better fire protection services, and even intentional community efforts to decrease risks.
How do insurers use a homeowners protection class?
Insurance companies use protection class information provided by ISO to assess a property’s fire risks based on nearby fire protection services. If your property has a higher risk of fire, you’ll likely face higher insurance rates.
What does protection class 5X mean?
A protection class 5X refers to a property within 5 road miles of a fire station but more than 1,000 feet from a fire hydrant or other reliable source of water. ISO collects information about municipal fire-suppression efforts, fire risk factors, and more when determining protection classes.
Choncé Maddox is a Certified Financial Education Instructor (CFEI) and personal finance freelance writer. She graduated from Northern Illinois University with a degree in Journalism and has been covering personal finance topics surrounding saving, debt payoff, credit, and home insurance for seven years. Chonce briefly held a life insurance license in Illinois where she developed a passion for helping people learn how to protect themselves and their property through insurance coverage. Her work has been featured on LendingTree, Business Insider, RateGenius and more.
3+ years experience in insurance and personal finance editing
NPN: 20564519
Katie uses her knowledge and expertise as a licensed property and casualty agent in Massachusetts to help readers understand the complexities of insurance shopping.
David Marlett is the Managing Director of the Brantley Risk and Insurance Center. He is a professor in the Department of Finance, Banking, and Insurance at Appalachian State University and holds the IIANC Distinguished Professorship. David also serves on the Board of Directors for the Invest program and previously chaired the Loman Advisory Committee for the CPCU Society.
David has taught courses in Risk Management and Insurance for the last 25 years, starting at Florida State University while in the doctoral program. Prior to graduate school, David worked as a commercial lines underwriter for USF&G in Tampa.
He serves as a resource on insurance issues and is a frequent media contributor. He has been quoted by a wide range of outlets, including The New York Times, CNN, Reuters, and NPR.
David has been reviewing articles for Insurify since March 2025.
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