Published on Thursday, June 11, 2026
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Resilience now tops the list of priorities and is no longer separate from the design phase.
Wildfire and climate risk are now directly shaping which construction methods are financeable and insurable in California. Insurance increasingly acts as a gatekeeper in development decisions, influencing feasibility before design is even finalized.
There is growing interest in construction systems that reduce risk exposure while improving build speed and predictability. RSG 3-D sits at that intersection as developers and capital partners reassess how resilience impacts underwriting and long-term asset value.
"Climate risk and the insurance crisis are absolutely reshaping development decisions across California," Ken Calligar, CEO of RSG 3-D, told GlobeSt.com.
"Insurability (the ability to bind and maintain insurance) is a risk of foremost concern in many projects. Managing the soaring costs of insurance has remarkably become the secondary challenge."
Beyond cost and timelines, developers, lenders and builders are increasingly evaluating projects through the lens of climate resilience, according to Calligar.
"Durability and building envelope performance are becoming indicators of long-term project value," he said. "As wildfire and climate-related risks grow, resilience is no longer just an environmental consideration. It is a financial one."
Calligar added that resilient construction has been held back for many years due to concerns about upfront costs. Today, rising premiums, coverage limitations and escalating disaster recovery expenses are forcing everyone to take a longer view.
Climate Risk Becoming a Value Issue
Total cost of ownership is today's conversation and this depends greatly on the resilience and insurability of any project. Building envelope performance and the economic life-cycle are crucial.
"For most homeowners, their home is their largest financial asset, which is why climate risk is increasingly becoming a value issue," Oliver Tickner, CEO and founder of Home Value Lock, told GlobeSt.com.
In places like California, the growing wildfire threat is driving insurance premiums higher and making coverage harder to secure in some communities, Tickner said.
That directly affects affordability for both current homeowners and prospective buyers.
"As consumers factor rising insurance costs and climate exposure into their decisions, insurability is becoming an increasingly important factor in how homes are valued and how homeowners protect their long-term wealth."
What's changed in California is that climate risk and insurance are no longer separate conversations from design and construction. They're influencing decisions from the very beginning.
Homes More Resilient Today
In California, climate risk has reshaped what people weigh when they build, with resilience now at the top of the list of priorities, Steve Schlageter, CEO of Thomas James Homes, told GlobeSt.com.
"A new home built to today's standards is far more resilient than the older homes it replaces, and in the communities most exposed to fire, like the Palisades, we go beyond the minimum," Schlageter said.
"A more resilient home is also a more insurable one, which in this market matters as much as the design itself," he said.
Daniel Shurinov, founding principal of Bureau Namas, told GlobeSt.com that he's hearing homeowners ask different questions than they were even a few years ago.
"They still care deeply about creating a home that's beautiful and personal, but they're also thinking much more about how that home will perform over time," Shurinov said.
"Resilience, durability, and long-term livability have become part of the design conversation from day one."