You can repair a fire-damaged Chico house and sell it, sell it as-is to a buyer who takes on the work, or sell the lot.
Where the county has a Section 170 ordinance, you can apply for a lower tax value, generally within 12 months of the fire. The buyer still gets a written disclosure of the damage.
This is general information, not legal advice. State rules vary.
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What shape is your Chico house in after the fire?
Free. No obligation. You choose the closing date.
If you need to sell a fire-damaged house in Chico, California, the first choice is who takes on the rebuild: you, a buyer, or nobody, if only the lot is sold. This guide covers that choice, the property tax relief you can request, what a buyer must be told, and the City permits a repair needs. It is general information, not legal or tax advice.
Fire is a local fact here. The Park Fire started off Upper Park Road in Bidwell Park, Chico, on July 24, 2024. CAL FIRE records 429,603 acres burned and 713 structures destroyed across Butte and Tehama counties (CAL FIRE, July 2025). Six years earlier, the 2018 Camp Fire caused significant structure loss "up to the eastern edge of the City of Chico." It destroyed approximately 14,000 residential units in all (Chico Housing Element, 2022 update).
Should you repair a fire-damaged Chico house or sell it as-is?
It depends on how much of the house is left, how much time and cash you have, and whether you want to manage a rebuild. Repairing first can widen the pool of buyers, selling as-is moves the work to the buyer, and selling the lot fits a house that is gone or will be torn down.
A repaired house usually lists like any other Chico house. For context, Redfin reports a Chico median sale price of about $449,786 for the three months ending September 2026, down 4.3% from a year earlier. The typical house sold in 33 days (Redfin, September 2026). Those figures describe ordinary sales, not fire-damaged ones. The Chico housing market 2026 guide has the full picture.
| Path | Who does the work | What is disclosed | What the seller handles |
|---|---|---|---|
| Repair first, then sell | You hire and pay for the repairs before listing | The fire, the repairs, and the permits on the transfer disclosure statement; any mapped hazard zone on the natural hazard disclosure | The insurance claim, contractors, City permits and inspections, then showings |
| Sell as-is | The buyer takes on the repairs after closing | The damage as it stands today, on the same two forms (an as-is sale does not waive them) | The disclosures, the claim money you keep, and signing at escrow |
| Sell the lot | The buyer clears the site and builds | What you know about the land and the fire; which state forms fit a lot is a question for escrow or an attorney | Any demolition you choose to do first, which needs a City demolition permit |
If the fire left more repair work than you want to manage, the guide to selling a house that needs major repairs covers the as-is route in general. The next sections cover the tax and disclosure steps that apply on every path.
What property tax relief can a Chico owner ask for after a fire?
California's Section 170 lets a county adopt an ordinance under which an owner whose property was damaged without the owner's fault can apply for a lower assessment. The application goes to the county assessor, and the Butte County Assessor can confirm whether the county's ordinance covers your fire.
The 12-month window
The statute sets the filing time plainly.
"The application for reassessment may be filed within the time specified in the ordinance or within 12 months of the misfortune or calamity, whichever is later..."
Section 170(a), California Revenue and Taxation Code
The written application shows the condition and value of the house right after the fire and the dollar amount of the damage. It is signed under penalty of perjury. If you do not apply and the assessor learns of the damage within 12 months, the statute has the assessor send the last known owner an application.
How the lower value works
The assessor values the land and the improvements just before and just after the damage. When the drop is $10,000 or more, the roll values are cut by the percentage of damage, and the cut cannot exceed the actual loss. For the year of the fire, you pay the old tax for the months before it and the reduced tax from the month of the damage on.
| Step under § 170 | What the statute says |
|---|---|
| File | Within the ordinance's time or 12 months of the damage, whichever is later |
| Appraise | Values before and after the damage; a cut applies when the drop is $10,000 or more |
| Notice and appeal | Written notice of the proposed value; an appeal to the county board within six months of mailing |
| Refund | Tax paid over the amount due is refunded |
| Partial repair | On each lien date, the value rises by the share of the repair finished |
| Full repair | The new taxable value is the lesser of market value or the pre-fire base year value, adjusted for inflation |
What happens after a rebuild
The damaged value, adjusted each year for inflation, stays the taxable value until the house is restored or another rule sets a new base year value. Once the house is fully restored, the new taxable value is the lesser of its market value or its pre-fire base year value adjusted for inflation. In other words, a rebuild to the old condition does not by itself reset the house to a fresh market value.
Can you carry your tax base to another house after a fire?
Sometimes. Two state rules let an owner move a lower taxable value to a replacement house, each with its own conditions.
- Same county, declared disaster: after a disaster the Governor declares, a house with damage over 50% of its land or improvement value may pass its base year value on under Section 69. The replacement must be comparable, in the same county, and bought or built within five years. Value above 120% of the damaged house's pre-fire value is added on.
- Wildfire victims and Prop 19: a victim of wildfire or natural disaster whose house qualified for the homeowners' exemption may transfer its taxable value under Section 69.6. The replacement principal residence must be bought or built within two years of selling the original. The claim is filed within three years of buying or finishing the replacement. When the original house had damage over 50% and the owner does not rebuild, its value is measured as of just before the fire.
Each rule has value limits and other conditions in the statute. The assessor in the county of the replacement house can confirm eligibility.
What must you tell a buyer about fire damage in Chico?
You tell the buyer about the damage in writing, on the real estate transfer disclosure statement, and you disclose any very high fire hazard severity zone on the natural hazard disclosure. Selling as-is does not remove either duty.
The transfer disclosure statement
The disclosure rules apply to sales of single-family residential property, and "any waiver of the requirements of this article is void as against public policy" (Cal. Civ. Code § 1102). The Legislature also wrote that the statement "may not be waived in an 'as is' sale" (Cal. Civ. Code § 1102.1). The same section keeps the duty to disclose facts that materially affect value and desirability, including physical condition.
Some sales skip the form under Section 1102.2. The list includes:
- Sales by court order, such as a sale a probate court orders
- Foreclosure sales
- Sales from one co-owner to another
- Sales to a spouse or to a direct-line relative, such as a parent or child
- Sales by a fiduciary administering a trust or an estate, with a limit for some trustees who lived in the house
The natural hazard disclosure
A seller whose house sits in a very high fire hazard severity zone mapped under Government Code § 51178 must tell the buyer so, under Section 1103. That duty applies when the seller knows, or when the map has been provided to the local agency and notice is posted. The City's Safety Element says "Upper Bidwell Park and the foothills on the eastern edge of the community are particularly prone to wildland fire." A parcel report shows the actual zone.
A seller in a high or very high zone also owes the buyer a defensible space document or a signed buyer agreement under Section 1102.19. The guide to selling a house in a fire hazard zone walks through that paperwork.
How does insurance claim money fit into a sale?
What insurance pays depends on your policy and your claim, which this guide cannot speak to. It can help to ask your insurer, before you sign a purchase contract, how a sale affects any payment still pending.
A few points often come up with sellers:
- Your insurer can say who is named on claim payments, including any mortgage lender.
- The purchase contract can state in writing which claim money stays with you.
- Repair estimates and adjuster reports can help a buyer price the house, and you choose what to share beyond the required disclosures.
A real estate or insurance attorney can review the claim and the contract together. Nothing here describes any insurer's rules.
Which City of Chico permits does a fire repair need?
Repairs to a fire-damaged house generally need a City building permit, and fire repairs to wiring need an electrical permit. The City of Chico Building Division's Building FAQs list these permit types:
- Building permit: new construction, additions, alterations, and "repairs to either residential or non-residential structures"
- Electrical permit: work that includes "fire and accident repairs of any electrical wiring"
- Plumbing and mechanical permits: repair or replacement of piping, fixtures, ducts, and heating or cooling equipment
- Demolition permit: the complete demolition of a structure, which the City says is "required to remove a structure from the property tax roles"
Work started without a permit draws a Stop Work Order and fees of up to triple the original, according to the same page. Permits are issued at the Permit Counter in the Chico Municipal Building, 411 Main Street, and many can be applied for online. A Chico house permitted before July 1, 1991 may also need the City's energy retrofit at sale, covered in the Chico RECO retrofit guide.
How does an as-is cash sale work with fire damage?
In an as-is cash sale, the buyer prices the house in its current condition and takes on the repairs, debris, and permits after closing. You still deliver the disclosures, and escrow runs through a California title or escrow company.
- Facts: the address, what burned, and any adjuster report or repair estimate on hand.
- Offer: a cash buyer looks at the condition and local sales and makes an offer.
- Contract and disclosures: the contract states the as-is terms, and you deliver the transfer disclosure statement and the natural hazard disclosure.
- Close: escrow pays off any loan from the sale price, and the rest goes to you.
A damaged house is still a house with a lot, a location, and a value. An as-is sale simply moves the rebuild decision to someone who plans to take it on.
How can Propcash help after a fire in Chico?
Propcash is a direct cash homebuyer, and we want to buy your house as is. You can sell with no repairs, no cleaning, and no cleanout, and closing can happen in as few as 7 days, on the date you pick. Our offers are based on local market data, and we'll show you how we got to our number.
You can compare our offer with a repair plan or a listing, and the Chico sell-house-fast page shows how a Chico cash sale works. No obligation, and if a cash sale isn't your best move, we'll tell you. When you are ready, you can get a no-obligation cash offer.
Common questions about selling a Chico house after a fire
Does Section 170 relief need a disaster the Governor declared?
Not always. Section 170 lets a county ordinance cover a major misfortune or calamity in an area the Governor proclaims a disaster, any other misfortune or calamity, or both. Whether Butte County has such an ordinance, and which kinds of fire damage it covers, is a question for the Butte County Assessor.
What if more than 12 months have passed since the fire?
Section 170 allows the filing within the time the county ordinance sets or within 12 months of the damage, whichever is later, so the ordinance can matter. The longer 24-month window in the statute applies only to the specific 2024 and 2025 fires it names, such as the Palisades and Eaton fires, not to Butte County fires. The Butte County Assessor can confirm the deadline that applies to a given house.
Do you have to tell a buyer about a fire that was fully repaired?
California's disclosure law keeps the seller's existing duty to disclose any fact materially affecting the value and desirability of the property, including its physical condition (Cal. Civ. Code Section 1102.1). A past fire, the repairs, and the permits behind them can be that kind of fact. A real estate attorney can say how the rule applies to a specific Chico house.
Can a buyer back out if the disclosure arrives after the offer?
Yes, within a short window. Under Cal. Civ. Code Section 1102.3, a buyer who gets a required disclosure after signing an offer can end the offer in writing. The buyer has three days after delivery in person, or five days after delivery by mail, or by electronic record when the parties agreed to deal electronically. Delivering the transfer disclosure statement before the offer is signed avoids that window.
Is a Chico house near Upper Bidwell Park automatically in a very high fire hazard severity zone?
No. The City's Safety Element says Upper Bidwell Park and the eastern foothills are particularly prone to wildland fire, but the natural hazard disclosure turns on the zone mapped under Government Code Section 51178. The Chico General Plan page links the Local Responsibility Area fire hazard severity zone maps, and a natural hazard disclosure report shows the zone for a specific parcel.
Does a cash buyer need the debris cleared before closing?
Not necessarily. In an as-is sale the buyer takes the house and the lot in their current condition, which can include fire debris, and the purchase contract says who handles cleanup. Propcash buys houses as-is, so a seller can leave debris removal and any demolition permit to the buyer when the contract says so.
Reviewed by the Propcash Editorial Team under our editorial standards. Published by Propcash, a direct cash buyer of houses. This guide is general information. Laws, fees, and market figures change, so check the current rules for your state.
