Zone 0 and defensible space FAQ

The ember-resistant zone: the first five feet out from the exterior walls of a home and any attached structure, kept free of combustible material. It is the innermost of California's three defensible space zones. Full guide.

The City of San Diego's list: dead plants, dry or fallen leaves, pine needles, mulch, firewood, trash, debris, and other flammable materials, including on roofs, gutters, decks, porches, balconies, stairways, and beneath the home. In practice that also means woody shrubs, bark and rubber mulch, stored combustibles, and the wood fence section that touches the house. Item-by-item list.

Hardscape (concrete, gravel, pavers, decomposed granite, bare soil); healthy, maintained trees with branches 5 feet from the house and canopy 10 feet from the roof; and existing wooden decks and porches, kept clear underneath.

Zone 1 is 5 to 30 feet from the house (plants under 4 feet, fire resistant, no dead material). Zone 2 is 30 to 100 feet (vegetation thinned 50%, dead wood removed). Together with Zone 0 they make up the 100-foot defensible space requirement. Guide.

City of San Diego: new construction in Very High Fire Hazard Severity Zones since February 28, 2026; existing homes by February 28, 2027. Elsewhere in the county, the state Zone 0 rule applies on the Board of Forestry's timeline. Timeline.

Check the City of San Diego's interactive map or the state Fire Hazard Severity Zone viewer. Roughly two-thirds of the city is in a Very High zone on the 2025 map. If your property touches a canyon or open space, assume yes. How to check.

No — that date is the City of San Diego's. Outside the city, the statewide Zone 0 regulation applies on a separate timeline, and the 100-foot defensible space law already requires brush management, enforced by CAL FIRE, San Diego County Fire, or your city's fire department. Your community.

Yes, to any structure in a Very High zone. For rentals, the owner is responsible. For condos and HOAs, the association typically handles common-area landscaping and the owner handles patios and private yards; check your CC&Rs and expect HOAs to issue their own Zone 0 guidance.

Yes. Every structure gets its own five-foot ember-resistant zone.

Not the whole fence. The section that connects to the house typically needs to be replaced with a noncombustible gate or panel, because a burning fence carries fire to the wall. Wooden fences that are not properly maintained may need to be removed.

Usually, if it is healthy and maintained: branches at least 5 feet from walls and roof, canopy at least 10 feet from the roof, litter beneath it cleared, dead wood removed. Dead or dying trees must go.

It depends on the product. Many synthetic turfs are combustible; some are rated for wildland-urban interface use. Check the manufacturer's fire rating, and when in doubt use gravel or pavers in the first five feet.

Some jurisdictions allow well-watered, non-woody plants in Zone 0. The City of San Diego's published list does not name exceptions, so confirm with San Diego Fire-Rescue. Succulents in ceramic or concrete pots on a hard surface are generally the safest choice.

Your responsibility ends at your property line. Overgrown lots can be reported to the City's Brush Management / Weed Abatement division (619-533-4444) or your local fire agency, which run inspection and abatement programs. How weed abatement works.

Zone 0 on a typical suburban lot: $0–$200 of your own clearing plus roughly $800–$3,500 for a crew to remove shrubs, convert mulch to gravel, and haul. Fence-to-gate conversion $400–$1,500 per attachment point. Full brush clearance on larger lots roughly $2,000–$4,000 per acre. Cost guide.

The County of San Diego participates in the California Wildfire Mitigation Program, which can pay contractors for defensible space work for eligible homeowners. The Fire Safe Council of San Diego County runs a Defensible Space Assistance Program with priority for seniors and residents with limited mobility or income. Insurers offer discounts for completed work under California's Safer From Wildfires framework.

San Diego Fire-Rescue has said enforcement starts with education, property assessments, and compliance plans, with citations reserved for owners who show no effort. The bigger risks are insurance non-renewal, a failed defensible space inspection when you sell, and, in a fire, the house.

In a High or Very High zone, a defensible space inspection and documentation are required as part of the sale (since July 1, 2021). In the City of San Diego the inspection is $118 and takes about three weeks from application to documentation if you pass. Details.

Increasingly, yes. Carriers use the same hazard maps and are asking for defensible space documentation. Photograph the work before and after and keep receipts.

No. San Diego Defensible Space is an independent informational resource and referral service, not affiliated with any government agency and not a contractor. Quotes come from independent, licensed local companies. About.

We connect you with one licensed, insured local crew that works in your area. They contact you to schedule a look and give you a written quote. No obligation, and we do not sell your information or add you to marketing lists. Request a quote.