California approves Zone Zero law
On Wednesday (8/19), the California Board of Forestry and Fire Protection passed what NPR is calling the toughest wildfire landscaping rules in the country. The new regulation (known as Zone Zero) requires homeowners in high-risk areas to limit plants within 5 feet of their house. More than 57,000 homes and buildings have been destroyed in California in the last decade. This law is the state’s response to that reality.
What the law actually says:
Zone Zero refers to the 5-foot buffer zone around your home. Under the new rules, lawns, flowers, and non-woody plants up to 18 inches tall will be allowed within that zone unless they are located directly under the roofline. Trees will also be allowed, but branches must be trimmed 5 feet away from any structure.
The law applies to new construction immediately. For existing homes in high risk areas, the new vegetation rules will go into effect in 2029 at the earliest, so you have time but not forever. And you can confirm if your home’s severity level using the Fire Hazard Severity Zones map.
Here’s what we would recommend:
Remove combustibles first. Anything within 5 feet that’s dry, woody, or dense, is the priority. Shrubs pushed up against the siding, dead ground cover under the eaves, wood mulch near the foundation…these need to go first.
Replace with low-growing, low fuel plants. There are California natives that work beautifully in Zone Zero: low-growing sedges and groundcover, clumping grasses kept under 18 inches, and using rock mulch instead of wood. The goal is ground coverage that doesn’t act as kindling.
Think about the roofline. Plants located directly under the roofline are specifically prohibited under the new rules, even low-growing ones. This is because embers collect in gutters and under eaves. Clear that zone completely.
Trees are fine (with maintenance!) You don’t have to remove trees. You just need to keep branches trimmed 5 feet from the structure and make sure there’s no ladder fuel underneath, meaning no vegetation at the base that could carry a ground fire up into the canopy.
The new vegetation rules will be enforced by local fire departments and state agencies through annual home inspections. Our recommendation? Get ahead of this now, while you have time to make thoughtful choices rather than reactive ones. No one wants to end up with bare dirt and ugly rocks, wondering why it looks terrible. Schedule your assessment and let us help you create a Zone Zero look like a design choice rather than a compliance checkbox.