Defensible space.
The first five feet around your home are now regulated. Here is what that means for your rebuild.
The first five feet around your home are now regulated. Here is what that means for your rebuild.
California Public Resources Code 4291 requires 100 feet of defensible space around structures in the Very High Fire Hazard Severity Zone (VHFHSZ). Since 2023, Zone 0 (the five foot ember resistant zone immediately around the home) has added specific requirements that affect your landscape design and your rebuild site plan.
Zone 0 (first 5 feet): no combustible materials. No wood chips, no bark mulch, no combustible fencing touching the house, no combustible plants. Hardscape, gravel, masonry planters only. This zone is now enforced as a rebuild condition in Altadena.
Zone 1 (5 to 30 feet): low fuel landscaping with spacing requirements between plants. Remove dead material, prune trees 10 feet from chimneys, remove ladder fuels that connect grass to shrubs to trees.
Zone 2 (30 to 100 feet): reduced fuel zone. Maintenance ongoing. Grass cut to 4 inches or less during fire season.
For rebuild projects, defensible space compliance is evaluated at final inspection. If Zone 0 (first five feet) does not comply, final Certificate of Occupancy can be withheld. We design Zone 0 as part of the site plan to prevent any last minute changes.
Typical Zone 0 design pattern: a stone or concrete paver apron extending five feet out from the exterior walls, with planters placed at a minimum five foot offset. Irrigation is simplified since no plants sit inside Zone 0. This hardscape zone also serves practical purposes (walking around the house, mechanical access) beyond the fire compliance.
Zone 1 and Zone 2 are managed through planting selection and ongoing maintenance. Your landscape architect works with us on the transition between Zone 0 hardscape and Zone 1 plantings. Your ongoing fire season maintenance (cutting grass, removing ladder fuels) falls to you.
Our role on Altadena rebuild projects covers design, permit documentation, and construction administration. David Foote, Associate AIA, draws every project personally. No junior designer intermediaries. Forty years of California residential design, 1,532 completed homes.
We accept new Eaton Fire rebuild clients on a limited basis to preserve project quality. If your rebuild lot is in Altadena and you want to explore working with us, the next step is a free 90 minute consultation. Call (805) 444 1230 or email dcfoote@dcfoote.com. We respond within one business day.
Published hourly rate $350. Most rebuild projects quoted as fixed fee or percent of construction cost after initial scope is clear. Insurance often reimburses the design fee as a covered claim expense.
Yes, state law applies to existing homes in the Very High Fire Hazard Severity Zone (VHFHSZ). Enforcement is spotty on existing homes but is required as a condition of rebuild final inspection.
Not within the Zone 0 five foot boundary. A non combustible transition section (metal, masonry) can bridge between a wood fence and the house.
Low fuel, high moisture plants with spacing between specimens. Local California native chaparral is generally prohibited in Zone 1. Your landscape designer will provide a compliant plant list.
The local fire authority, typically with annual inspection notices. Failure to maintain can result in fines. Maintenance is your responsibility after move in.
Ninety minute consultation, no fee. We meet at our Camarillo office, your temporary housing, or your Altadena lot. From there, we decide together whether we are the right match for your rebuild.
David C. Foote, Principal Designer, Associate AIA. 40 years practicing residential design. 1,532 completed homes since 1986.