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Defensible Landscape & Zone 0 Hardening

Where Embers Become Flames.

The five feet immediately around your home is the most prescriptive part of California's wildfire-readiness standards — and the part most homeowners are least equipped to interpret on their own. Wood mulch, low shrubs, planters, wood stacks, and stored items in this zone are the ember-to-structure conversion point. Our Zone 0 assessment scores your envelope against the standard and our remediation crews clear and replace it.

Call (805) 852-1940Free Risk AssessmentSee How We Work
Hardened Zone 0 with gravel and stone replacing wood mulch around a home

0–5 ft

The Zone 0 envelope. Must be entirely non-combustible under the WPH and CalFire draft standards.

AB 3074

California's Zone 0 law. Implementing rules expected to reach High and Very-High FHSZ properties soon.

1–3 hrs

Typical assessment time. Walk, measure, photograph, score.

What We Do in Your First Five Feet.

Assessment, photo documentation, and remediation of the 0–5 ft envelope around the home and every attachment.

  • Walk and measurement of the 0–5 ft horizontal envelope around the home and every attachment (deck, porch, stair, overhead)
  • Photo documentation of every non-compliant item
  • Written punch list scored against the WPH Base Zone 0 checklist
  • Removal of combustible groundcover (wood mulch, weed cloth, pine needles)
  • Replacement with non-combustible alternatives (gravel, DG, pavers, river rock, stone)
  • Removal of combustible items stored in the zone (firewood, planters, furniture)
  • Coordinated arborist referral for tree limbs overhanging the zone
  • Insurer-ready summary letter referencing WPH Base item 1
Non-combustible aluminum fence panels installed within five feet of a Calabasas hillside home

Zone 0 fence retrofit on a Calabasas hillside — non-combustible aluminum panels replacing the last five feet of wood fencing closest to the home.

This work meets the following compliance standards:

  • WPH Base item 1
  • AB 3074
  • CalFire draft Zone 0 rule
  • PRC 4291
  • ASTM E136 (non-combustibility)
  • Non-combustible mulch (NFPA 1144 guidance)

How We Harden Your Zone 0.

  1. Inspection

    Exterior-only walkthrough. We photograph every vent, gutter line, fence segment, and the five feet around your foundation. No entry to your home required.

  2. Risk Report

    An EmberSafe Inspection Report flagging the openings most likely to fail in an ember storm, with photos, locations, and a prioritized retrofit plan.

  3. Plan & Permits

    We scope the work, pull required permits, and schedule around fire season.

  4. Retrofit

    Certified install. Vent assemblies, gutter guards, Zone 0 hardening — whatever your home needs, in the order that protects you fastest.

  5. Documentation

    Before/after photos, materials list, and an insurance-ready summary. Yours to share with whoever you choose.

Frequently Asked Questions.

Is Zone 0 enforceable today, or is it coming?
California's AB 3074 requires a non-combustible Zone 0 around homes in High and Very-High Fire Hazard Severity Zones. Implementing regulations have been in extended draft and are expected to finalize soon. Many California insurers are already underwriting against this standard regardless of the enforcement timeline.
Do I have to remove my plants and bushes?
Inside the 0–5 ft envelope, yes — vegetation, mulch, and combustible groundcover. Outside that envelope, the standard allows spaced, well-irrigated, properly maintained plants under spacing rules we document in your report.
What replaces the mulch and plants?
Most jobs install gravel, decomposed granite, river rock, or pavers in the 0–5 ft zone. Some homeowners use non-combustible containers placed beyond the five-foot line for color. We design the replacement around what you want the front of your home to look like.
How much does Zone 0 remediation typically cost?
Wide range — from clean lots that mostly need item relocation and mulch removal up to full hardscape installation with mature vegetation removal and retaining work. We quote after the assessment.
Do you handle the trees?
We score tree limbs that overhang the 0–5 ft envelope in your assessment and we coordinate the actual cut through a vetted certified arborist partner. We don't do tree work in-house — it's outside our crew's licensed scope.

Ready when you are.

Start with a Free Zone 0 Assessment.

We'll walk your home, photograph what we find, and send you an EmberSafe Inspection Report — no obligation.

Call (805) 852-1940Free Risk Assessment