Zone Zero Landscaping in San Diego
What must leave the first five feet
Phase 1 is the cleanup phase: no construction required. It covers the material most likely to catch an ember and hold a flame against your house.
Combustible mulch
Bark, wood chips, shredded redwood, rubber mulch: all of it out of the 0–5 ft zone. Embers land in mulch beds first.
Dead & dying vegetation
Dry leaves, dead shrubs, leaf litter, and anything brown against the foundation, under decks, or in gutters at ground level.
Plants against the structure
Shrubs and climbers touching walls, windows, or eaves act as ladders that carry ground fire to the roofline. San Diego's guidelines target these directly.
Your mature trees can usually stay
California's early landscaping drafts drew real pushback, including in Los Angeles, over blanket vegetation restrictions that would have stripped mature trees and the shade they provide. San Diego's own Zone 0 guidelines reflect the softer approach that followed: existing trees within 5 feet of a structure may remain in place if they're properly maintained, not automatically removed.
According to San Diego's Zone 0 Guidelines for Existing Structures, the maintenance bar is specific and achievable for most homeowners with routine pruning, not a landscape overhaul.
New trees planted going forward need more room to grow: the drip line at maturity must sit at least 10 feet from any combustible structure, roughly double what's asked of trees already in the ground.
-
No branch or foliage contact with walls, decks, eaves, roof overhangs, attic or dryer vents, or wall-mounted fixtures.
-
10-foot pruned clearance from any roofline, eaves, or chimney: every branch within that distance gets trimmed back.
-
Free of dead, dying, or diseased branches at all times, kept up with routine maintenance rather than a one-time cleanup.
-
Leaf litter, debris, and ladder fuels cleared beneath and around the tree so ground fire can't climb into the canopy.
What can stay in Zone 0, and what to replace it with
Zone Zero doesn't mean a moonscape. It means the first five feet work for your house instead of against it, and it means your shade trees usually stay put.
Hardscape
Stone, pavers, gravel, decomposed granite, and concrete are the gold standard: noncombustible, low maintenance, and they read as intentional design.
Low-fuel, irrigated plantings
Limited, well-maintained, irrigated plantings with low fuel loads. Think sparse succulents, not foundation hedges.
Noncombustible planters
Metal, ceramic, and masonry planters keep greenery near the house without creating a continuous fuel bed.
Licensed help: C-27
Landscape conversion is C-27 licensed contractor work. Our referral network is CSLB-verified, and the assessment costs nothing.
Landscaping questions, answered
Do I have to cut down my mature trees?
Usually no. San Diego's Zone 0 guidelines allow existing trees within 5 feet of a structure to remain if branches and foliage don't touch the building, all portions within 10 feet of the roofline or chimney are pruned back, and the tree stays free of dead or dying branches with litter and ladder fuels cleared beneath it.
What about the shade my trees provide?
This is exactly the tension that led the state to soften its original landscaping restrictions after resident pushback in Los Angeles. San Diego's local guidelines reflect that: retention with maintenance, not blanket removal, so a well-pruned mature tree can keep its shade and still meet Zone 0.
Can I plant new trees near my house?
New trees need more separation than existing ones: the drip line at maturity must be at least 10 feet from any combustible structure, roughly double the clearance existing trees need.
When do I actually have to do this?
San Diego Fire-Rescue's own target for existing homes is February 2027, ahead of the state's general 2027–2028 estimate. New construction has required Zone 0 landscaping since February 28, 2026.
Turn the first five feet into an asset
A CSLB-licensed C-27 landscape contractor can walk your property line, tell you which trees stay, and price the conversion. The assessment is 100% free.