Illustrative image
The first five feet. Zone 0 is the strip within 5 feet of your house, and the fence and gate that cross it. California's rule asks for noncombustible fencing there for homes in the State Responsibility Area and local Very High Fire Hazard Severity Zones. Now is the time to plan the change instead of adding more wood.
5 ft of noncombustible fence or gate at the house of noncombustible fence at the house 1 ft a fence this close to the wall counts as attached this close to the wall counts as attached 3 to 5 yrs to replace it on an existing home, from the day the state rule takes effect to replace it on an existing home What changes
Same fence. Different last five feet. Today Wood fence and gate fixed to the wall An existing home gets 3 to 5 years, from the day the state rule takes effect, to change the first 5 feet from the wall. Wood farther out can stay and be repaired with wood. What the rule asks Noncombustible for the first 5 feet from the wall Metal or masonry that passes the ASTM E136 test, under 14 CCR 1298.04(b)(9)(A), wherever a fence or gate touches the house or comes within 1 foot of it. Illustrative images, not real installations.
See it drawn
The first 5 feet of your fence If a wood fence or gate touches your house, only the first 5 feet has to change. Everything past that can stay wood.
The 5 foot noncombustible fence span Top view of a house corner and its side yard. Zone 0 is the 5 foot band around the house. A side-yard fence runs out from the side wall of the house at a right angle to the property line, with a gate next to the house that swings open into the backyard. Under the state Zone 0 rule (14 CCR 1298.04(b)(9); 1299.03(d)(9)), a fence or gate attached to the house, or within 1 foot of it, must be noncombustible for the first 5 feet, measured along the fence from the house. Here that is the wall post, the metal gate, the latch post and a short metal filler, ending at a metal post 5 feet from the wall. The wood fence past 5 feet can stay, and it can be repaired with wood. The property-line fence runs parallel to the side of the house, more than 5 feet away, so it can be wood. Three close-ups show where the 5 feet start. Attached: the fence meets the wall end-on, and the span starts at the wall. Within 1 foot: the fence stops just short of the wall; it counts as attached, and the span starts at the fence end closest to the house. Parallel: a fence 3 feet from the wall runs alongside the house inside Zone 0. No new combustible fence may be built within 5 feet of the house after the rule takes effect; an existing wood one there can stay. Existing homes get 3 to 5 years to replace the attached part. Side-yard fence with a gate, top view House Zone 0 0 to 5 ft around the house Property line Front yard Backyard Metal gate 5 ft Metal Wood Zone 0 Property line First 5 ft along the fence, measured from the wall: metal wall post, gate, latch post and filler. Past 5 ft, wood can stay. Repairs in wood are allowed. Property-line fence: more than 5 ft from the house, so wood is fine. Where the 5 ft starts 5 ft Attached Meets the wall end-on. The 5 ft starts at the wall. 5 ft Gap under 1 ft Within 1 ft Stops just short of the wall. Counts as attached. The 5 ft starts at the fence end. 3 ft Parallel, within 5 ft A new fence here must be noncombustible. An existing wood one can stay. Top view. The 5 ft is measured along the fence, starting at the house. The 5 foot noncombustible fence span Top view of a house corner and its side yard. Zone 0 is the 5 foot band around the house. A side-yard fence runs out from the side wall of the house at a right angle to the property line, with a gate next to the house that swings open into the backyard. Under the state Zone 0 rule (14 CCR 1298.04(b)(9); 1299.03(d)(9)), a fence or gate attached to the house, or within 1 foot of it, must be noncombustible for the first 5 feet, measured along the fence from the house. Here that is the wall post, the metal gate, the latch post and a short metal filler, ending at a metal post 5 feet from the wall. The wood fence past 5 feet can stay, and it can be repaired with wood. The property-line fence runs parallel to the side of the house, more than 5 feet away, so it can be wood. Three close-ups show where the 5 feet start. Attached: the fence meets the wall end-on, and the span starts at the wall. Within 1 foot: the fence stops just short of the wall; it counts as attached, and the span starts at the fence end closest to the house. Parallel: a fence 3 feet from the wall runs alongside the house inside Zone 0. No new combustible fence may be built within 5 feet of the house after the rule takes effect; an existing wood one there can stay. Existing homes get 3 to 5 years to replace the attached part. Side-yard fence, top view House Zone 0 0 to 5 ft Property line Front yard Backyard Metal gate 5 ft Metal Wood Zone 0 Property line First 5 ft along the fence, from the wall: metal wall post, gate, latch post and filler. Past 5 ft, wood can stay. Repairs in wood are allowed. Property-line fence: more than 5 ft from the house, so wood is fine. Where the 5 ft starts 5 ft Attached Meets the wall end-on. The 5 ft starts at the wall. 5 ft Gap under 1 ft Within 1 ft Stops just short of the wall. Counts as attached. The 5 ft starts at its end. 3 ft Parallel, in 5 ft A new one must be noncombustible. Existing wood can stay. Top view. The 5 ft is measured along the fence, starting at the house. The first 5 feet of fence from the house must be noncombustible. The rest can stay wood.
See the rule details The three zones around a house 0 to 5 ft, 5 to 30 ft, 30 to 100 ft Zone 0, Zone 1 and Zone 2 around a house Top view of a house with three bands around it, measured out from the building (14 CCR 1299.03(a)). Zone 0, from 0 to 5 feet, is the ember-resistant zone: no bark mulch, firewood or other combustible material, and no wood fence attached at the wall. Zone 1, from 5 to 30 feet: remove dead plants, leaves and needles, and keep branches 10 feet from chimneys. Zone 2, from 30 to 100 feet: space shrubs and trees apart and cut grass to 4 inches or less. A scale line runs out from the house wall through the three bands, marked at 5, 30 and 100 feet. Each zone stops at the property line. Not to scale. House Zone 2 Zone 1 Zone 0 5 ft 30 ft 100 ft Zone 0: 0 to 5 ft Ember-resistant zone. No bark mulch, firewood or wood fence at the wall. Zone 1: 5 to 30 ft Remove dead plants, leaves and needles. Keep branches 10 ft from chimneys. Zone 2: 30 to 100 ft Space shrubs and trees apart. Cut grass to 4 in or less. Not to scale. Each zone stops at the property line. Zone 0, Zone 1 and Zone 2 around a house Top view of a house with three bands around it, measured out from the building (14 CCR 1299.03(a)). Zone 0, from 0 to 5 feet, is the ember-resistant zone: no bark mulch, firewood or other combustible material, and no wood fence attached at the wall. Zone 1, from 5 to 30 feet: remove dead plants, leaves and needles, and keep branches 10 feet from chimneys. Zone 2, from 30 to 100 feet: space shrubs and trees apart and cut grass to 4 inches or less. A scale line runs out from the house wall through the three bands, marked at 5, 30 and 100 feet. Each zone stops at the property line. Not to scale. House Zone 2 Zone 1 Zone 0 5 ft 30 ft 100 ft Zone 0: 0 to 5 ft Ember-resistant zone. No bark mulch, firewood or wood fence at the wall. Zone 1: 5 to 30 ft Remove dead plants, leaves and needles. Keep branches 10 ft from chimneys. Zone 2: 30 to 100 ft Space shrubs and trees apart. Cut grass to 4 in or less. Not to scale. Each zone stops at the property line. California’s three defensible space zones, measured out from the house.
See the rule details When each part is due Day 1, year 3, year 3 to 5 Zone 0 deadlines for new and existing homes Two lanes. New homes, meaning a building permit application submitted after the effective date: every Zone 0 requirement applies from the day the rule takes effect. Existing homes (14 CCR 1298.04(c); 1299.03(e)): on day 1, keep the roof and gutters clear, remove dead branches, keep branches 10 feet from chimney outlets and out from under eaves, and build no new wood or other combustible fence or gate within 5 feet. Within 3 years: remove combustible mulch, leaves and debris, firewood and anything that burns under decks and stairs, remove ladder fuels and keep branches 5 feet above the roof. Within 3 to 5 years: create the plant-free strips, bring other plants within the limits, give attached fences and gates a 5 foot noncombustible span, and make sheds in Zone 0 noncombustible or move them. In local Very High Fire Hazard Severity Zones the local fire agency sets 3 years or up to 5; in the State Responsibility Area it is 5 years or a CAL FIRE Director timeline of at least 3. Day 1 is the date the state rule takes effect. Day 1 Within 3 years Within 3 to 5 years The rule takes effect New homes Permit applied for after day 1 Every Zone 0 requirement applies from day 1 Existing homes Roof and gutters clear No dead branches Branches 10 ft from chimney outlets No branches under eaves No new wood fence or gate within 5 ft No mulch, leaves or debris in Zone 0 No firewood in Zone 0 Nothing that burns under decks and stairs Ladder fuels removed Branches 5 ft above roof Plant-free strips at walls, windows, doors and decks Other plants within limits 5 ft noncombustible span on attached fences, gates Sheds noncombustible or out of Zone 0 Day 1 is the date the state rule takes effect. Within 3 to 5 years: the local fire agency sets the date in local Very High zones; the CAL FIRE Director sets it in the State Responsibility Area (SRA). Zone 0 deadlines for new and existing homes Two lanes. New homes, meaning a building permit application submitted after the effective date: every Zone 0 requirement applies from the day the rule takes effect. Existing homes (14 CCR 1298.04(c); 1299.03(e)): on day 1, keep the roof and gutters clear, remove dead branches, keep branches 10 feet from chimney outlets and out from under eaves, and build no new wood or other combustible fence or gate within 5 feet. Within 3 years: remove combustible mulch, leaves and debris, firewood and anything that burns under decks and stairs, remove ladder fuels and keep branches 5 feet above the roof. Within 3 to 5 years: create the plant-free strips, bring other plants within the limits, give attached fences and gates a 5 foot noncombustible span, and make sheds in Zone 0 noncombustible or move them. In local Very High Fire Hazard Severity Zones the local fire agency sets 3 years or up to 5; in the State Responsibility Area it is 5 years or a CAL FIRE Director timeline of at least 3. Day 1 is the date the state rule takes effect. New homes Every Zone 0 requirement applies from day 1 Permit applied for after day 1 Existing homes Day 1: the rule takes effect Roof and gutters clear No dead branches Branches 10 ft from chimney outlets No branches under eaves No new wood fence or gate within 5 ft Within 3 years No mulch, leaves or debris in Zone 0 No firewood in Zone 0 Nothing that burns under decks and stairs Ladder fuels removed Branches 5 ft above roof Within 3 to 5 years Plant-free strips at walls, windows, doors, vents and decks Other plants within limits 5 ft noncombustible span on attached fences and gates Sheds noncombustible or out of Zone 0 Day 1 is the date the state rule takes effect. The 3 to 5 year date is set by the local fire agency in local Very High zones, or by the CAL FIRE Director in the SRA. When each Zone 0 requirement applies, counted from the day the rule takes effect.
See the rule details What to do now
Four steps for your fence and gate Measure Mark 5 feet out from the wall. Count every fence and gate that touches the house or comes within 1 foot of it. Hold off Do not build a new wood or vinyl fence or gate within 5 feet of the house. New ones are barred there from the day the state rule takes effect. Plan Price a noncombustible section, metal or masonry, for the first 5 feet at each spot where a fence meets the house. Ask Ask your insurer what a clear 5 foot zone, fences and gates included, is worth on your policy. When the deadlines start 
