Inspections and Assessments

Inspections and assessments help keep Sonoma County safe by educating property owners and ensuring compliance with regulations.

Defensible Space Inspections

Property owners are required to maintain defensible space in compliance with Sonoma County’s Fire Safety Ordinance including Chapter 13A. Inspectors from Sonoma County and local Fire Districts inspect properties for compliance to applicable code. Defensible space includes a “lean, clean, and green” zone 30 feet (or to the property line) from buildings, and a “reduced fuels zone,” which can have more natural vegetation, from 30 feet to 100 feet (or to the property line) from structures.

Property Sales Inspections (AB 38)

Sellers of properties in the State Responsibility Area (SRA) that are located in designated High or Very High Fire Severity Zones must provide the buyers with documentation that the property complies with defensible space requirements. Find out if a property requires an inspection, learn more, or schedule an inspection: Property Sales Inspections (AB 38)

Vegetation Management Inspection Program

[Is this the strange separate Vegetation Management (what is this) page? Or should there just be a single Veg Management page like this one?: http://sonomacounty.ca.gov/PRMD/Fire-Prevention/Vegetation-Management/ ]

In partnership with fire districts across the county, Permit Sonoma Fire Prevention Division’s Vegetation Management Inspection Program conducts inspection programs for compliance to defensible space regulations. Defensible Space is the area from building walls to a radius of 100 feet (or to the property line). Defensible Space is critical to reduce the power of oncoming wildfire.

Weed Complaints and Abatement-Hazardous Vegetation, Defensible Space

[We have two different Complaints pages. Should we just have a single one?]

You can submit complaints about overgrown vegetation for properties in unincorporated Sonoma County. Permit Sonoma Fire Prevention Division or local fire districts will inspect for compliance to State or County regulations for defensible space. In incorporated areas, please contact the City fire department directly.

Wildfire Adapted

Wildfire Adapted Sonoma County helps residents within the project areas understand how to create defensible space and harden homes against wildfire. Each parcel in the project areas will receive a vegetation management assessment and can opt-in to receive a structure hardening assessment. After an inspection, property owners will be able to apply for funding to help implement measures recommended by the assessors.