Defensible Space Evaluations

How it works

The City of Santa Barbara Fire Department offers voluntary inspections of your property to help ensure that your home is protected. The page explains that during a major wildland fire, homes are often lost when embers find a weakness in the home and start a small fire that can lead to total loss. Homeowners who request an inspection walk away with a safer home and more knowledge than before, according to the department.

What the service covers

The inspection helps identify:

• defensible space clearance requirements for the property
• hazards around the structure and yard
• whether the parcel may need documentation for California Civil Code Section 1102.19 when selling a home in a High or Very High Fire Hazard Area

The page also explains the City’s defensible space clearance standards in its four high fire hazard zones:

• Extreme Foothill Zone: 150 feet
• Foothill Zone: 100 feet
• Coastal Interior Zone: 50–70 feet
• Coastal Zone: 30–50 feet

How to schedule

You can schedule a defensible space inspection by contacting the City of Santa Barbara Fire Department at 805-965-5254 or by filling out the online request form.

Timing and deadlines

The service is voluntary and offered to members of the Wildland Fire Suppression Assessment District. The page does not list an application deadline, end date, or any reimbursement cap because this is a free inspection service rather than a cash incentive program.

AB-38 disclosure context

The page states that as of July 1, 2021, homes sold in California in a High or Very High Fire Hazard Area must include the Home Hardening and Defensible Space Advisory, Disclosure and Addendum before close of sale. If documentation showing compliance cannot be obtained by close of escrow, the seller and buyer may enter into a written agreement for the buyer to obtain documentation within one year of close of escrow. The City recommends requesting a defensible space evaluation if you are selling a home within one of the City’s designated High Fire Hazard Areas.