Wildfire planning tool

California Zone 0 Landscape Planner

Zone 0 is the first five feet around a building, and California’s rule requires that band to be kept free of anything that burns. Measure your building below and this planner works out the area, the noncombustible material to cover it, and what has to come out first.

Rule status: the Board of Forestry and Fire Protection approved the final Zone 0 rule on 19 August 2026. It is not law yet and there is no statewide effective date. Confirm current requirements with your county or local fire authority and your insurer before construction.

Key facts

Zone 0 is the first 5 feet out from any structure, measured horizontally from the exterior wall.
Combustible mulch, including bark and wood chips, is prohibited across the whole 5 feet. Gravel, decomposed granite, river rock, pebble, pavers, concrete and bare soil comply.
A tighter vegetation-free strip applies inside Zone 0: 1 foot from walls or to the eave line, 2 feet around windows, doors and vents, 5 feet from attached decks and stairs.
The California Board of Forestry and Fire Protection approved the final rule 8 to 0 on 19 August 2026. It is not yet law and has no statewide effective date.
Existing homes are expected to get about 3 years from the effective date for ground surfaces and vegetation, and 3 to 5 years for fencing and decking. New construction complies on the effective date.
A 5 foot band around a rectangular building covers 5 times the perimeter plus 100 square feet. A 50 by 40 foot home has a 1,000 square foot band, about 8 tons of gravel at 2 inches deep.

1 Measure your building

Measure the outside of the structure at ground level, including any attached garage. The rule treats attached decks, stairs and pergolas as part of the building, so include them in the footprint too.

Length (ft)

Width (ft)

Your building and the 5 ft band, to scale

2 What is in the first five feet today? optional

Tick everything that applies. The planner turns this into your removal list.

Bark, wood chips or mulchProhibited in Zone 0 Shrubs or woody plants against the wallMust clear the tight band LawnAllowed if kept under 3 in Synthetic turfA plastic product, treated as combustible Bare soilCompliant, but tracks and weeds Gravel, rock or pavers alreadyKeep it, clear the debris out of it Wood fence or gate attached to the housePhase 2 item, about 3 to 5 years Firewood, lumber or stored itemsMove out of the five feet

3 Choose a noncombustible surface

Every material shown here is mineral, does not carry fire, and does not break down into something that does. Bark and mulch are not offered here on purpose.

Depth

4 Where is the project? optional

Your ZIP code finds the nearest Earth Stone Rock yard and adds an estimated delivery charge to the plan. No address, no email.

Your Zone 0 plan

Enter your building dimensions to start.

0sq ft in the 5 ft band

0tons

0cubic yards

$0material only, before delivery

Shop this material Request a delivered quote Order samples

Quantities include 10 percent for compaction and waste. Cost uses today’s per-ton price for the selected product and covers material only. Delivery depends on your address and is quoted separately. Lay landscape fabric under loose stone so soil does not work up through it.

The three defensible space zones

Zone 0, 0 to 5 feet: ember resistantNoncombustible ground surface. No bark, mulch, dead vegetation, firewood or combustible fencing against the structure. This is the zone the planner above covers.
Zone 1, 5 to 30 feet: lean, clean and greenMaintained, well spaced planting. Bark and mulch are fine out here. Keep gaps between shrubs and remove dead material.
Zone 2, 30 to 100 feet: reduce fuelThin trees and brush, keep grass short, break up continuous fuel so fire cannot run straight to the house.

The tighter band inside Zone 0

Zone 0 does not require five feet of bare gravel all the way around the house. The rule sets a harder vegetation-free strip close to the building, then allows limited low planting out to the full five feet if you want it. The mulch ban applies across the whole five feet regardless.

Keep completely clear

At least 1 foot out from exterior walls, or out to the edge of the eave where it projects further
At least 2 feet around windows, doors and vents
5 feet from attached decks, stairs and pergolas

Allowed out to 5 feet, if maintained

Lawn kept under 3 inches
Non-woody flowers and low ground cover
Plants in noncombustible containers, kept clear of windows, doors and vents

What does not belong in the first five feet

Bark, wood chips and mulch. We sell these and they are the right material across most of a planted yard. They are the material the rule bans against the building.
Synthetic turf. It is a plastic product and is treated as combustible.
Woody shrubs against the wall, and anything dead or dying.
Wood edging, landscape timbers, firewood and stored lumber.
Leaf litter in the gravel. The stone is fine, the debris sitting in it is not, so the band still needs sweeping.

Official sources

This planner is built on the statewide rule. Local ordinances and insurer requirements can be stricter, so confirm with your local fire authority before construction.

California Board of Forestry and Fire Protection: Defensible Space Zones 0, 1 and 2: the rule and its status
CAL FIRE Ready for Wildfire: Defensible Space: homeowner guidance for all three zones

Last reviewed: 2026-09-11

This is a planning tool, not legal advice or a compliance guarantee. No landscape design guarantees a structure will survive a wildfire, qualifies you for insurance or a discount, or satisfies every local requirement. Rules, insurance conditions and local ordinances change. Confirm current requirements with your local fire authority and your insurer before you build.

Zone 0 questions

What is Zone 0 in California?

Zone 0 is the ember-resistant zone: the first five feet measured out from a building. California’s rule requires that band to be kept free of combustible material, because most homes lost in wildfires are ignited by wind-driven embers landing against the structure rather than by the fire front itself.

Is mulch allowed in Zone 0?

No. Bark, wood chips and other combustible mulch are prohibited within the first five feet of a structure. Use gravel, decomposed granite, river rock, pavers or concrete in that band, and keep bark for the beds further out.

How much gravel do I need for Zone 0?

A five-foot band around a rectangular building covers 5 times the perimeter plus 100 square feet. A 50 by 40 foot house has a 180 foot perimeter, so the band is about 1,000 square feet. At 2 inches deep that is about 8 tons of gravel or decomposed granite, or a little over 9 tons once you add 10 percent for compaction and waste. Use the planner above with your own measurements.

Is Zone 0 the law yet?

Not yet, as of September 2026. The Board of Forestry and Fire Protection approved the final rule on 19 August 2026. It still has to clear the Office of Administrative Law and be filed with the Secretary of State, and there is no statewide effective date. Existing homes are expected to get roughly three years for ground surfaces and vegetation, and three to five years for fencing and decking, measured from whenever that date arrives.

Does Zone 0 apply to my house?

The rule covers structures in a State Responsibility Area, and in a Very High Fire Hazard Severity Zone within a Local Responsibility Area. That includes single-family homes, multi-family buildings, ADUs and outbuildings, owner-occupied and rental alike. Your county or local fire authority can confirm which zone your address falls in.

Want the full background?
Read our guide to what goes in the first five feet, including the timeline and the part most guides get wrong.

Read the Zone 0 guide